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We think the use of AI in bid writing has the power to help level the playing field of grant making processes that often result in small charities being less able to secure funding. However, we think that there is a significant risk of very large quantities of poor quality AI bids being submitted and at least some grant makers switching to invitation only applications and, in doing so, reinforcing the 'old boy' approach to grant making, banning its use or giving a higher priority to non AI bid writing. We have created 2 charity AI bid writing best practice guides. This one is for grantees, the other is for grant makers.
Whether you should be awarded a grant depends on how great the unmet need is and how well you would meet that. However, whether you get it often largely depends on how well you understand bid writing, how good you are at writing and, too often, how well you know the funder. This makes the system often unfair for small and marginalised groups and reduces the charitable impact of grant making.
I don't think AI is yet well understood and I think that the lack of understanding of this still new technology and concerns about the inaccuracies and hallucinations it has, may result in it being banned or obviously AI drafted bids being given less credence by grant makers.
To use our free AI Bid Writer, register then login - everything is free. Once logged in click the AI Bunny icon. You have 2 choices. Firstly, where the bunny writes a bid for you from scratch and, secondly, where he reviews and rewrites bids.
Our AI bid writer asks people a whole series of questions and then uses AI to turn that into a well written case for support that gives a grant maker all of the key information to inform their decision making. It's available free to anyone and works for everyone, including those who know nothing about writing funding bids and those who can't write well - for whom English is a 2nd language, or who have learning difficulties or who aren't particularly good at writing prose. Since launch in 2023 (to date 2025), we think it has supported charities in submitting more than 20,000 bids. The biggest success we've heard about was securing a grant of £20,800 for a village hall.
Our bid writer has made applying for funding more accessible to often marginalised groups, saved them time in writing bids and made the process fairer in doing so. Disagree? Which parts of this guide do you think were AI generated? (See below)
Make sure you include all relevant facts, figures and data it needs.
Minimise any opportunity for misunderstanding.
AI struggles with context, so whilst you know what 'young' means to you, it may well not. For example, there is a world of difference between primary school Muslim boys and disabled undergraduate women.
Other things to include:
AI content can be very good but there are certain hallmarks that may indicate content has been AI generated.
How To Make Your AI Draft More Human
AI cannot write like a human but you can tell it to not write like AI by avoiding its hallmarks and mitigating its weaknesses. Here's a prompt to help you do that.
Write a grant narrative or bid draft that reads as if written by a real person with lived experience and emotional investment in the cause. Avoid generic business language and sterile phrasing. Use UK spelling and idioms, and ensure the tone reflects authenticity, empathy, and personality.
Specifically:
- Avoid repetitive sentence structures and overused transitions like “In addition” or “Furthermore.”
- Do not use numbered lists, bullet points, or excessive formatting—keep the flow natural and conversational.
- Avoid phrases like “tech-powered initiative” or “scalable solution” unless they are genuinely relevant and used sparingly.
- Use emotionally resonant language where appropriate, and reflect the voice of the charity or community.
- Avoid US phrasing (e.g., “program,” “honor your service”) and use UK equivalents.
- Ensure grammar and punctuation feel natural—not overly polished or robotic.
- Do not default to cautious or diplomatic tone—be bold, passionate, and specific when the context calls for it.
- Where possible, include human insights, anecdotes, or perspectives that reflect depth and nuance.
The goal is to create a draft that feels like it was written by someone who genuinely cares, not by a machine.
If you use a particular style or words, you might also tell it to do so too.
If the result isn't great, try this prompt to improve the draft.
Please identify those phrases and use of language that might come across as too “machine-polished” and rewrite these to humanise the tone whilst preserving clarity.
How to Sound More Human
But AI cannot write like a human and, even if it could, it simply doesn't have your passion and insight into your charity. That's what you bring to the partnership. Here are some ideas on how you can do that.
If using AI to draft funding bids, these are always reviewed by a human.
And, most importantly, ensure that your unique voice, style and passion come through in the final version submitted.
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This article is for general interest only and does not constitute professional legal or financial advice. I'm neither a lawyer, nor an accountant, so not able to provide this, and I cannot write guidance that covers every charity or eventuality. I have included links to relevant regulatory guidance, which you must check to ensure that whatever you create reflects correctly your charity’s needs and your obligations. In using this resource, you accept that I have no responsibility whatsoever from any harm, loss or other detriment that may arise from your use of my work. If you need professional advice, you must seek this from someone else. To do so, register, then login and use the Help Finder directory to find pro bono support. Everything is free.
Ethics note: AI was partially used in researching this guide. If you took me up on my challenge in finding which parts were AI generated, the answer the section on Weaknesses in AI Generated Content. AI originally drafted 5 points, I removed one, added 2 and rewrote all of them.
