July 21, 2025 • 23 mins
Ever found yourself paralyzed by a blinking cursor, struggling to craft the perfect donor message? You're not alone. Fundraising writing can be deeply intimidating—it needs to reflect understanding, empathy, clarity, and warmth all at once while connecting emotionally with donors.
The secret to breaking through this paralysis lies in a simple mindset shift: momentum beats perfection. Every time. Rather than agonizing over creating the perfect message from scratch, what if you could instantly generate a solid first draft and focus your energy on refining it instead? This approach doesn't sacrifice quality—it enhances it by freeing you from the draining process of getting started.
Enter the "Who-Goal-Guardrails" recipe for ChatGPT—a straightforward, three-line framework that transforms how fundraisers approach donor communications. By clearly identifying your audience, defining your objective, and establishing boundaries around tone and style, you provide AI with exactly what it needs to create a useful starting point. From there, your uniquely human perspective shapes the message, adding the personal touches and emotional resonance that only you can provide.
This strategic partnership with AI isn't about replacing your authentic voice—it's about amplifying it. When you're no longer exhausted by blank page anxiety, you can invest your creative energy where it matters most: deepening donor relationships through genuinely personalized communication. The result? Messages that feel warmer, clearer, and more aligned with your fundraising goals.
Ready to transform your writing process? Download the free Quick Start Prompt Pack at podcastletstalkfundraising.com/promptpack for fill-in-the-blank templates and 12 ready-made prompts tailored to common donor scenarios. It's time to reclaim your confidence, improve your messaging quality, and strengthen your donor relationships—all by embracing the power of "good enough to refine" over "perfect from the start."
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Keith Greer, CFRE (00:02):
Your cursor blinks endlessly at the start of
your email Dear, and thesilence in your office stretches
.
We've all felt that momentright Stuck before you even
started wondering how you'llcraft another thoughtful donor
message from scratch.
But imagine this what if threestraightforward lines of plain
English could instantly turnthat blinking cursor into a
(00:24):
polished, personalized firstdraft?
Keep staring and you riskanother evening lost to
frustration.
Use the simple method andsuddenly you're back in control,
reclaiming your momentum andyour time.
So let's talk fundraising.
Let's start by acknowledgingsomething we've all experienced
(00:46):
Writing is hard, especially whenthe stakes are high and the
audience is important.
Every fundraiser, no matter howseasoned, knows the feeling of
staring at a blank page.
It's intimidating, it'sfrustrating and, frankly, it's
kind of exhausting.
And while perfection feelsnecessary, in reality it's often
our biggest obstacle.
The truth is, fundraisingwriting isn't just any kind of
(01:10):
writing.
It's deeply relational.
Your words need to reflectunderstanding, empathy, clarity
and warmth all at once.
They need to soundauthentically you and they need
to resonate deeply with yourdonors, connecting emotionally,
intellectually and sometimeseven spiritually.
I mean no pressure, right, buthere's the problem when you're
(01:32):
aiming for perfection from thevery first word, the pressure
mounts, your creativity freezesand your time gets swallowed by
anxiety and second guessing.
You begin doubting not justyour words but your ability to
communicate it all.
Instead of a thoughtful messageflowing naturally, the cursor
blinks and your thoughts spiral.
Suddenly, your valuable timeisn't spent nurturing
(01:56):
relationships or planningstrategies.
It's trapped in paralysis.
What if there was another way?
What if you shifted yourapproach from perfect from the
start to good enough to refine?
What if your first draft didn'thave to be flawless, but simply
had to exist?
Imagine how much more quicklyand confidently you could move
(02:17):
forward if you had a startingpoint instead of a blank page.
Fundraising thrives on momentum.
When you can quickly generate asolid first draft, your
creative energy is freed tofocus on the deeper, more
meaningful elements of donorcommunication the subtle nuances
, the personal anecdotes,heartfelt gratitude and
(02:38):
compelling storytelling thattruly inspire generosity.
In conversations I've had withdozens of fundraisers over the
past year, there's one commonthread they consistently mention
how much mental bandwidthgetting consumed by just
starting a message.
It's not the writing itself oreven the editing that's
challenging.
It's overcoming the inertia ofbeginning.
(03:00):
And that initial hurdle isconsistently the most
significant barrier to clear andimpactful communication.
And that initial hurdle isconsistently the most
significant barrier to clear andimpactful communication, and
this is exactly where ChatGPTcan step in as your strategic
partner.
Now, let's clarify this rightaway Using AI does not mean
outsourcing authenticity orlosing your unique voice Far
(03:21):
from it.
Instead, think of ChatGPT asyour writing assistant, designed
to jumpstart your process.
The goal isn't perfection, it'smomentum, and when you start
with a solid, usable first draftprovided by ChatGPT, you've
overcome that initial obstacle.
You've replaced uncertainty andanxiety with clarity and
(03:43):
direction.
Your creative energy isn'twasted on endless second
guessing.
It's channeled into refining,personalizing and enhancing a
draft that already has structureand clarity.
And here's the real magic ofthis approach the quality of
your communication oftenimproves significantly.
And why is that?
Because you're not depleted bythe struggle of just getting
(04:07):
started.
Instead, you approach editingand refining with fresh eyes and
clear purpose, enhancing thehumanity, the warmth and
authenticity of the message.
