Grant Writing & Research

Fundwriter.ai for Nonprofits

Staring at a blank page when that appeal letter is due tomorrow? Fundwriter.ai uses AI built specifically for nonprofit fundraising to generate professional drafts of grant proposals, donor appeals, thank-you letters, and more in seconds—so your small team can spend less time wrestling with writer's block and more time building donor relationships.

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What It Does (The Problem It Solves)

Spending hours crafting the perfect donor thank-you letter, only to realize you have 50 more variations to write for different giving levels?

Fundwriter.ai transforms fundraising communications from a time-consuming bottleneck into a streamlined process. Instead of staring at blank documents, you select from 30+ specialized writing models, provide basic project information (your mission, the campaign, the ask), and receive polished first drafts within seconds. Whether you need personalized donor appeals, grant proposal introductions, impact story emails, or social media posts promoting your year-end campaign, the AI generates content that sounds professional and mission-aligned—giving you a strong foundation to edit rather than starting from scratch.

The tool was developed in collaboration with nonprofit professionals who understand that fundraising teams are often writing marketing copy, donor communications, grant applications, and board reports simultaneously—all while managing programs and events. Fundwriter.ai addresses this reality by providing ready-to-customize content across the full spectrum of fundraising communications.

Best For

Organization Size

Small to mid-sized nonprofits with 1-15 staff handling multiple responsibilities
Organizations where one person wears many hats (grant writing + appeals + donor relations)
Larger organizations using Raiser's Edge NXT who want seamless CRM integration

Best Use Cases

Creating multiple versions of appeal letters for different donor segments
Drafting personalized thank-you notes at scale
Generating grant proposal narratives and letters of intent
Producing social media content and newsletter articles quickly

Ideal For

Development Directors and Fundraising Managers
Grant writers needing to produce proposals faster
Executive Directors handling fundraising alongside other duties
Freelance fundraising consultants serving multiple clients

Key Features for Nonprofits

30+ Fundraising-Specific Writing Models

Purpose-built templates for every type of nonprofit communication

Unlike generic AI tools, Fundwriter.ai offers specialized models for grant proposal introductions, letters of intent, appeal letters, thank-you notes, project updates, social media posts, and newsletter articles. Each model asks fundraising-specific questions to generate contextually relevant content—not generic placeholder text.

Personalized Donor Communications at Scale

Create multiple versions for different donor segments

Generate personalized thank-you letters for first-time donors, major donors, recurring givers, and event participants—each with appropriate tone and messaging. Instead of using the same template for everyone, create segment-specific communications that boost response rates and make donors feel genuinely appreciated.

Grant Proposal Drafting

AI-assisted narrative sections and letters of intent

Generate compelling grant proposal narratives, one-page summaries, and letters of intent by providing basic project information. The AI understands nonprofit language and funder expectations, helping you produce persuasive drafts that balance emotional storytelling with data-driven evidence.

Raiser's Edge NXT Integration

Leverage your donor data for personalized communications

For organizations using Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge NXT, Fundwriter.ai offers native integration—pulling constituent data in real-time to power more personalized communications. Access donor history and preferences directly while generating content, eliminating manual data lookup.

AI-Powered Idea Generation

Overcome writer's block with creative suggestions

Beyond drafting, Fundwriter.ai helps brainstorm campaign themes, appeal angles, and social media content ideas. When you're stuck on how to frame your year-end campaign or struggling to find a fresh approach for donor retention, the AI suggests creative directions based on your mission and goals.

Seconds-Fast Draft Generation

From blank page to polished first draft instantly

The three-step workflow—create project, select model, complete prompt—generates professional drafts within seconds. What used to take 2-4 hours (researching examples, outlining, drafting, refining) now takes 15-30 minutes of editing and personalization on an AI-generated foundation.

How This Tool Uses AI

Fundwriter.ai is built specifically for nonprofit fundraising communications, but how does its AI actually work? Here's a transparent look at what's happening behind the scenes:

What's Actually AI-Powered

Natural Language Generation for Fundraising Content

Type of AI:
Large language model (specific model undisclosed) fine-tuned or prompted for nonprofit fundraising contexts
What it does:
Takes your project information (mission statement, campaign goals, ask amount, donor segment) and generates contextually appropriate fundraising copy—appeals, thank-yous, proposals, emails, and social posts
How it learns:
Built collaboratively with nonprofit professionals; the 30+ models are structured prompts designed to capture fundraising-specific context and generate relevant output
Practical impact:
Instead of "Dear Donor, thank you for your gift," the AI generates: "Dear Sarah, your generous $250 contribution to our youth mentoring program will provide three months of tutoring for a student who's the first in their family to attend college."

