Grant makers: spotting an AI doozy – and what to do instead

“Grant makers: spotting an AI doozy and what to do instead” is a practical, myth-busting session designed for fundraisers navigating the new reality of AI-powered bid writing. As more charities turn to tools like ChatGPT to save time, funders are increasingly encountering applications that sound polished but hollow, generic or ethically risky. This session will help you understand what funders are actually looking out for and how you can use AI well without undermining your voice, credibility or case for support.

We’ll cover the essentials: what AI is (in plain English), how it can genuinely support your fundraising, the ethical considerations you must keep in view, and the common “AI doozies” that immediately raise red flags for funders. Drawing on my experience assessing hundreds of applications and using AI in my own grant-making and social investment work at Trust for London, I’ll show you how to use AI to enhance clarity and storytelling while keeping lived experience, accuracy and authenticity front and centre.

You will leave with practical tips, examples, and questions to ask yourself before submitting any AI-supported application, helping you write smarter bids that still sound powerfully you.

Key learnings from this session:

Attendees will learn where AI genuinely adds value, editing, structuring, simplifying, sense-checking without replacing their expertise or diluting their organisation’s voice. Funders increasingly spot tell-tale signs of poorly used AI: generic language, inaccurate claims, mismatched data, and applications that sound professional but say very little. You’ll learn how to avoid these traps. You’ll understand what red flags funders look for, why some AI-written bids get rejected immediately, and how to make sure your application still reflects authenticity, lived experience and clear need.