Take a second right now toconsider your own experience.
What's a donor communicationyou've been putting off or
struggling to write lately?
Perhaps it's an annual appeal,a stewardship update, or even a
(04:30):
personalized acknowledgement.
How much easier would it feelif you already had a first draft
on your screen to guide yourrevisions and your refinements.
Another benefit to thisapproach is consistency.
With clear and repeatablemethods, like the simple
three-line recipe we'll explorein just a moment, you create a
system that consistentlydelivers usable drafts, no
(04:52):
matter your energy or yourcreativity level that day.
Instead of fluctuating wildlybetween inspired and stucked,
you cultivate a steady, reliablerhythm that helps you maintain
consistent donor communications.
The fundraising principle hereis simple, yet transformative
Momentum beats perfection.
(05:13):
Every time.
By leveraging tools likeChatGPT strategically, you shift
your energy from overcominginertia to enriching
relationships.
You reclaim your creative power, spending less time frozen in
front of blank pages and moretime connecting genuinely and
effectively with your donors.
And let's clear up anotherimportant point Embracing
(05:34):
momentum and speed doesn't meansacrificing quality.
In fact, it's the opposite.
By rapidly generating workabledrafts, you give yourself the
luxury of focusing more deeplyon quality.
You have more space to infuseyour personality, adjust the
emotional tone, refine thenarrative and truly speak to
(05:55):
your donor's motivations.
The next time you sit down towrite, instead of feeling dread
or uncertainty, you feelcuriosity and excitement.
Instead of grappling with whatdo I say first, you immediately
engage with how can I make thisdraft more impactful, warm and
resonant?
How would your relationshipbuilding efforts transform with
(06:17):
this shift in focus.
Your time as a fundraiser istoo valuable to waste struggling
with blank page paralysis.
Your time as a fundraiser istoo valuable to waste struggling
with blank page paralysis.
You've got relationships tonurture, strategies to craft and
missions to move forward.
Every minute saved from staringat a blinking cursor is a
(06:37):
minute reinvested intomeaningful connections, deeper
storytelling and, ultimately,better fundraising outcomes.
But let's be clear Shifting yourmindset from perfection to
momentum doesn't always feelintuitive or easy.
It requires intentional effort.
It requires a willingness totrust your process and tools
enough to let go of immediateperfection.
It's about recognizing that athoughtful first draft, quickly
(07:02):
and reliably produced, isinfinitely more valuable than a
perfectly blank page.
And this is precisely why thethree-line who, goal, guardrails
recipe is so powerful.
It simplifies your initialapproach to writing.
Instead of wrestling withambiguity, you answer three
clear questions up front who areyou writing to, what's your
(07:26):
goal and what specificguardrails whether that's tone,
length, details need to be inplace.
Answering these questions isn'tdifficult or time-consuming.
It's simple and intuitive.
But this intentional claritytransforms the writing process.
It instantly removes ambiguity,provides clear direction and
(07:48):
gives ChatGPT exactly what itneeds to craft a solid first
draft.
It's quick enough to fitseamlessly into your workflow,
yet powerful enough to breakthrough the inertia.
So consider right now a donormessage that's had you stuck.
Maybe it's an upcoming appeal,a thank you note or a
stewardship update.
Imagine answering those threesimple questions clearly and
(08:10):
directly.
Picture a useful, engagingfirst draft appearing almost
instantly on your screen.
Would that change the way youapproach donor communications?
Would it boost your confidence,your clarity and your
enthusiasm in your writingprocess?
Momentum truly is more valuablethan perfection, because
momentum keeps moving youforward.
(08:32):
It keeps your donorrelationships growing, your
mission advancing and yourimpact expanding.
And when your creativity isfocused on refining already good
drafts rather than wrestlingwith blank pages, your entire
fundraising practice benefits.
Your messages feel warmer, yourtone feels clearer and your
donor relationships feelstronger.
(08:54):
So with a clear, simpleapproach, you can reclaim your
writing confidence, improve yourmessaging quality and
strengthen stewardshiprelationships.
Improve your messaging qualityand strengthen stewardship
relationships Because, at theheart of fundraising, it isn't
just words, it's genuineconnection, and genuine
(09:14):
connections happen best whenyou're not stuck staring at a
blank page, but moving forwardconfidently.
We've established how crucialmomentum is when crafting your
donor messages and why startingfrom a rough, solid first draft
often beats perfection yourdonor messages, and why starting
from a rough, solid first draftoften beats perfection.
Now let's get specific aboutexactly how ChatGPT can become
your ally in quickly overcomingblank page paralysis.
(09:34):
The secret is in astraightforward, easy-to-use
method called the who GoalGuardrails recipe.
This isn't a complicatedprocess or a lengthy learning
curve recipe.
This isn't a complicatedprocess or a lengthy learning
curve.
Instead, it's a simple,repeatable structure you can
rely on whenever you're stuck orpressed for time.
Let's break it down step bystep.
First, who are you writing to?
(09:55):
Fund raising communicationshould feel deeply personal.
It's not about sending genericmessages.
It's about genuinely connecting.
So first, identify exactly whoyou're addressing.
For example, your who mightlook like this A longtime major
donor passionate about youryouth education programs.
