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August 11, 2025 21 mins

Every nonprofit leader knows the struggle: that moment when your calendar reminder pops up – "Board packet due tonight." You export columns of numbers from your CRM, spend hours wrestling with spreadsheets, triple-checking figures, and aligning columns. All this effort, only to watch board members' eyes glaze over two pages into your meticulously crafted report.

What if there's a better way? A method that transforms dense data into clear, compelling narratives that your board not only understands but champions? This episode unveils how AI tools like ChatGPT can become your secret weapon for creating board reports that drive action instead of inducing sleep.

The key insight is deceptively simple: boards fund and support what they understand. When your reports drown decision-makers in raw numbers, strategic conversations stall and opportunities fade. But when you translate those same metrics into concise, mission-focused stories, your board becomes energized, engaged, and eager to help.

Learn the practical "Summarize, then Style" workflow that transforms CRM exports into board-ready narratives in minutes rather than hours. Discover how two simple prompts can extract clarity from complexity without sacrificing essential information or your organization's unique voice. Most importantly, free yourself from the belief that your value is measured by hours spent crafting reports, rather than by how effectively you communicate what matters.

Ready to reclaim your evenings, energize your board, and refocus on relationship-building? Try the simple workflow shared in this episode today, and experience the power of clarity-first communication. Your board – and your sanity – will thank you.

💡 Want to take the next small step?

→ Free Download: 12 Fundraising Prompts You'll Actually Use

→ Course: The Fundraiser's AI Starter Suite

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Keith Greer, CFRE (00:00):
Your calendar reminder pops up Board packet
due tonight.
You scroll to the CRM, export40 columns of numbers, donor IDs
and acronyms.
That only finance loves.
You imagine your board membersskimming page one and glazing
over by page two.
What if, instead, a one-pagenarrative dropped into your

(00:21):
inbox before lunch, clear,compelling and already in your
voice while you focus on prepfor tomorrow's donor coffee?
So let's talk fundraisingBoards, fund and support what
they understand.
But let's be honest, you knowthe sinking feeling.
You've spent hours crunchingnumbers, triple checking charts

(00:43):
and aligning columns.
You've spent hours crunchingnumbers, triple-checking charts
and aligning columns, only towatch the eyes glaze over two
pages in.
You wonder if the board'squietness signals approval,
confusion or maybe even boredom.
Often it's all three because,let's face it, when reports
drown decision-makers in numbers, strategic conversations stall,
donor gift opportunities fadeinto the background and, worst

(01:07):
of all, your carefully curatedmetrics, the ones you poured so
much time into, fail to sparkmeaningful discussions.
I've been there, my friend.
I remember nights after anexhausting day of donor calls
and meetings, wrestlingspreadsheets until midnight.
By the time my packet hit theboard's inbox it felt like it

(01:28):
contained my entire week'sexhaustion.
Yet in my eagerness to shareevery data point, I lost sight
of the real goal clearcommunication.
But clarity isn't just nice tohave, it's really essential.
Your board can't support whatthey can't quickly grasp.
They're busy, like you,juggling responsibilities

(01:51):
outside of board meetings,running companies, managing
teams and leading othernonprofits.
They trust your expertise, butwhen that expertise arrives as a
flood of raw numbers, theirability to quickly assess and
act suffers.
Imagine the opposite.
Instead of opening a dense PDFattachment, your board receives

(02:14):
a concise, compelling narrativehighlighting precisely what
matters.
Each sentence nudges themtoward deeper engagement.
Instead of combing throughconfusing metrics, they see
stories of real impact.
They understand instantly howprogress translates into lives
changed, community supported andmissions advanced.

(02:35):
And when they understand, theyact approving budgets quicker,
freeing resources faster andstepping confidently into donor
conversations on your behalf.
Here's what I'm noticingShifting from data dumps to
data-driven stories isn't aboutdumbing down reports.

(02:56):
It's about leveling up yourclarity.
It's about translatingfundraising jargon and CRM rows
into insights that your boardcan grasp and champion, because
behind every board meeting sitsthe chance for greater
investment, deeper advocacy andstronger partnership, but only

(03:16):
if your story lands clearly.
Let me tell you about anorganization I used to work at.
It was a small nonprofit and mypredecessor had these wildly
complicated board reports andshe left no instructions on how
to recreate the data that shepulled.
I spent two weeks trying topull data that matched her
numbers for my first boardmeeting.

