AI Trends
Your donors may be more comfortable with AI than you think.
In Neon One’s survey of 2,007 U.S. donors, 94% approved of nonprofits using AI in day-to-day operations. But 71.6% said human involvement in writing the communications they receive is moderately or very important.
Meanwhile, guidelines are lagging. In a separate December 2025 survey, Barna found that 94% of U.S. Protestant pastors said churches should have an AI policy or guidelines, yet 79% said their church had neither.
Why This Matters
AI can help your ministry brainstorm, edit, and save time. Donor communications still need someone who knows your mission, checks the facts, and takes responsibility for the message.
As year-end appeals approach, a few shared rules can help your team use AI confidently while protecting the relationships behind every gift.
Next Steps
Before your next year-end appeal goes out, put a simple, one-page AI policy in place. Start with two expectations:
Use approved tools. Decide which AI tools and accounts your team can use, review their privacy settings, and specify what information must stay out, including identifiable donor details and confidential ministry information. A paid subscription alone isn’t a privacy guarantee.
Keep people responsible for the message. For donor communications, establish a clear process: Human generated → AI assisted → Human reviewed. A person sets the message and supplies the real stories and facts. AI can help refine the wording and identify gaps. A person then checks accuracy, tone, and alignment before anything goes out.
Which part of your team’s AI process would benefit most from clearer guidelines?
Jonathan Andrews
Director of Media | jonathan@eaglecom.ca