How AI is Transforming Fundraising in 2025

The AI Revolution in Nonprofit Fundraising

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how nonprofits engage donors, optimise fundraising strategies, and automate routine tasks. With AI tools becoming more accessible, many nonprofit leaders wonder: Is AI a threat to human-centred fundraising, or is it a powerful tool for impact?

The answer is clear—AI is here to enhance the work of nonprofit professionals, not replace it. From automating donor outreach to optimising donation forms, AI enables nonprofits to be more efficient, effective, and impactful than ever before. By leveraging AI, organisations can spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time fostering meaningful connections with donors, ultimately increasing their long-term impact.

AI’s Role in Optimising Fundraising Efforts

AI is top of mind for nonprofits in 2025. According to Raisely's 2025 Fundraising Benchmarks study, 47% of fundraisers see AI as their biggest opportunity for digital fundraising.

Another report shows:

60% of nonprofits agreed or strongly agreed that AI will greatly benefit nonprofits.
71% of nonprofits are using or planning to use AI for fundraising and event planning in 2025.
AI for donor profiles and segmentation grew from 4% in 2023 to 6% in 2024, with 43% of nonprofits planning to adopt it in the future.

How Nonprofits Are Using AI Today

Automating Content Creation: AI can draft donor emails, social media posts, and blog content in seconds, significantly reducing the time required for content production.
Personalising Donor Engagement: AI-powered segmentation allows for customised outreach based on donor behaviour, ensuring that each donor receives relevant and timely communication.
Reducing Admin: AI chatbots handle common donor questions, freeing up staff for high-impact work such as relationship building and strategy development.

1. AI-Driven Content Creation: Scaling Without Losing Authenticity

Generative AI allows nonprofits to produce high-quality, personalised content at scale. However, human oversight is key to ensuring AI-generated messaging remains authentic and mission-aligned.

The Importance of Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is a crucial skill to get the most out of AI-driven content creation. The quality of AI-generated output depends heavily on how well the prompts are structured. By crafting clear, detailed, and contextualised prompts, nonprofit professionals can guide AI to produce content that aligns with their organisation's voice and goals.

Write Better Prompts With The R.O.D.E.S. Framework

To get the best results from AI, nonprofits should craft structured, high-quality prompts. The R.O.D.E.S. framework is a great place to start:

Role (R): Define the AI’s role.
Objective (O): Clearly state the goal.
Details (D): Provide specifics about what the output should include.
Examples (E): Share previous examples for reference.
Sense Check (S): Ensure AI understands before proceeding.

By using this approach, nonprofits can streamline content creation while maintaining a personal touch and ensuring messaging aligns with their brand voice.

2. AI for Smarter Fundraising: Donation Form Optimisation & Predictive Giving

AI-driven fundraising tools help nonprofits maximise donations with minimal effort. These tools continuously learn from donor behaviour and optimise donation strategies for the best possible outcomes.

Real-World Applications of AI in Fundraising

Intelligent Donation Amounts (by Raisely): AI dynamically adjusts suggested donation amounts based on real-time donor data, increasing per-session fundraising by 12%.
Predictive AI Tools: Partners like Keela and Dataro analyse donor behaviour to forecast future giving trends, allowing nonprofits to craft targeted and effective campaigns.
Automated Donor Stewardship: AI-powered workflows can trigger personalised thank-you messages, engagement reminders, and follow-ups for major donors, ensuring strong and lasting relationships.

3. AI for Donor Insights & Relationship Building

Understanding donor behaviour is critical for long-term engagement. AI enables nonprofits to analyse, predict, and act on donor trends in real-time, giving fundraisers the insights they need to foster stronger connections.

AI-Powered Donor Engagement Tools

Sentiment Analysis: AI can scan donor communications and interactions for sentiment cues, helping nonprofits tailor outreach strategies to engage donors more effectively.
Smart Segmentation: AI identifies high-value donors, lapsed donors, and at-risk supporters, allowing nonprofits to implement personalised engagement strategies that increase retention rates.
AI Chatbots: Automate donor support while providing real-time, conversational engagement, reducing response times and improving donor satisfaction.

4. AI & Automation: Streamlining Nonprofit Operations

AI doesn’t just impact fundraising—it eliminates repetitive tasks across nonprofit operations, allowing teams to focus on their mission and increase their overall efficiency.

How AI Saves Time for Nonprofits

Zapier + OpenAI + Raisely Integration: AI auto-generates personalised thank-you emails for high-value donors, ensuring timely and relevant follow-ups.
AI-Powered Workflow Automation: AI can track donations, generate impact reports, trigger follow-up actions, and even assist with grant applications, significantly reducing the administrative burden on nonprofit staff.

5. The Ethical Use of AI in Nonprofits

While AI presents many benefits, nonprofits must implement responsible AI practices to ensure ethical and transparent use. This means considering data privacy, fairness, and sustainability.

Key Considerations for Ethical AI Use

Privacy & Data Security: Ensure AI tools comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant donor data protection policies to safeguard sensitive information.
Avoiding AI Bias & Misinformation: AI models require human oversight to prevent bias and errors, ensuring that AI-generated recommendations and communications remain fair and accurate.
Environmental Impact: AI processing requires significant energy; nonprofits should optimise usage, consider cloud-based solutions with lower carbon footprints, and choose sustainable AI solutions that align with their values.

AI for Nonprofits – A Tool for Empowerment, Not Replacement

AI is not replacing nonprofit professionals—it’s enhancing their ability to create impact. By automating tasks, optimising fundraising, and personalising donor engagement, AI allows nonprofits to focus on what truly matters: building relationships, fostering donor trust, and advancing their mission with confidence.