Or a first-time supporter whoattended your recent gala.
(10:19):
Or maybe it's a former boardmember considering a significant
planned gift.
By clearly identifying youraudience, chatgpt can help you
draft messaging that immediatelyresonates, saving you from
generic and impersonal contentthat misses the mark.
Your second step what's yourgoal with this message?
(10:39):
Clearly defined objectiveseliminate ambiguity.
They give your communicationstructure, focus and intention.
Your goal could be specific,something like encouraging a
renewed $10,000 annualscholarship donation or inviting
the donor to abehind-the-scenes lab tour.
Or maybe it's deepening donorstewardship by showing tangible
(11:03):
results from their last gift.
Knowing your message's specificgoals transforms vague ideas
into focused and strategiccommunication.
And the third step what are yourguardrails?
Guardrails shape the tone, thelength and the content, ensuring
ChatGPT produces precisely theright draft.
(11:23):
Examples of guardrails couldinclude something like the
length.
Maybe you want it to stick to150 words.
Or maybe it's the tone that youwant to be warm, professional
and grateful.
Or maybe it's in the details,like avoiding jargon, clearly
explaining impact and endingwith an invitation to meet
students or visit programs.
(11:44):
With clear guardrails, yourAI-generated draft hits your
exact standards and styles.
Putting this recipe into actionis simple.
Here's a real-life example ofwhat that might look like in
practice.
Write to donor first namebecause, remember, we're not
including specifics on this alongtime scholarship supporter
(12:05):
Goal.
Inspire a renewed $10,000 giftby clearly showing this year's
students' impact Guardrails.
Keep it around 150 words,maintain a warm, professional
tone, avoid jargon and concludeby inviting them to our October
lab tour.
Within seconds, chatgptgenerates something like this
(12:26):
Dear Donor First Name, yourgenerous support has transformed
our scholarship program thisyear, opening doors to five
incredible students whootherwise would not have had the
chance to pursue highereducation.
Each recipient has already showntremendous promise from
excelling in STEM classes tovolunteering with their
communities not have had thechance to pursue higher
education.
Each recipient has alreadyshown tremendous promise from
excelling in STEM classes tovolunteering with their
communities.
We're deeply grateful for yourongoing partnership and would
(12:49):
love to have you join us for apersonal tour of our labs this
October.
Seeing firsthand the impactyour generosity is having can be
deeply rewarding, and thestudents would be thrilled to
meet you.
Can we count on you to join usand consider renewing your
generous $10,000 gift?
Your continued support meansthe world to these aspiring
young minds.
(13:10):
Warm regards and then your namefor the placeholder.
Let's pause for just a moment.
How long might draftingsomething like this normally
take you from scratch?
Maybe 15 minutes, 20 minutes,maybe even 30 minutes.
Now imagine receiving a usable,well-structured draft instantly
ready for your personal touchesand your refinements.
(13:32):
This isn't theoretical.
It's entirely achievable rightnow.
So what donor message iscurrently sitting unfinished on
your to-do list?
Maybe it's an email appeal, animpact update, a proposal or a
thank you note.
Imagine if your next writingsession began not with
frustration, but with a clear,engaging first draft already
(13:54):
waiting on your screen.
How would your confidence, yourefficiency and your donor
relationships improve with thissmall but profound shift?
Here's another crucial benefitconsistency.
By using the who goalguardrails formula each time,
you build a repeatable andreliable process.
You're no longer reinventingthe wheel every time you sit
(14:16):
down to write.
Instead, you have a trustedstrategy that consistently
delivers quality first drafts,regardless of your mood or your
energy level.
This consistency extends toyour team as well.
Imagine the cumulative effectif your entire team adopted this
approach.
Suddenly, your donorcommunications become reliably
excellent, clearly aligned andstrategically coherent.
(14:40):
Your brand voice strengthens,your messaging resonates more
deeply and donor trust deepensbecause you're communicating
clearly, consistently andeffectively.
But let's be honest.
Skepticism about using AI indonor communications is common
and completely understandable,you might wonder.
Common and completelyunderstandable, you might wonder
(15:04):
will an AI-generated draftreally sound authentic?
Can it genuinely reflect ourunique tone and voice?
And these are valid questions.
Here's the critical insight.
The goal of using ChatGPT isn'tto replace your unique voice.
It's to enhance and amplify it.
Chatgpt serves as a writingpartner, offering a structured
starting point, so you're neverstarting from scratch.
Your role then becomes refining, shaping and personalizing
(15:30):
exactly where your humanity andcreativity matters most.
You're freed from the mechanicsof first draft writing to
invest deeply in the emotionalresonance, authenticity and
nuance your donors expect andappreciate.
Imagine your next donor messagequickly produced, clearly
structured and then thoughtfullypersonalized.
(15:50):
This balanced approach not onlyrespects your authenticity, it
actively empowers it.
This method isn't complicated,it's intuitive.
You're simply providing clearcontext, the who, clear
direction with the goal and theclear boundaries, with the
guardrails to chat GPT, lettingit handle the initial heavy
lifting.
(16:11):
With that foundation in place,your own unique voice can shine
more clearly than ever before.
So think again about your ownexperience.