(03:36):
The CRM export alone triggeredmy anxiety Hundreds of rows,
dozens of columns, numberswithout context.
After that first rough boardmeeting where I said I couldn't
recreate my predecessor's data,I knew something had to change.
I took a step back and askedwhat if my reports felt more

(03:59):
like donor conversations?
I started transforming coldnumbers into short
conversational stories.
Instead of reporting a 4%increase in unrestricted giving,
I shared how that uptick fundedtwo more families to complete
grief counseling following thedeath of their loved one.
Suddenly, the board came alivewith questions, insight and

(04:21):
excitement.
Here's the key shift I made.
I started prioritizingstorytelling over pure metrics.
I highlighted only whatdirectly informed decisions,
using narrative to bring thedata to life.
The result wasn't just a moreengaged board.
It led to faster decisions,clearer next steps and deeper

(04:44):
board support in donorconversations.
Now it might feel uncomfortableto step away from exhaustive
detail and you might fearomitting a key metric.
But here's the truth Claritydrives confidence.
When your board quicklyunderstands key fundraising
insights, they become advocates.
They become champions.

(05:05):
They become advocates, theybecome champions.
They become fundraisersalongside you.
And that's when your job getseasier.
And let's pause here.
Think back to your last boardreport.
What metric needed threesentences of explanation?
Jot it down, got it.
Now ask yourself Could you haveturned that metric into a short

(05:27):
, compelling narrative instead?
So how do we start putting thisclarity-first approach into
action?
Simple shifts make a big impact.
In a moment, I'll walk youthrough exactly how you can use
ChatGPT to effortlessly createclear, narrative-driven board
reports.
But first hold this principleclose Boards don't fund numbers.

(05:54):
They fund what they understandand clarity.
Clear, compelling storytellingis the bridge that connects your
board's understanding tomeaningful support.
So let's bring clarity intopractice with a straightforward
workflow.
Summarize, then style.
This is your shortcut fromdense CRM exports to clear,

(06:17):
concise board reports that fuelaction.
Let's unpack it step by step soyou see exactly how this plays
out in real time.
First, you grab selected rowsfrom your CRM think donor
contributions, year-to-dategiving trends, key metrics,
making sure to exclude anypersonal identifiers.
Remember data privacy isessential.

(06:39):
And if you want a deeper diveon how to use AI tools like
ChatGPT while maintaining donorprivacy, go back and listen to
my July 14, 2025 episode how toUse ChatGPT Without Compromising
Donor Privacy.
With your data ready, you startwith a simple, clear prompt to
ChatGPT.

(06:59):
Summarize these year-to-dategiving numbers for a
non-financial audience in 120words.
Now what does this accomplish?
Right away, chatgpt takes yourraw spreadsheet-heavy data and
condenses it into somethingreadable and instantly
understandable.
This isn't about losing detail.

(07:20):
It's about extracting clarityfrom complexity.
You're transforming columns androws into a snapshot summary
that your board can digest at aglance.
Next you move to the second stepof the workflow the style
adjustment.
You feed the initial summaryback into ChatGPT with another

(07:41):
clear prompt.
Rewrite this summary in anencouraging board brief tone.
Add one sentence linkingprogress to mission impact.
What happens here is crucial.
Chatgpt doesn't just rearrangewords.
It shifts the summary frommerely informative to genuinely

(08:01):
inspiring.
This step moves your messagebeyond the numbers and directly
into the heart of your mission.
Suddenly, progress isn't justnumerical.
It's tangible and tied directlyto your organization's purpose.
To make this clear, let's walkthrough a live example.
Imagine your initial datasummary sounds something like

(08:23):
this this year-to-date donationincreased by 5%, totaling
$50,000 more than last year.
Monthly recurring donationsrose from 40 donors to 55 donors
.
Unrestricted giving hasimproved by 7%, allowing greater
flexibility.
It's accurate, but it's dry.

(08:43):
Let's apply our second step andsee ChatGPT in action.
Your generous supporters haveincreased donations by 5%,
bringing in an additional$50,000 this year.
Even better news, monthlyrecurring supporters jumped from
40 to 55, reflecting deepeningcommunity commitment, and here's

(09:04):
why that matters.
Unrestricted giving grew by 7%,providing critical flexibility
to expand outreach programs andimpact even more lives.
Do you hear that difference?
Chatgpt hasn't merely summarized.
It's crafted a narrative thatconnects data directly to
mission impact.
It's clear, concise andcompelling Exactly what your

(09:27):
board needs to feel inspired andengaged.
But now let's be real.
Your first thought might bethis sounds great, but how long
does it take?
The beauty here is speed.
Typically, this two-stepprocess takes less than 10
minutes, including your quickpolish to make it perfectly you
and customizing it for the workyour organization does.

