“The robots are taking over!!” That’s the panic I’ve heard about ChatGPT. While I can agree that change can be hard and technology changes can be challenging, I’d like for you to consider that using ChatGPT for your nonprofit can be useful. It might even take pressure off your team to create content for social media, blogs, and newsletters.
Rather than thinking of ChatGPT as a bad idea, let’s figure out if and how we can use it in our organizations. I have ideas so let’s dive into this topic.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence combined with a chatbot. The appeal is that users can interact with software to provide feedback, get answers to questions in natural language, and create content. As nonprofit leaders, we are short on time and money and are excited to use ChatGPT to automate donor communication, provide real-time support, generate leads, and improve fundraising campaigns by asking for donor feedback.
For more information, check out The Nonprofit Show Understanding ChatGPT and Your NonProfit with Trevor Skillen of The Nonprofit TechTalk.
8 Ways to Use ChatGPT for Nonprofits
ChatGPT is a tool. Just like we use Google (which is also artificial intelligence!), we can use ChatGPT as a tool to support our efforts and save time. Keep in mind the output is only as good as your input when generating content.
Custom Donation Appeals. Enter information into the prompt to aid ChatGPT in creating donation letters. You will still need to edit and add information specific to your organization, but this is a great way to start writing a campaign.
Website Content Creation. While I wouldn’t recommend relying solely on ChatGPT for website content, it can be a useful tool for generating ideas and maybe even a first draft. Then you can brand it for your nonprofit, add calls to action, and make it your own.
Blog Ideas. Enter a prompt such as blog post ideas for nonprofit food bank and see the results. You don’t have to write a blog post for every idea, but it will likely generate new ideas and help you get in the writing flow.
Create evergreen content for social media. Evergreen content stays fresh for an extended period. The Nonprofit Show guest Anne McAuley Lopez on her episode ChatGPT and Your Nonprofit recommends using social media posts from ChatGPT as evergreen posts that you can repeat on a consistent basis. Literally, copy/paste the same content every other Monday or on whatever schedule makes sense.
Real-time support for website visitors. Utilize AI autoresponder for website visitors. Answer basic questions about where to apply to be a volunteer, donate, support upcoming events, and follow on social media. This will help save time for the administrative staff and you can also put the answers on an FAQ page of the website.
Gather Donor Information. Using a chatbot, a nonprofit can ask donors for their contact information and permission to contact them regarding upcoming fundraising events and news, and/or prompt them to subscribe to a newsletter. In this way you’re combining technology and the human touch. Of course, #NerdOut and research your donor base to see if this makes sense, even for a portion of donors.
Text Supporters. Just as you automate newsletters, you can automate texts and generate messaging from ChatGPT. This can be especially effective if you’re trying to reach millennials and other younger supporters who like apps and instant information at their fingertips.
Edit Newsletters. Use AI websites like Grammarly to check the spelling and grammar of content before you hit publish and MS Word to check for plagiarism. ChatGPT isn’t perfect and is dependent on what information it has available and what you add as prompts so check to make sure you’ve got original content, just in case.
While it may not be perfect, ChatGPT is a tool that nonprofit leaders can add to their toolboxes. Using tools like this is an effective way to save time and money for your growing organization.
If you have other questions, check out The Only Nonprofit Guide You Need or schedule a consultation.