How much more confident wouldyou feel if you had a reliable,
repeatable way to produce firstdrafts instantly?
How much stronger would yourdonor relationships become if
(16:31):
your messages consistentlyreflected clarity, authenticity
and care?
Because fundraising isn't aboutperfect sentences.
It's about genuine connections,and genuine connections happen
best when your energy isn'tdrained by blank page anxiety,
but energized by creativity,clarity and confidence.
(16:52):
With this practical recipeclearly defined, let's now move
into a deeper exploration of themindset shift that allows you
to confidently embrace thisapproach, removing lingering
hesitations about speed,authenticity and quality.
And, let's be honest, when itcomes to using AI for donor
communications.
The hesitation isn't usuallyabout the tools.
(17:13):
It's about what those toolsmight mean for your values, your
voice and your standards.
If the idea of asking ChatGPTto generate a draft makes your
shoulders tense up a bit, you'renot alone.
One of the most common fears Ihear is that using AI feels
rushed, and rushed meansimpersonal.
You've worked hard to buildyour personal brand that
(17:33):
reflects warmth andprofessionalism and trust, so
when someone suggests letting amachine help write your appeals
or your thank you notes, it canfeel like letting go of the
thing that makes you you.
And I hear that because yourwriting isn't just about your
words.
It's about connections, and forfundraisers, connection is
(17:54):
currency.
But here's the shift Using AIto start your draft doesn't
erase your voice.
It sets the stage for it.
The point is not to copy andpaste whatever chat GPT gives
you.
The point is to reclaim yourcreative energy by skipping the
part of the process that's mostdraining the blank page.
You still do the human part.
(18:16):
You review the draft, you makeyour tweaks, you soften the tone
, pull in the donor's name or amemory from your last
conversation, and that's thepart that no machine can do.
But instead of spending 30minutes trying to find a
starting point.
You're walking into theconversation halfway finished
with your voice warmed up andyour head already in the right
place, and once you experiencethat momentum, once you feel the
(18:39):
shift from dread to direction,it's hard to go back.
And there's another mindsetshift that I want to name.
Some fundraisers feel a subtleshame around using AI, like
maybe it's a cheat code, or likethe easy button means that
you're somehow less of a writer,and let's reframe that right
now.
You're not being lazy byletting AI help you start a
(19:02):
message.
You're being strategic.
You're protecting your energyso you can spend it where it
really matters On the emotionaltone, the relationship, the
nuance, the mission alignment.
Those are the pieces that onlyyou can bring.
So let's put it this way UsingAI to get a rough draft is like
having a junior writer who takesdirection really well, works at
(19:24):
lightning speed and doesn't gettired.
You wouldn't feel bad delegatingto a human assistant, so why
feel guilty using a tool thatsupports your brain?
In the same way?
The real danger isn't in movingtoo fast, it's in getting stuck
.
It's in losing time and energybattling writer's block instead
of deepening donor relationships.
(19:45):
That's what we're avoiding hereNot authenticity, but we're
creating inertia.
And there's one more innerresistance that I hear a lot,
especially from high-performingfundraisers who care deeply
about getting it right, and itsounds a little something like
this Keith, I want every messageI send to feel like a handshake
, not a formula, and I get thatand I agree.
(20:08):
But here's what I've learned Afast draft doesn't remove the
human touch.
It makes room for it.
When you start with astructured draft, you free up
time to add details that make amessage really sing A specific
phrase.
Your donor used a story thatconnects back to their passion,
a line that shows you truly seethem.
(20:30):
Ai can't provide that, but itcan give you the margin to
include it.
So think of it this way You'renot handing over the
conversation, you're justletting ChatGPT hold the pen for
the first paragraph.
You're still the voice, you arestill the steward of trust.
You're simply using a tool thatgets you out of your own way.
(20:52):
So take a moment here.
What would change if youstopped seeing speed as sloppy
and started seeing it as alaunch pad?
How would your energy shift ifdone for you didn't mean done
impersonally, but instead itmight mean done enough to move
forward Because, at the end ofthe day, you know your donors
(21:14):
better than any algorithm.
But knowing them is only halfthe battle.
Getting those insights into thepage clearly, consistently and
without losing your weekends,that's where this mindset shift
becomes a game changer.
Let yourself believe that easedoesn't becomes a game changer.
Let yourself believe that easedoesn't have to mean compromise.
Let yourself trust that usingAI to get a first draft is not
(21:35):
giving up control, it's takingit back.
And once you feel that shift,not just in theory but in your
bones, you'll never go back toblinking cursors and late night
rewrites ever again.
Never go back to blinkingcursors and late night rewrites
ever again, because this isn'tabout writing faster, it's about
fundraising smarter.
So today we tackled the momentthat trips up even the most
(21:56):
experienced fundraisers theblank page we walked through why
momentum beats perfection, howthe who goal guardrails recipe
gives ChatGPT exactly what itneeds to create a strong and
usable first draft, and whyspeed isn't the enemy of
authenticity.
It's often what makes space forit.
(22:16):
You saw how just three lines ofplain English direction can
pull you out of the fog and intoclarity, and we challenged the
old belief that fast meanssloppy by showing how quick
drafts free you to do the thingsthat only you can do Bring the
heart, bring the tone and bringthe relationship nuance that no
(22:36):
AI could ever think.
So here's your next right stepDownload my free Quick Start
Prompt Pack.
Inside you'll find a fill in theblank worksheet for the who
goal guardrails recipe, plus 12ready-made prompts tailored to
common donor scenarios thankyous, invites, updates and even
(22:57):
more.
It's totally free and it's yourbridge from blinking cursor to
confident copy.
You can grab it now atpodcastletstalkfundraisingcom.
Forward slash prompt pack.
I'll also link it in the shownotes.
Next Monday we'll face thebiggest skeptic concern head on.
Can you trust what Jachin PTwrites?
(23:20):
We're talking hallucinations,why they happen, how to spot
them and how to make sure yourAI output is fact-checked and
funder-ready.
Until then, may your writingflow, your confidence rise and
your donor relationship deepen.
I'll see you next time.
Your cursor blinks endlessly at the start of
your email Dear, and thesilence in your office stretches
.
We've all felt that momentright Stuck before you even
started wondering how you'llcraft another thoughtful donor
message from scratch.
But imagine this what if threestraightforward lines of plain
English could instantly turnthat blinking cursor into a
(00:24):
polished, personalized firstdraft?
Keep staring and you riskanother evening lost to
frustration.
Use the simple method andsuddenly you're back in control,
reclaiming your momentum andyour time.
So let's talk fundraising.
Let's start by acknowledgingsomething we've all experienced
(00:46):
Writing is hard, especially whenthe stakes are high and the
audience is important.
Every fundraiser, no matter howseasoned, knows the feeling of
staring at a blank page.
It's intimidating, it'sfrustrating and, frankly, it's
kind of exhausting.
And while perfection feelsnecessary, in reality it's often
our biggest obstacle.
The truth is, fundraisingwriting isn't just any kind of
(01:10):
writing.
It's deeply relational.
Your words need to reflectunderstanding, empathy, clarity
and warmth all at once.
They need to soundauthentically you and they need
to resonate deeply with yourdonors, connecting emotionally,
intellectually and sometimeseven spiritually.
I mean no pressure, right, buthere's the problem when you're
(01:32):
aiming for perfection from thevery first word, the pressure
mounts, your creativity freezesand your time gets swallowed by
anxiety and second guessing.
You begin doubting not justyour words but your ability to
communicate it all.
Instead of a thoughtful messageflowing naturally, the cursor
blinks and your thoughts spiral.
Suddenly, your valuable timeisn't spent nurturing
(01:56):
relationships or planningstrategies.
It's trapped in paralysis.
What if there was another way?
What if you shifted yourapproach from perfect from the
start to good enough to refine?
What if your first draft didn'thave to be flawless, but simply
had to exist?
Imagine how much more quicklyand confidently you could move
(02:17):
forward if you had a startingpoint instead of a blank page.
Fundraising thrives on momentum.
When you can quickly generate asolid first draft, your
creative energy is freed tofocus on the deeper, more
meaningful elements of donorcommunication the subtle nuances
, the personal anecdotes,heartfelt gratitude and
(02:38):
compelling storytelling thattruly inspire generosity.
In conversations I've had withdozens of fundraisers over the
past year, there's one commonthread they consistently mention
how much mental bandwidthgetting consumed by just
starting a message.
It's not the writing itself oreven the editing that's
challenging.
It's overcoming the inertia ofbeginning.
(03:00):
And that initial hurdle isconsistently the most
significant barrier to clear andimpactful communication.
And that initial hurdle isconsistently the most
significant barrier to clear andimpactful communication, and
this is exactly where ChatGPTcan step in as your strategic
partner.
Now, let's clarify this rightaway Using AI does not mean
outsourcing authenticity orlosing your unique voice Far
(03:21):
from it.
Instead, think of ChatGPT asyour writing assistant, designed
to jumpstart your process.
The goal isn't perfection, it'smomentum, and when you start
with a solid, usable first draftprovided by ChatGPT, you've
overcome that initial obstacle.
You've replaced uncertainty andanxiety with clarity and
(03:43):
direction.
Your creative energy isn'twasted on endless second
guessing.
It's channeled into refining,personalizing and enhancing a
draft that already has structureand clarity.
And here's the real magic ofthis approach the quality of
your communication oftenimproves significantly.
And why is that?
Because you're not depleted bythe struggle of just getting
(04:07):
started.
Instead, you approach editingand refining with fresh eyes and
clear purpose, enhancing thehumanity, the warmth and
authenticity of the message.
Take a second right now toconsider your own experience.
What's a donor communicationyou've been putting off or
struggling to write lately?
Perhaps it's an annual appeal,a stewardship update, or even a
(04:30):
personalized acknowledgement.
How much easier would it feelif you already had a first draft
on your screen to guide yourrevisions and your refinements.
Another benefit to thisapproach is consistency.
With clear and repeatablemethods, like the simple
three-line recipe we'll explorein just a moment, you create a
system that consistentlydelivers usable drafts, no
(04:52):
matter your energy or yourcreativity level that day.
Instead of fluctuating wildlybetween inspired and stucked,
you cultivate a steady, reliablerhythm that helps you maintain
consistent donor communications.
The fundraising principle hereis simple, yet transformative
Momentum beats perfection.
