Five Ways Not-for-Profits and Small Business Owners Can Use AI

Here at Wakeford Digital, we often contemplate at what stage is AI is no longer just a buzzword but a part of every day life.

For many not-for-profit organisations and businesses in Hobart and Tasmania, AI programs (such as ChatGPT and Copilot) may currently seem one daunting step too far.

From our knowledge and experience however, AI can enable users to save time and work smarter, without sacrificing quality.

This could be from simplifying email writing to analysing data trends, AI offers ways to make day-to-day tasks easier.

... if used thoughtfully.

Below, we explore five smart ways you can use AI to increase efficiency while, importantly, keeping your organisation’s values intact.

5 ways businesses and not-for-profits can use AI include:

• Summarising documents
• Writing or tidying emails
• Automating tasks
• Helping to write grant applications
• Analysing data

Let's explore...

AI can help to summarise documents

Picture this: you’ve got a 50-page report sitting on your desk, and you’re crunched for time.

Reading through that entire document can be overwhelming when other tasks are piling up - but what if you could just get the highlights?

That’s where AI-powered tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT come in handy.

These tools can summarise documents quickly, pulling out the most relevant details and leaving out the fluff.

You can also interact with these platforms to further refine or extract information too.

Key Benefits:

• Time-saver: Skim through the highlights without getting bogged down by every detail.
• Decision-making aid: Summaries help you get to the point faster, aiding quicker decisions.
• Avoid information overload: When time is tight, AI-generated summaries allow you to focus on the essentials.

It's important to note however (which we'll also stress below), that while AI is great for cutting through the clutter, it’s not perfect.

Always double-check the final summary, especially for critical reports that require human insight.

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Writing and polishing emails can be easier with AI

We all know how time-consuming writing professional emails can be, let alone moments where first impressions may count or a considered response is needed.

Crafting the perfect tone and making sure everything is clear however can eat up valuable time, and is where AI tools like Grammarly and Notion AI are here to help you write better emails, faster.

Instead of typing out every single email, let AI step in to either draft it for you or polish what you’ve written.

These tools can suggest clearer language, help with formatting, and even check for the right tone. You won’t have to worry about awkward phrasing or missed grammar mistakes again.

Why Use AI for Emails?

• Speeds up communication: AI writes or refines emails, saving time without sacrificing professionalism.
• Improves clarity: Avoid confusing or unclear messaging with AI suggestions.
• Maintains tone: Whether you need a formal response or something more casual, AI can adjust the tone to suit your needs.

While AI can help you get your message across clearly, remember that personal touches, especially in conversations such as donor or client communications, should still come from you.

AI can’t yet replace the emotional nuances that human writers bring.

AI can automate simple tasks

Wouldn’t it be nice if some of those small, repetitive tasks could just… run themselves?

Well, thanks to AI-driven platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot, they can.

These tools are built to automate routine activities like organising contact lists, scheduling follow-up emails, and even setting reminders for meetings.

Dominic from Wakeford Digital says, "For small businesses and not-for-profits, these little tasks can pile up, taking away precious time that could be better spent on strategy or creative projects."

"With AI stepping in to handle the repetitive work, you and your team can focus on the bigger picture."

What AI Automation Can Handle:

• Managing contacts: Automatically update, tag, or organise your lists so you never lose track of key people.
• Follow-up reminders: Ensure no donor or client slips through the cracks with automated reminders.
• Scheduling tasks: Let AI take care of your calendar, setting reminders and booking follow-ups for you.

Automation is powerful, but it’s important to monitor these tools to ensure they’re functioning as expected.

As previously mentioned, human oversight is still necessary to fine-tune the system and ensure accuracy.

Use AI to help with proposals and grant applications

Grant applications can be lifelines for not-for-profit organisations, but as many Executive Officers and CEO's will know (shudders) - they’re also incredibly time-consuming.

Writing a good proposal means investing hours into research, drafting, and revisions. This is where AI can help lighten the load...

Tools like Jasper, Writesonic and ChatGPT are built to assist with writing tasks, offering suggestions to structure your grant applications or business proposals.

While AI can’t replace the personal insights only you know about your organisation’s mission, it can draft outlines, suggest phrasing, and ensure you don’t overlook key sections.

