Practical AI for not-for-profits: key insights and webinar recording

With around 500 participants joining live, the session covered a lot of ground, from the basics of what generative AI actually is, through to real-world applications, ethical considerations, data privacy, and a demo of Drafter, Funding Centre's AI-powered grant writing tool.

Some highlights from the conversation:

Start with chat, build from there. Familiar chatbot tools that many people already know, such as ChatGPT, Claude and similar platforms, can be a practical starting point for many organisations but they are designed for general-purpose use.

Look for sector-specific tools. General AI tools are versatile, but purpose-built tools designed for your industry will typically outperform them for specific tasks. Drafter, for example, is built specifically for grant writing, and unlike general tools, it flags when it doesn't have enough information, all data is processed in Australia and your content is never used to train AI systems.

AI for admin, not just writing. Paola walked through a practical example of using AI to manage file organisation, email monitoring and team collaboration - showing how even small community organisations can use AI to reduce repetitive admin burden.

Ethics and data privacy matter. The session had a frank discussion about AI's environmental footprint, labour concerns, and data privacy. The practical takeaway: don't put personal information into AI tools, use paid versions of tools so you can opt out of data training, and look for locally developed purpose-built tools that comply with Australian regulations.

Whether you're just starting to explore AI or looking to build on what you're organisation is already doing, the key message from the webinar was clear: start small, stay curious, and choose tools that are fit for purpose.

If you missed the session, contact the Funding Centre team to request access to the webinar recording or learn more about Drafter, Funding Centre's AI-powered grant writing tool.