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Is AI Sending Donors to Your Nonprofit — or Someone Else's? |
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When a donor asks an AI tool, "Which nonprofits help foster youth in my city?" will your organization show up?
The way donors find and research nonprofits is changing faster than most organizations realize. For years, search engines have been one of the most important ways donors discover new causes. According to a recent Blue State report, search has historically driven more than one-third of nonprofit website visitors and 25% of online revenue during December alone.
Something significant is shifting, though. Nonprofit organic search visits declined 35% amid the rise of AI tools, while AI-referred nonprofit website traffic has grown 10x since January 2024. Up to 4.5% of donors now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity to research causes before they give - and that number is expected to grow.
In this week's Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, I'm sharing what this shift means for nonprofits of all sizes and three practical things you can do right now to make sure AI is sending potential donors your way.
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Changemaker Mondays is brought to you by:
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So, What Does This Mean for Your Nonprofit
When donors turn to AI tools to find organizations to support, the tools pull from whatever information they can find online. If your nonprofit's content is vague, outdated, or hard to summarize, AI may default to larger or better-known organizations instead.
That's the risk. If AI can't quickly understand who you are, what you do, where you work, and why your approach is distinct, you may not show up at all.
Here's the encouraging part. This is very fixable. Here are three practical tips to help your nonprofit show up.
1. Lead With Clarity on Your Who, What, Where, and Why
Start with your website. Your homepage, About page, and program pages should clearly and simply answer these questions:
- Who do you serve?
- What problem are you addressing?
- Where do you work?
- What do you actually do?
- What makes your approach distinct?
If AI can't summarize your organization in a few sentences, it might not recommend you. Clear, specific language is what helps AI understand and recommend your nonprofit to the right donors.
💡Try this: Read your homepage out loud as if you've never heard of your organization before. If anything feels vague or unclear, that's your starting point. 2. Create Content Around the Questions Donors Are Actually Asking
AI tools are built to answer questions. So the more your website answers the kinds of questions donors are actually typing into AI tools, the more likely your nonprofit is to show up in the response.
Add FAQs, issue explainers, and 'how to help' pages that use natural, conversational language. Include location-specific content that mirrors how people actually search, such as "What nonprofits help foster youth in [My City]?" or "How can I support food access for seniors in my community?"
💡Try this: Ask three people outside your organization what questions they would type into an AI tool to find a nonprofit like yours. Then make sure your website answers those questions clearly. 3. Strengthen Your Credibility Signals Across the Web
AI tools don't just look at your website. They pull information from across the internet to determine which organizations are credible and worth recommending. That means your nonprofit's presence needs to be consistent and up to date everywhere donors might find you.
Start by updating these key places:
- Candid/GuideStar and Charity Navigator: Make sure your mission, programs, impact, and donation information are current
- Google Business Profile: claim it if you haven't, and keep your location, hours, and description accurate
- Social media bios: make sure they clearly describe who you are and what you do
- Partner listings, local directories, and press pages: consistent information across these sources helps AI understand and trust your organization
The more places online that accurately describe your nonprofit, the more likely AI tools are to recommend you.
💡Try this: Search your organization's name online and take note of any areas where your information looks outdated or inconsistent. Pick one listing to update this week. Try it this week 🚀
None of this is about gaming AI. It's about making your nonprofit easier for both humans and AI tools to find, understand, and trust. Pick one of these three tips and take one small step this week. Update a vague paragraph on your website, add a simple FAQ, or search your organization's name online and fix one outdated listing.
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- December 15: The Yamaha Outdoor Access initiative awards quarterly grants to causes near a Yamaha dealer and that work to increase equitable access to the outdoors, including “outdoor enthusiast associations” and land conservation groups. Focus should be on maintaining or diversifying recreation areas (parks, reserves, etc.) that do or will include responsible access for motorized off-road vehicles. Projects can range from trail signage to mapping efforts or protecting special areas from motorized vehicle damage (bridges, etc.).
- Opening January 2027: The Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s 2027 cycle for Adult Literacy Grants, Family Literacy Grants, and Summer Reading Grants will open next month! Awards fund initiatives that support all ages in their literacy and education journeys. Applicants can be schools, libraries, or nonprofits that are within 15 miles of Dollar General stores.
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Rolling: Complete the Eligibility quiz, and submit your LOI to be considered for a proposal invitation by the Pincus Family Foundation. Award locations are focused on the Northeast U.S., as well as Louisiana, California, and New Mexico. Areas of interest include education; creative and performing arts; play and recreation; health and wellness. Funds may be approved for various purposes, including operating costs, research, and pilot programs!
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Keep an eye out for future workshops and events open to the public! In the mean time, need an event speaker or workshop trainer? Learn more about my workshops and other services. |
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Enjoy this week's newsletter? You might find this video helpful, too.
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3 more ways I can help you
- I have lots of free content for you! Check out my library of 450+ educational videos on nonprofits, social entrepreneurship, fundraising, and more on my YouTube channel. If you like what I'm trying to do, help me reach more people like you by subscribing to the channel and sharing it with a changemaker friend! 😁
- Need extra support to build or grow a nonprofit or social enterprise? Check out my Changemaker Accelerator membership or my Zero to $100,000 Fundraising Starter Toolkit.
- Need a speaker or training workshop for your social impact event? I'm currently booking 2027 speaking engagements -- check out my speaking and workshop opportunities to learn how I can help you make your event inspiring and actionable!
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Hey, Changemaker!
I'm Amber, writer of the Changemaker Mondays newsletter! I'm a nonprofit founder, speaker, and social entrepreneur on a mission to equip you with the tools you need to create positive change where ever you live -- whether you're starting a nonprofit or socially-conscious business, looking for a social impact job, or leading a volunteer project in your city. Don't hesitate to connect (socials below), or reply to this email if you ever have any feedback on how we can make Changemaker Mondays the best newsletter for supporting changemakers in the world!
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