AI's Role in Grant Writing:

• Outlining and structuring: AI offers a draft structure to get you started.
• Content suggestions: Based on your input, AI can suggest sections or specific language that fits your needs.
• Efficiency booster: You can focus on fine-tuning the message while AI handles the grunt work of the first draft.

Remember, personalisation is key in winning grant applications.

The AI might help you get started, but only you can ensure the final submission resonates with the funder’s priorities.

Use AI to make data-based decisions

Understanding trends and analysing data is important, especially when you're working with limited resources.

AI tools like Microsoft Power BI and Looker (Google) Data Studio can help you make sense of complex data sets, turning raw numbers into actionable insights.

Imagine being able to spot patterns in donor behaviour, predict which events will succeed, or figure out the best time to send out a campaign.

AI does the heavy lifting by analysing all this data for you, so you can focus on making smart, data-driven decisions.

How AI Helps You Make Smarter Decisions:

• Analyse trends: AI can sift through donor history or sales data to find patterns you might miss.
• Predict outcomes: Use insights to forecast which outreach efforts are most likely to succeed.
• Save time on data processing: AI quickly turns large data sets into clear, actionable information.

While AI can spot trends and offer insights, it’s still up to you to interpret the data and use it in a way that aligns with your organisation’s strategy.

Some bonus other ways to use AI:

• spelling and grammar checking your written content
• analysing previous documents, grants etc and suggesting improvements
• analysing reports to give an executive summary
• rewording specific areas of content to match tone

Important notes and considerations when using AI

As we've outlined above, using AI can be a massive benefit, but like any tool, it has limitations.

Here are a few things we here at Wakeford Digital feel it's important to share and keep in mind to ensure you’re using AI responsibly:

AI is a helper, not a replacement‍

AI can streamline your work, but human oversight is essential to ensure quality and accuracy.

Provide clear instructions:

The clearer your input, the better the AI output. Always give AI enough context to understand what you’re asking for.

Privacy matters:

Always make sure your AI tools are compliant with data privacy standards, especially when dealing with sensitive information like donor data or customer records.

AI can increase efficiency, but it’s important to use it thoughtfully, ensuring your values and privacy are maintained along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Use AI for Efficiency

Can AI fully write grant proposals for my non-profit?‍

AI can help by drafting initial sections or suggesting ideas, but it's still crucial to add personal insights and tailor the application to reflect your organisation’s goals.

Is using AI tools safe for handling sensitive data?‍

It can be, if you choose platforms with strong encryption and privacy protections. Make sure your AI tools are compliant with relevant data protection laws.

What kinds of tasks can AI automate in my small business?‍

AI can automate repetitive tasks such as scheduling follow-ups, managing emails, and tracking client interactions—freeing up time for more important work.

How can AI help with email writing?‍

AI tools like Grammarly and Notion AI help draft, edit, and polish emails quickly. They check for clarity, tone, and grammar to ensure professional communication. 

Will AI replace human decision-making in my organisation?‍

We feel the answer is no, AI is a tool to assist decision-making by providing data-driven insights, but human judgment is still essential for interpreting and applying those insights strategically.

Can AI help with donor or charity engagement?‍

Absolutely! AI can analyse donor data, predict future engagement, and recommend the best outreach strategies to optimise your donor relationships.

As a summary...

• Summarising Documents: Save time by using AI tools to extract key points from lengthy documents.
• Writing and Polishing Emails: Leverage AI to draft and refine emails, maintaining professionalism without sacrificing time.
• Helping with Proposals and Grant Applications: Use AI to streamline proposal writing, but ensure personalisation to connect with funders.
• Automating Simple Tasks: Automate routine tasks like contact management, scheduling, and follow-ups using AI platforms.
• Using AI to Make Data-Based Decisions: Analyse data and identify trends with AI, combining insights with human expertise for informed decisions. 

By embracing AI thoughtfully, organisations can achieve greater efficiency without compromising the integrity of their work or the security of their data.

Do you use AI at Wakeford Digital?

We do! Actually, many of the above tips have come directly from the ways that we use AI.

While we're certainly not at the forefront of AI trends and opportunities, we use AI every day in one form or another including: 

• ChatGPT for content creation and analysis
• Notion for scheduling and task management
• Descript for videography, captions and a few more ways.

If you're wondering about how AI or tools listed above may be useful in helping your not-for-profit or small business, feel free to get in touch or discuss your digital marketing or Hobart web design project with us.

Thanks for reading!