Structured Prompt Engineering

Type of AI:
Guided prompt system that asks fundraising-specific questions before generating content
What it does:
Each of the 30+ writing models has customized input fields: key people, values, ask amounts, fund descriptions, campaign goals, and donor segments—ensuring the AI has relevant context before generating
Practical impact:
The structured approach means even first-time AI users can get quality output by filling in familiar fields, unlike generic AI tools where you need to craft effective prompts yourself

Adaptive Content Generation

Type of AI:
Live drafting that adapts as you edit and provide more context
What it does:
The AI drafts content in real-time and adjusts as you make edits, allowing iterative refinement rather than static one-shot generation
Practical impact:
If the first draft emphasizes the wrong benefit, you can redirect the AI to focus on community impact instead of individual outcomes, and it regenerates accordingly

What's NOT AI (But Still Useful)

Project Organization:Storing and organizing your projects, mission statements, and reusable content is standard database functionality, not AI
Raiser's Edge Integration:Connecting to your CRM and pulling donor data is API integration, not AI intelligence
Template Selection:Choosing between 30+ writing models is a user interface feature—the AI generates content, but template categorization is human-designed
Editing Interface:Text editing, formatting, and export functions are standard word processing features

AI Transparency & Limitations

Data Requirements

Output quality depends entirely on input quality—vague mission descriptions produce generic content
The more specific your project details (impact numbers, beneficiary stories, campaign goals), the more compelling the output
First drafts improve as you build a library of organizational content within the platform

Human Oversight Still Required

AI cannot verify facts—always check program statistics, dates, and donor names before sending
No plagiarism detection built in—verify content originality for grants and published materials
No grammar checking—run output through Grammarly or similar tools before finalizing
Tone may not match your organization's voice—plan to edit for consistency with existing communications

Known Limitations

English only—no support for multilingual communications or non-English-speaking communities
No brand voice customization—you can't train it on your organization's existing communications style
Underlying language model not disclosed—unclear how AI makes decisions or what training data was used
Limited integrations—Raiser's Edge NXT is the primary CRM connection; other systems require manual data handling

Data Privacy

Company states data is collected to "improve services"—verify specific policies during signup
Raiser's Edge integration accesses constituent data—ensure your data sharing policies allow this
Non-refundable subscription policy—be certain before committing to paid plans

When AI Adds Real Value vs. When It's Just Marketing

✅ Genuinely useful AI:

• Generating 10+ personalized thank-you letter variants (would take hours manually)
• Drafting appeal letters when you're stuck on how to frame the ask
• Creating grant proposal narrative sections from project outlines
• Brainstorming campaign angles when creativity is running low

⚠️ AI that's nice but not essential:

• Social media posts (many simpler tools do this adequately)
• Newsletter articles (if you already have content, light editing may suffice)

❌ AI you don't need from Fundwriter.ai:

• If you only send a handful of donor communications monthly, free AI tools like ChatGPT may suffice
• If you have dedicated copywriters, they may prefer general AI tools with more flexibility

Bottom Line: Fundwriter.ai uses AI specifically optimized for nonprofit fundraising communications. It won't replace your judgment about donor relationships, but it eliminates the blank-page problem and produces solid first drafts across the full spectrum of fundraising content—appeals, grants, thank-yous, and more.

Real-World Nonprofit Use Case

Imagine a regional animal rescue with a 3-person team preparing for their year-end fundraising campaign. The Development Director needs to create: appeal letters for lapsed donors, thank-you letters for recurring givers, a major donor cultivation letter, email sequences for different segments, and social media posts promoting the campaign—all while coordinating adoption events and managing volunteers.

Previously, each appeal letter took 2-3 hours to craft, with significant time spent staring at blank pages trying to find the right angle. Using Fundwriter.ai, the Director inputs their mission, this year's impact statistics (450 animals rescued, 380 adoptions), and campaign goals into a project. Then, selecting the "Appeal Letter" model, they generate distinct versions for lapsed donors ("We've missed you..."), monthly givers ("Your ongoing commitment..."), and event attendees ("Since we met at the Bark in the Park...").

Result: What would have taken 15+ hours across multiple writing sessions now takes 3-4 hours of editing and personalization. The AI-generated drafts capture the emotional urgency needed for year-end appeals while incorporating specific program data. The Director spends their time refining messaging and adding personal touches rather than wrestling with first drafts.

