Foundations: AI training for your grantees (and better bids for you)
Posted by Alex on 01/11/2024
It's here, the era when technology is reshaping every aspect of our work, and it's not going away! Charities of all sizes are dabbling with AI as part of their bid writing. From those who can afford expensive and powerful platforms to those who are ‘making do' with free-to-access tools, very few charities haven't given it a go.
Trusts and Foundations have a unique opportunity to empower all their grantees with the correct skills to use AI to elevate and highlight their impact rather than hiding behind a generic automated response.
We're excited to share news of our AI Bid Writing training, explicitly designed for charitable organisations that are actively writing grant applications. Written by a highly skilled third-sector professional, the session demonstrates how to use AI as part of the bid writing process.
Small charities have accessed it via The Fore, and it has been a resounding success.

The session guides you through the process of integrating free and low-cost AI tools into your bid-writing activities, emphasising practical application over theory. Alex will show you the key opportunities AI tools offer and ways to overcome their challenges
All with cheap, easily available tools. It is an essential training session for charities who want to use AI technology in their fundraising efforts.
In this short clip, Alex shares how and why he uses AI when he is writing bids:
And in this clip Alex shows you how you can use AI to move from general to more specific descriptions:
Many grantees are already experimenting with AI in their bid writing processes. By offering training, you're not only introducing a new concept - you're providing professional guidance on best practices and ethical considerations in an area where many are already venturing independently.
Trusts and Foundations have a unique opportunity to empower all their grantees with the correct skills to use AI to elevate and highlight their impact rather than hiding behind a generic automated response.
We're excited to share news of our AI Bid Writing training, explicitly designed for charitable organisations that are actively writing grant applications. Written by a highly skilled third-sector professional, the session demonstrates how to use AI as part of the bid writing process.
Small charities have accessed it via The Fore, and it has been a resounding success.
More about the session
Blume has teamed up with Dr Alex Evans to create a fast-track demo on using AI to support charity bid writing. We know AI will not write your bids for you, but it can be a powerful tool that can help you increase your productivity!The session guides you through the process of integrating free and low-cost AI tools into your bid-writing activities, emphasising practical application over theory. Alex will show you the key opportunities AI tools offer and ways to overcome their challenges
- Create bids in half the time
- Edit, refine, analyse, and create ideas - fast
- Create multiple versions with specific word counts
- Find and use the data you need to make your points
- Spend more time helping people, and less time writing bids!
All with cheap, easily available tools. It is an essential training session for charities who want to use AI technology in their fundraising efforts.
In this short clip, Alex shares how and why he uses AI when he is writing bids:
And in this clip Alex shows you how you can use AI to move from general to more specific descriptions:
Many grantees are already experimenting with AI in their bid writing processes. By offering training, you're not only introducing a new concept - you're providing professional guidance on best practices and ethical considerations in an area where many are already venturing independently.

About Alex
Recommended Blumer, Dr Alex Evans has worked in Civil Society for 25 years. He has held positions of Chief Executive and Director at several charities, where he has usually been responsible for fundraising, either alone or managing a team. Alex has also worked closely with grant-makers at strategic and operational levels, including grants assessment.
A lifetime tech geek, Digital and IT innovations have formed a consistent strand throughout Alex's work, both in delivery and research, including developing a tech innovations enterprise for St Mungo’s, extensive development of multimedia technology training for young people, and most recently, research into innovative uses of IT to support older people in the UK supported by Dunhill Medical Trust. He has also been married to an AI and machine learning specialist for 29 years.

A lifetime tech geek, Digital and IT innovations have formed a consistent strand throughout Alex's work, both in delivery and research, including developing a tech innovations enterprise for St Mungo’s, extensive development of multimedia technology training for young people, and most recently, research into innovative uses of IT to support older people in the UK supported by Dunhill Medical Trust. He has also been married to an AI and machine learning specialist for 29 years.
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