For Development Directors ·
What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have a ChatGPT setup that can draft any donor appeal, thank-you letter, or stewardship communication in your organization's voice — not in generic AI language. Every development communication will start from a consistent organizational voice foundation, and you'll be able to produce first drafts in under 5 minutes.
What you'll need
Go to {{tool:ChatGPT.url}} and sign in. Start a new conversation.
Paste this setup message, filling in your details:
I want you to help me write donor communications for [Organization Name], a [mission description] based in [city].
Our organizational voice is: [describe — e.g., "warm and community-centered, conversational rather than formal, uses stories before statistics, avoids jargon, speaks directly to donors as partners in our work rather than funders"]
Our key messages are:
1. [Key message 1 — e.g., "Every person deserves stable housing"]
2. [Key message 2]
3. [Key message 3]
Here are 2-3 examples of our past communications that capture our voice well:
[Paste 1-2 paragraphs from your best past donor letter or appeal email]
When I ask you to write donor communications, always match this voice and these messages. If I ask for something that strays from our voice, gently flag it.
Confirm you understand our voice before we start.
Ask ChatGPT to write a simple communication and check if it sounds like your organization:
"Write a 3-paragraph thank-you email to a first-time donor who gave $100 to our general fund. Use our voice."
Read it critically: Does it sound like your organization wrote it, or like generic nonprofit copy? If it's off, add more examples from your best past writing and ask again.
Use this setup to draft your core communication templates:
Thank-you letter templates:
Draft a thank-you letter for a [first-time / recurring / major] donor who gave $[amount] to [program/fund]. Reference the impact of that specific program. 250 words.
Appeal email templates:
Write a year-end appeal email for donors who gave last year but haven't given yet this year. Hook: [story idea]. Ask: $[amount range]. Matching gift available: [yes/no and details].
Stewardship email templates:
Write a mid-year impact update email for donors who gave in the last 12 months. Share outcomes from [program]. No ask — just stewardship. 200 words.
Save each draft in a Word document organized by communication type.
For any new communication need, use this pattern: