AI Grant Writing: What It Can and Can't Do
By Nate Dorka, founder of Bespoke Grants · Reviewed and updated October 26, 2026
AI can shorten approved text, organize notes, and help draft a letter of inquiry. It can also invent facts or produce a proposal that says little about your work. Use it for tasks you can check, and read the funder’s AI policy first.
Try one free funder search →Where AI can help
- Shorten existing material. Turn a long program description into a word-limited answer, then check that the meaning and numbers survived.
- Organize a first draft. Give it your approved program notes, outcomes, budget, and the application questions. Review the draft against those sources.
- Summarize research. Ask for a brief from a funder’s guidelines or filing. Open the original before relying on eligibility, amounts, or deadlines.
- Edit for clarity. Remove repetition and jargon without adding claims.
What you still need to check
AI can generate false statistics, citations, and funder details. Verify every name, number, and quotation. Do not let it fill a missing outcome or budget figure with a plausible answer.
A polished draft also needs a suitable funder. Check the funder’s current priorities, service area, eligible applicants, and usual grant size before writing.
Check the funder’s AI policy
Rules vary. NIH says it will not consider applications, or sections of applications, substantially developed by AI for receipt dates from September 25, 2025. Read the NIH policy and the instructions for your opportunity before using a drafting tool.
Other funders may allow some uses, require disclosure, or set their own limits. Human editing does not replace compliance with those rules. You remain responsible for the application’s original ideas and accuracy.
A practical review process
- Read the application instructions and AI policy.
- Choose one permitted task and provide approved source material.
- Compare the output with your sources. Check facts, eligibility, and requested format.
- Replace generic claims with your actual program details.
- Have the person responsible for the application review the final version.
Keep sensitive client, donor, and staff information out of tools unless your organization has approved that use. Save the source material with the draft so reviewers can trace each claim.
Put this into practice.
Bespoke Grants matches your nonprofit to the foundations most likely to fund it — ranked by fit, with the reasoning shown — then drafts LOIs from your own boilerplate, in your voice. One lifetime free search includes up to three sourced matches; further searches and the full workflow are $19/month. No credit card is needed for the preview.
Find my funders free →Frequently asked questions
- Will funders reject AI-written proposals?
- Some funders restrict AI use. NIH will not consider applications or sections substantially developed by AI for receipt dates from September 25, 2025. Check each funder’s current policy and application instructions before drafting.
- What is the best way to start using AI for grants?
- Choose a permitted task you can verify, such as shortening approved text or organizing program notes. Check the output against your sources and have the person responsible for the application review it.