Used at
The Bentway
The organization
Grants & funder reporting
for FundraisingThe full life cycle of grants: brainstorming themes, drafting applications, tailoring language to a funder’s priorities. A huge time saver for a small team — and the use staff are least likely to mention outside the building.
The tools
ChatGPT · Claude
The tools staff named
The system
The system drafts, and a person decides what to do next.
A person decidesData flow
draft applications, plus the funder’s name and priorities
Sensitive personal information
organizational strategy shared with a vendor
↓
refine, reframe, tailor to the funder
Language Models
↓
polished, funder-specific text
Generated content
staff would likely never tell the funder AI helped
Risks staff flagged
If funders found out
Staff who use AI most on this work say they would not tell an external partner or funder. Undisclosed use is a standing bet on how funders would react.
!No safeguard in place yet
An error in an application
A hallucinated metric or misstated program in a grant application puts real funding at risk.
How it's managedDrafts start human: staff write the communication first and paste it in only to refine — and every claim is reviewed.
A funder-shaped voice
Tailoring language to each funder is the job — but the human voice is what staff most fear losing.
How it's managedThe application always starts with the writer, not the model.
Who it touches
Funders reading applications & reports
Wider community
the grants that keep programs running
You can
Disclosure is an open question — should funders be told? — headed to the AI policy
A person owns every claim — numbers and program facts are verified by staff
Questions or concerns — bring them to the Sept 2 workshop
What staff told us
3 staffHow oftenIn a typical month, how often do you use AI tools for work?
12
NeverRarelyA few times a monthA few times a weekDaily
Trust in own useWhen you use AI at work, how confident are you that you’re using it appropriately?
12
Not confidentRarely sureSometimes sureMostly sureAlways sure
Time saved / weekRoughly how much time do you estimate AI saves you in a typical week?2 answered
11
NoneUnder 1 h1–3 h4–7 h7 h +
Comfort disclosingWould you feel comfortable telling a colleague or your manager that you used AI on a piece of work?
12
Would hide itProbably notIt dependsProbablyOpenly yes
Each cell is one answer choice — the deeper the colour, the more responses gave it · the pointer under the bar marks the median
What staff described A time saver across the whole grant life cycle — brainstorming, writing, and refining language to a funder’s priorities.