(05:13):
Every time.
By leveraging tools likeChatGPT strategically, you shift
your energy from overcominginertia to enriching
relationships.
You reclaim your creative power, spending less time frozen in
front of blank pages and moretime connecting genuinely and
effectively with your donors.
And let's clear up anotherimportant point Embracing
(05:34):
momentum and speed doesn't meansacrificing quality.
In fact, it's the opposite.
By rapidly generating workabledrafts, you give yourself the
luxury of focusing more deeplyon quality.
You have more space to infuseyour personality, adjust the
emotional tone, refine thenarrative and truly speak to
(05:55):
your donor's motivations.
The next time you sit down towrite, instead of feeling dread
or uncertainty, you feelcuriosity and excitement.
Instead of grappling with whatdo I say first, you immediately
engage with how can I make thisdraft more impactful, warm and
resonant?
How would your relationshipbuilding efforts transform with
(06:17):
this shift in focus.
Your time as a fundraiser istoo valuable to waste struggling
with blank page paralysis.
Your time as a fundraiser istoo valuable to waste struggling
with blank page paralysis.
You've got relationships tonurture, strategies to craft and
missions to move forward.
Every minute saved from staringat a blinking cursor is a
(06:37):
minute reinvested intomeaningful connections, deeper
storytelling and, ultimately,better fundraising outcomes.
But let's be clear Shifting yourmindset from perfection to
momentum doesn't always feelintuitive or easy.
It requires intentional effort.
It requires a willingness totrust your process and tools
enough to let go of immediateperfection.
It's about recognizing that athoughtful first draft, quickly
(07:02):
and reliably produced, isinfinitely more valuable than a
perfectly blank page.
And this is precisely why thethree-line who, goal, guardrails
recipe is so powerful.
It simplifies your initialapproach to writing.
Instead of wrestling withambiguity, you answer three
clear questions up front who areyou writing to, what's your
(07:26):
goal and what specificguardrails whether that's tone,
length, details need to be inplace.
Answering these questions isn'tdifficult or time-consuming.
It's simple and intuitive.
But this intentional claritytransforms the writing process.
It instantly removes ambiguity,provides clear direction and
(07:48):
gives ChatGPT exactly what itneeds to craft a solid first
draft.
It's quick enough to fitseamlessly into your workflow,
yet powerful enough to breakthrough the inertia.
So consider right now a donormessage that's had you stuck.
Maybe it's an upcoming appeal,a thank you note or a
stewardship update.
Imagine answering those threesimple questions clearly and
(08:10):
directly.
Picture a useful, engagingfirst draft appearing almost
instantly on your screen.
Would that change the way youapproach donor communications?
Would it boost your confidence,your clarity and your
enthusiasm in your writingprocess?
Momentum truly is more valuablethan perfection, because
momentum keeps moving youforward.
(08:32):
It keeps your donorrelationships growing, your
mission advancing and yourimpact expanding.
And when your creativity isfocused on refining already good
drafts rather than wrestlingwith blank pages, your entire
fundraising practice benefits.
Your messages feel warmer, yourtone feels clearer and your
donor relationships feelstronger.
(08:54):
So with a clear, simpleapproach, you can reclaim your
writing confidence, improve yourmessaging quality and
strengthen stewardshiprelationships.
Improve your messaging qualityand strengthen stewardship
relationships Because, at theheart of fundraising, it isn't
just words, it's genuineconnection, and genuine
(09:14):
connections happen best whenyou're not stuck staring at a
blank page, but moving forwardconfidently.
We've established how crucialmomentum is when crafting your
donor messages and why startingfrom a rough, solid first draft
often beats perfection yourdonor messages, and why starting
from a rough, solid first draftoften beats perfection.
Now let's get specific aboutexactly how ChatGPT can become
your ally in quickly overcomingblank page paralysis.
(09:34):
The secret is in astraightforward, easy-to-use
method called the who GoalGuardrails recipe.
This isn't a complicatedprocess or a lengthy learning
curve recipe.
This isn't a complicatedprocess or a lengthy learning
curve.
Instead, it's a simple,repeatable structure you can
rely on whenever you're stuck orpressed for time.
Let's break it down step bystep.
First, who are you writing to?
(09:55):
Fund raising communicationshould feel deeply personal.
It's not about sending genericmessages.
It's about genuinely connecting.
So first, identify exactly whoyou're addressing.
For example, your who mightlook like this A longtime major
donor passionate about youryouth education programs.
Or a first-time supporter whoattended your recent gala.
(10:19):
Or maybe it's a former boardmember considering a significant
planned gift.
By clearly identifying youraudience, chatgpt can help you
draft messaging that immediatelyresonates, saving you from
generic and impersonal contentthat misses the mark.
Your second step what's yourgoal with this message?
(10:39):
Clearly defined objectiveseliminate ambiguity.
They give your communicationstructure, focus and intention.
Your goal could be specific,something like encouraging a
renewed $10,000 annualscholarship donation or inviting
the donor to abehind-the-scenes lab tour.
Or maybe it's deepening donorstewardship by showing tangible
(11:03):
results from their last gift.
Knowing your message's specificgoals transforms vague ideas
into focused and strategiccommunication.
And the third step what are yourguardrails?