(09:47):
Compare that with the hoursyou've spent wrestling
spreadsheets it's night and day.
Still, you might worry.
Can a tool really capture thenuances and personality of my
organization's voice?
Absolutely, chatgpt learns andadapts from your input.
The more consistently you useit, with your preferred tone and

(10:09):
phrasing, the more it becomesyour trusted ally, reflecting
exactly how you communicate.
Remember you remain in control.
Chatgpt is your assistant, notyour replacement.
Let's quickly revisit my examplefrom earlier.
Before discovering ChatGPT, Ispent countless evenings
frustrated by indecipherable CRMdata.

(10:31):
Once I implemented thesummarize then style workflow,
my board meetings transformedovernight.
Instead of silent nods, I gotengaged conversations.
The board started makinginsightful observations,
offering proactive suggestionsand demonstrating increased
enthusiasm for fundraising goals.
My time and energy shifted fromnumber crunching to strategic

(10:55):
engagement and relationshipbuilding.
And there's another hiddenbenefit here.
Think about your own feelings.
When you finish a long,frustrating task, you're drained
, tense, maybe even discouraged.
That affects your confidence.
When you're presenting WithChatGPT streamlining your report
, you approach your board withconfidence.

(11:17):
You speak clearly because yourdata is clear and clarity breeds
trust, confidence and deepercollaboration.
Before we continue, pause for amoment.
Imagine your next board reportcompleted in minutes instead of
hours.
What difference would thatclarity and reclaimed time make

(11:40):
in your day-to-day?
How could those freed hoursdeepen your donor connections?
This is the mindset shift Iwant to offer you today.
Clarity isn't just about betterreports.
It's about reclaiming your time, strengthening your
relationships and empoweringyour board to act.
Chatgpt becomes the tool thattranslates your fundraising

(12:03):
expertise into language yourboard can champion quickly,
clearly and confidently so.
Give yourself permission to stepaway from spreadsheets and
toward clarity.
This week, I challenge you.
Take one small step Grab yourlatest CRM export, select key
metrics and run them through thesummarize, then style workflow.

(12:26):
Notice the immediate clarity,ease and confidence it brings.
Your board will thank you and,even more importantly, you'll
thank yourself, becausefundraising is tough enough.
Don't let spreadsheets make itharder.
Clarity is your superpower.
Embrace it, harness it andwatch the transformation happen.

(12:49):
I want to pause here, my friend,because I know what you might
be feeling Right now.
You might be thinking if Idon't handcraft every sentence,
every word in that board report,won't the board question my
diligence?
And I get it.
I've been exactly where you are.
Every report felt like areflection of my personal value,

(13:09):
proof of my commitment, andletting go of that control felt
risky.
You've earned your board'strust through countless late
nights, meticulous attention todetail and a relentless
commitment to your mission.
You've built relationships withyour board not through
shortcuts, but by showing upconsistently, delivering

(13:31):
accurate information and puttingthe mission first.
It's completely understandablethat letting go, even a little,
might make you feel like you'rerisking that trust.
A little might make you feellike you're risking that trust.
But let me gently challenge youon this Is your diligence truly
measured by the hours you pourinto the details, or is it
measured by how clearly yourboard understands and acts upon

(13:55):
the information you share?
Let's reframe this together,because here's what I've learned
.
Real diligence isn't aboutequating effort with value.
It's about valuing clarity overkeystrokes.
It's about ensuring your boardcan quickly grasp exactly what
matters most.
The real mark of diligence isin helping others easily

(14:17):
understand complex things, notjust in how much time or energy
that you personally expend ingetting there.
Think about it this way Picturethe best fundraising
conversation you've ever had.
You know the kind, the one thatsparked immediate enthusiasm
from a donor that led to a quickdecision and a generous gift.
Now ask yourself did thatmoment hinge on sharing every

(14:41):
single detail about yourorganization's finances, or did
it hinge on your ability toclearly and compellingly
communicate why that donor'sgift mattered?
Your board is really nodifferent.
They, too, respond best wheninformation is clear, relevant
and engaging.
They don't need proof thatyou've suffered through
spreadsheets.