More importantly, response rates improved because they could create segment-specific messaging instead of one-size-fits-all appeals—something they never had capacity for when writing everything from scratch.

Pricing

Basic Plan

For individual fundraisers and small teams

$29/month

or $22/month billed annually

Up to 20,000 AI-generated words/month
Access to all 30+ writing models
AI-powered idea generators
Unlimited projects
Single user

Professional Plan

For teams and high-volume users

Free Trial

7-day free trial with access to all features and up to 10,000 AI-generated words. Test the platform thoroughly before committing to a paid plan.

Start Free Trial

Note: Prices may be outdated or inaccurate.

Nonprofit Discount/Special Offers

NONPROFIT PRICING

Fundwriter.ai does not offer a specific nonprofit discount—the tool is already priced with nonprofit budgets in mind and was developed specifically for the nonprofit sector.

Cost-Saving Options:

Annual billing: Save ~24% compared to monthly ($22/month vs $29/month on Basic)
Free trial: 7 days with 10,000 words—enough to test extensively before paying
Custom offers: Contact [email protected] for custom pricing discussions

ROI Perspective: At $29/month, if Fundwriter.ai saves just 3 hours of fundraising staff time monthly (at $25/hour equivalent), it pays for itself. Most users report saving significantly more.

Learning Curve

Learning Curve: Beginner-Friendly

Designed for non-technical fundraising professionals

Time to First Value:

Account setup: 5-10 minutes
First draft generated: 15-20 minutes (including project setup)
Proficiency with multiple models: 1-2 hours of exploration

Technical Requirements:

No technical expertise required—designed for fundraisers, not developers
Basic familiarity with your own organization's mission and programs
Ability to edit and refine AI-generated text
For Raiser's Edge integration: admin access to your Blackbaud account

Support Available:

Working demo appointments available
Email support at [email protected]
Active presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram

Pro Tip:

Before your first session, gather: your mission statement, this year's key impact statistics, current campaign goals, and examples of past appeals you've liked. The more context you provide upfront, the better your first drafts will be.

Integration & Compatibility

Connects With

Raiser's Edge NXT: Native integration for accessing constituent data in real-time
Other CRMs: Limited—no native integrations with DonorPerfect, Bloomerang, Salesforce, or other platforms
No API: Cannot connect to custom systems or automate workflows with other tools

Platform Availability

Web-based: Access from any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
No desktop app: Cloud-based platform accessible anywhere
Mobile: Web interface works on tablets; best experience on desktop

Data Portability

Copy/paste generated content into any document or email platform
Unknown: Project data export capabilities not specified—verify during trial
Non-refundable policy: Ensure you can work with the tool before subscribing

Pros & Cons

Pros

Purpose-built for fundraising: 30+ models designed specifically for nonprofit communications—not generic AI
Beginner-friendly: Structured prompts guide non-technical users to good results
Raiser's Edge integration: Direct CRM connection for personalized communications (if you use Blackbaud)
Affordable entry point: $29/month is accessible for small nonprofits
Proven time savings: Users report writing 10x faster with decent first drafts
Full fundraising spectrum: Covers grants, appeals, thank-yous, emails, and social—not just one type

Cons

English only: No multilingual support for international or diverse communities
No plagiarism/grammar checking: Need separate tools to verify originality and polish
Limited integrations: Only Raiser's Edge NXT; other CRMs require manual work
No brand voice training: Can't learn your organization's specific tone and style
Word limits on Basic plan: 20,000 words/month may not be enough for heavy users
Non-refundable: If it doesn't work for you, no money back

Alternatives to Consider

If Fundwriter.ai doesn't feel like the right fit, consider:

Grant Assistant (by FreeWill)

Deeper grant writing focus with AI trained on 7,000+ winning proposals

Custom pricing (demo required). Best for organizations focused primarily on grant writing (5+ proposals/year) who want AI trained specifically on successful grant applications. Includes RFP analysis and compliance checking—features Fundwriter.ai doesn't offer.

Choose Grant Assistant if: Grants are your primary focus and you need sophisticated RFP analysis and compliance features.

ChatGPT

General-purpose AI with more flexibility (and complexity)

Free tier available; Plus at $20/month. More powerful and flexible, but requires you to craft effective prompts yourself. No fundraising-specific templates—you're starting from scratch. Better for technically comfortable users who want maximum flexibility.