Guardrails shape the tone, thelength and the content, ensuring
ChatGPT produces precisely theright draft.
(11:23):
Examples of guardrails couldinclude something like the
length.
Maybe you want it to stick to150 words.
Or maybe it's the tone that youwant to be warm, professional
and grateful.
Or maybe it's in the details,like avoiding jargon, clearly
explaining impact and endingwith an invitation to meet
students or visit programs.
(11:44):
With clear guardrails, yourAI-generated draft hits your
exact standards and styles.
Putting this recipe into actionis simple.
Here's a real-life example ofwhat that might look like in
practice.
Write to donor first namebecause, remember, we're not
including specifics on this alongtime scholarship supporter
(12:05):
Goal.
Inspire a renewed $10,000 giftby clearly showing this year's
students' impact Guardrails.
Keep it around 150 words,maintain a warm, professional
tone, avoid jargon and concludeby inviting them to our October
lab tour.
Within seconds, chatgptgenerates something like this
(12:26):
Dear Donor First Name, yourgenerous support has transformed
our scholarship program thisyear, opening doors to five
incredible students whootherwise would not have had the
chance to pursue highereducation.
Each recipient has already showntremendous promise from
excelling in STEM classes tovolunteering with their
communities not have had thechance to pursue higher
education.
Each recipient has alreadyshown tremendous promise from
excelling in STEM classes tovolunteering with their
communities.
We're deeply grateful for yourongoing partnership and would
(12:49):
love to have you join us for apersonal tour of our labs this
October.
Seeing firsthand the impactyour generosity is having can be
deeply rewarding, and thestudents would be thrilled to
meet you.
Can we count on you to join usand consider renewing your
generous $10,000 gift?
Your continued support meansthe world to these aspiring
young minds.
(13:10):
Warm regards and then your namefor the placeholder.
Let's pause for just a moment.
How long might draftingsomething like this normally
take you from scratch?
Maybe 15 minutes, 20 minutes,maybe even 30 minutes.
Now imagine receiving a usable,well-structured draft instantly
ready for your personal touchesand your refinements.
(13:32):
This isn't theoretical.
It's entirely achievable rightnow.
So what donor message iscurrently sitting unfinished on
your to-do list?
Maybe it's an email appeal, animpact update, a proposal or a
thank you note.
Imagine if your next writingsession began not with
frustration, but with a clear,engaging first draft already
(13:54):
waiting on your screen.
How would your confidence, yourefficiency and your donor
relationships improve with thissmall but profound shift?
Here's another crucial benefitconsistency.
By using the who goalguardrails formula each time,
you build a repeatable andreliable process.
You're no longer reinventingthe wheel every time you sit
(14:16):
down to write.
Instead, you have a trustedstrategy that consistently
delivers quality first drafts,regardless of your mood or your
energy level.
This consistency extends toyour team as well.
Imagine the cumulative effectif your entire team adopted this
approach.
Suddenly, your donorcommunications become reliably
excellent, clearly aligned andstrategically coherent.
(14:40):
Your brand voice strengthens,your messaging resonates more
deeply and donor trust deepensbecause you're communicating
clearly, consistently andeffectively.
But let's be honest.
Skepticism about using AI indonor communications is common
and completely understandable,you might wonder.
Common and completelyunderstandable, you might wonder
(15:04):
will an AI-generated draftreally sound authentic?
Can it genuinely reflect ourunique tone and voice?
And these are valid questions.
Here's the critical insight.
The goal of using ChatGPT isn'tto replace your unique voice.
It's to enhance and amplify it.
Chatgpt serves as a writingpartner, offering a structured
starting point, so you're neverstarting from scratch.
Your role then becomes refining, shaping and personalizing
(15:30):
exactly where your humanity andcreativity matters most.
You're freed from the mechanicsof first draft writing to
invest deeply in the emotionalresonance, authenticity and
nuance your donors expect andappreciate.
Imagine your next donor messagequickly produced, clearly
structured and then thoughtfullypersonalized.
(15:50):
This balanced approach not onlyrespects your authenticity, it
actively empowers it.
This method isn't complicated,it's intuitive.
You're simply providing clearcontext, the who, clear
direction with the goal and theclear boundaries, with the
guardrails to chat GPT, lettingit handle the initial heavy
lifting.
(16:11):
With that foundation in place,your own unique voice can shine
more clearly than ever before.
So think again about your ownexperience.
How much more confident wouldyou feel if you had a reliable,
repeatable way to produce firstdrafts instantly?
How much stronger would yourdonor relationships become if
(16:31):
your messages consistentlyreflected clarity, authenticity
and care?
Because fundraising isn't aboutperfect sentences.
It's about genuine connections,and genuine connections happen
best when your energy isn'tdrained by blank page anxiety,
but energized by creativity,clarity and confidence.
(16:52):
With this practical recipeclearly defined, let's now move
into a deeper exploration of themindset shift that allows you
to confidently embrace thisapproach, removing lingering
hesitations about speed,authenticity and quality.
And, let's be honest, when itcomes to using AI for donor
communications.
The hesitation isn't usuallyabout the tools.
(17:13):
It's about what those toolsmight mean for your values, your
voice and your standards.
If the idea of asking ChatGPTto generate a draft makes your
shoulders tense up a bit, you'renot alone.