(15:02):
They trust you already.
They need your insightspresented clearly enough to
support decisive action.
That's the diligence that trulymoves the needle.
I remember when I first startedexperimenting with AI shortcuts
like the ones we've exploredtoday, I had a quiet, nagging
fear Am I being lazy?
I had a quiet, nagging fear AmI being lazy?
Will the board see through this?

(15:24):
But after a couple of meetingswhere I presented streamlined,
clear narratives instead ofspreadsheet marathons, something
unexpected happened.
Instead of skepticism, theboard expressed gratitude.
They said thanks for makingthis easy to understand.
Now we can get to the heart ofthe matter faster.
It was a powerful moment ofvalidation, one that clarified a

(15:48):
critical point.
For me, effort isn't the same aseffectiveness, and, while
there's certainly a time fordeep analysis and detail, the
true measure of my work wasn'thow many hours I spent, but how
effectively I could distillcomplexity into clarity.
So what if your diligencebecame defined by how clearly

(16:08):
you communicated?
How would your board meetingschange?
What conversations might becomeeasier?
How would you reclaim your timefor the activities that only
you can do Building meaningfuldonor relationships, leading
your team and advancing yourmission?
I want you to sit with that ideafor just a moment.
Imagine the freedom of focusingyour energy on conversations

(16:32):
and relationships, confidentthat your reports are still
clear, compelling and effective.
Imagine walking into boardmeetings feeling prepared, not
because you pulled anotherall-nighter, but because you
trust that you've communicatedexactly what's needed.
Nothing more, nothing less.
This shift doesn't happenovernight.

(16:54):
It takes courage, practice anda willingness to embrace a new
kind of diligence, one thatprioritizes clarity and
effectiveness over sheer effort.
But the payoff is tremendousyour board becomes more engaged,
your meetings become moreproductive and your sense of

(17:14):
personal fulfillment skyrocketsas you reclaim your most
valuable time.
Let's take this a step further.
Think about one report you'verecently written, one that took
far too long and feltunnecessarily complex.
Imagine now if you had spentless time crunching data and
more time clearly communicatingjust one or two essential points

(17:36):
.
Would your board have noticedthe reduced effort or would they
simply have appreciated theimproved clarity?
I suspect the answer is clarityevery time.
So here's your next invitationNext time you're repairing that
report, give yourself permissionto trust this new diligence.
Use the tools we've discussedtoday.

(17:57):
Experiment with concise,narrative-driven reporting.
Let go of the belief that yourvalue is directly tied to the
hours spent crafting every line,because the truth is my friend
your value to your board and toyour mission is far greater than
your time behind a spreadsheet.
Your true diligence, your realexpertise, shines brightest when

(18:20):
you guide others clearly,decisively and meaningfully.
That's the kind of diligencethat fuels fundraising success.
Today we've explored whynarrative beats numbers every
single time when engaging yourboard.
We've unpacked the powerful yetsimple summarize, then style
prompts that transformdata-heavy reports into clear

(18:42):
and compelling narratives, andtogether we imagined a board
packet that inspires meaningfulaction instead of glazed over
eyes.
Now here's your simple butpowerful next step Grab a doc,
label it board report shortcutsand copy down those two key
prompts.
First, ask ChatGPT and copydown those two key prompts.

(19:04):
First, ask Chad GPT.
Summarize these year-to-dategiving numbers for a
non-financial audience in 120words.
Then follow up with rewritethat summary in an encouraging
board brief tone.
Add one sentence linkingprogress to mission impact.
And here's my challenge Pickjust one KPI, just one metric

(19:25):
from your last report and testthis out today Seriously, before
the day ends, see how manyminutes or even hours you
reclaimed, and then DM me inLinkedIn.
I genuinely want to celebrateyour win with you, because every
minute you take back fromspreadsheet wrestling is another
minute for your mission, yourdonors and, let's be honest,

(19:47):
your family and your life.
Next week we're diving deeperthis time into prospect research
without the rabbit holes.
Have you ever lost hours down aresearch rabbit hole chasing
elusive donor details?
Tune, tune in next Monday,because we'll explore exactly
how ChatGPT can surface powerful, giving clues while you stay

(20:08):
mission focused.
Until then, remember claritybeats complexity, effectiveness
beats exhaustion, and your realvalue shines through when you
communicate clearly.
You've got this, my friend.
I'll see you again real soon.
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