Choose ChatGPT if: You're comfortable writing prompts, need general AI capabilities beyond fundraising, or want a free option.

Writesonic

AI writing assistant with marketing content focus

Free tier available; paid from $12/month. Better for marketing-heavy content (ads, landing pages, blog posts) but not specifically designed for nonprofit fundraising. Offers more content types but less fundraising context.

Choose Writesonic if: Your needs lean more toward marketing and awareness content than donor-specific communications.

Why you might choose Fundwriter.ai instead:

Purpose-built for nonprofit fundraising with 30+ specialized writing models
Structured prompts eliminate the need to be an AI expert
Native Raiser's Edge NXT integration (if you use Blackbaud)
Covers full spectrum: grants, appeals, thank-yous, emails, and social media
Developed collaboratively with nonprofit professionals who understand your challenges

Getting Started

Your First 48 Hours with Fundwriter.ai

Four steps to start creating fundraising content faster

Start Free Trial (5 minutes)

Start Free Trial

Create Your First Project (15 minutes)

Set up a project with your mission statement, key programs, and impact statistics. This becomes the foundation for all generated content.

Pro tip: Pull content from your website's "About" page, recent annual report, and any existing appeals you've liked. The more detail, the better.

Generate Your First Draft (10 minutes)

Choose a writing model you need now—maybe a thank-you letter or appeal letter. Fill in the prompt fields and generate your first draft. Edit and refine the output to match your voice.

Pro tip: Don't expect perfection. Think of AI output as a strong first draft—your job is to add the human touch and verify all facts.

Explore Different Models (30 minutes)

Try 3-4 different writing models during your trial—appeal letters, grant narratives, social media posts, donor emails. Understand where Fundwriter.ai adds the most value for your specific needs.

Pro tip: Track how long each type of content takes with AI vs. without. If you're not saving meaningful time, the tool may not be right for you.

QUICK WIN: Your First 30 Minutes

Want to see immediate value? Try this simple experiment:

Think of a thank-you letter you need to write this week
Create a project with basic mission info (5 minutes)
Select the "Thank You Letter" model and fill in the prompts
Generate a draft and time how long editing takes

What you'll learn: Whether the AI-generated starting point is better than your blank page, and how much editing is required.

Time invested: 15-20 minutes

Potential insight: A realistic sense of whether Fundwriter.ai will save you meaningful time on day-to-day communications

Need Help with Implementation?

Setting up AI writing tools and integrating them into your fundraising workflow can feel overwhelming, especially when you're juggling campaigns, donor relations, and program delivery. If you'd like expert guidance getting started, optimizing your prompts, or training your team, we're here to help.

One Hundred Nights offers implementation support—from setup assistance to workflow optimization and team training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fundwriter.ai free for nonprofits?

Fundwriter.ai offers a 7-day free trial with up to 10,000 words. After that, paid plans start at $29/month (Basic) or $89/month (Professional). While there's no specific nonprofit discount, the tool is priced affordably for nonprofit budgets. Annual billing saves approximately 2 months per year.

What types of fundraising content can Fundwriter.ai create?

Fundwriter.ai offers 30+ writing models covering grant proposals, appeal letters, personalized donor thank-you notes, fundraising emails, social media posts, newsletter articles, project updates, and impact stories. It's designed for the full spectrum of fundraising communications, not just grants.

Does Fundwriter.ai integrate with my donor management system?

Fundwriter.ai has native integration with Raiser's Edge NXT, allowing you to leverage your constituent data for personalized communications. For other CRM systems, you would need to work with manual data export/import or contact Fundwriter.ai about additional integrations.

How is Fundwriter.ai different from general AI tools like ChatGPT?

Fundwriter.ai is purpose-built for nonprofit fundraising with 30+ specialized writing models that understand fundraising context, donor psychology, and nonprofit language. While ChatGPT is general-purpose, Fundwriter.ai guides you through structured prompts designed specifically for appeals, grants, and donor communications, producing more relevant first drafts.

Can multiple team members use Fundwriter.ai?

Yes, but team access requires the Professional plan ($89/month) with additional team members at $50/month each. The Basic plan ($29/month) is designed for individual users. Both plans include unlimited projects.

What are the main limitations of Fundwriter.ai?

Key limitations include: English-only support (no multilingual capabilities), no built-in plagiarism detection or grammar checking, no brand voice customization feature, and limited integrations beyond Raiser's Edge NXT. You'll still need to fact-check and edit AI-generated content before sending.