One of the most common fears Ihear is that using AI feels
rushed, and rushed meansimpersonal.
You've worked hard to buildyour personal brand that
(17:33):
reflects warmth andprofessionalism and trust, so
when someone suggests letting amachine help write your appeals
or your thank you notes, it canfeel like letting go of the
thing that makes you you.
And I hear that because yourwriting isn't just about your
words.
It's about connections, and forfundraisers, connection is
(17:54):
currency.
But here's the shift Using AIto start your draft doesn't
erase your voice.
It sets the stage for it.
The point is not to copy andpaste whatever chat GPT gives
you.
The point is to reclaim yourcreative energy by skipping the
part of the process that's mostdraining the blank page.
You still do the human part.
(18:16):
You review the draft, you makeyour tweaks, you soften the tone
, pull in the donor's name or amemory from your last
conversation, and that's thepart that no machine can do.
But instead of spending 30minutes trying to find a
starting point.
You're walking into theconversation halfway finished
with your voice warmed up andyour head already in the right
place, and once you experiencethat momentum, once you feel the
(18:39):
shift from dread to direction,it's hard to go back.
And there's another mindsetshift that I want to name.
Some fundraisers feel a subtleshame around using AI, like
maybe it's a cheat code, or likethe easy button means that
you're somehow less of a writer,and let's reframe that right
now.
You're not being lazy byletting AI help you start a
(19:02):
message.
You're being strategic.
You're protecting your energyso you can spend it where it
really matters On the emotionaltone, the relationship, the
nuance, the mission alignment.
Those are the pieces that onlyyou can bring.
So let's put it this way UsingAI to get a rough draft is like
having a junior writer who takesdirection really well, works at
(19:24):
lightning speed and doesn't gettired.
You wouldn't feel bad delegatingto a human assistant, so why
feel guilty using a tool thatsupports your brain?
In the same way?
The real danger isn't in movingtoo fast, it's in getting stuck
.
It's in losing time and energybattling writer's block instead
of deepening donor relationships.
(19:45):
That's what we're avoiding hereNot authenticity, but we're
creating inertia.
And there's one more innerresistance that I hear a lot,
especially from high-performingfundraisers who care deeply
about getting it right, and itsounds a little something like
this Keith, I want every messageI send to feel like a handshake
, not a formula, and I get thatand I agree.
(20:08):
But here's what I've learned Afast draft doesn't remove the
human touch.
It makes room for it.
When you start with astructured draft, you free up
time to add details that make amessage really sing A specific
phrase.
Your donor used a story thatconnects back to their passion,
a line that shows you truly seethem.
(20:30):
Ai can't provide that, but itcan give you the margin to
include it.
So think of it this way You'renot handing over the
conversation, you're justletting ChatGPT hold the pen for
the first paragraph.
You're still the voice, you arestill the steward of trust.
You're simply using a tool thatgets you out of your own way.
(20:52):
So take a moment here.
What would change if youstopped seeing speed as sloppy
and started seeing it as alaunch pad?
How would your energy shift ifdone for you didn't mean done
impersonally, but instead itmight mean done enough to move
forward Because, at the end ofthe day, you know your donors
(21:14):
better than any algorithm.
But knowing them is only halfthe battle.
Getting those insights into thepage clearly, consistently and
without losing your weekends,that's where this mindset shift
becomes a game changer.
Let yourself believe that easedoesn't becomes a game changer.
Let yourself believe that easedoesn't have to mean compromise.
Let yourself trust that usingAI to get a first draft is not
(21:35):
giving up control, it's takingit back.
And once you feel that shift,not just in theory but in your
bones, you'll never go back toblinking cursors and late night
rewrites ever again.
Never go back to blinkingcursors and late night rewrites
ever again, because this isn'tabout writing faster, it's about
fundraising smarter.
So today we tackled the momentthat trips up even the most
(21:56):
experienced fundraisers theblank page we walked through why
momentum beats perfection, howthe who goal guardrails recipe
gives ChatGPT exactly what itneeds to create a strong and
usable first draft, and whyspeed isn't the enemy of
authenticity.
It's often what makes space forit.
(22:16):
You saw how just three lines ofplain English direction can
pull you out of the fog and intoclarity, and we challenged the
old belief that fast meanssloppy by showing how quick
drafts free you to do the thingsthat only you can do Bring the
heart, bring the tone and bringthe relationship nuance that no
(22:36):
AI could ever think.
So here's your next right stepDownload my free Quick Start
Prompt Pack.
Inside you'll find a fill in theblank worksheet for the who
goal guardrails recipe, plus 12ready-made prompts tailored to
common donor scenarios thankyous, invites, updates and even
(22:57):
more.
It's totally free and it's yourbridge from blinking cursor to
confident copy.
You can grab it now atpodcastletstalkfundraisingcom.
Forward slash prompt pack.
I'll also link it in the shownotes.
Next Monday we'll face thebiggest skeptic concern head on.
Can you trust what Jachin PTwrites?
(23:20):
We're talking hallucinations,why they happen, how to spot
them and how to make sure yourAI output is fact-checked and
funder-ready.
Until then, may your writingflow, your confidence rise and
your donor relationship deepen.
I'll see you next time.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!