How AI Made me a Better Fundraiser

Arianna Hamilton, Associate Director, Development, University of Dayton

Arianna Hamilton, Associate Director, Development, University of Dayton

Arianna Hamilton is a Development Officer at the University of Dayton, where she focuses on donor engagement, strategic fundraising, and leadership rooted in DEIB values. With over a decade of experience in higher education advancement, she brings a thoughtful, human-centered approach to her work. Arianna is passionate about using technology to improve workflows, reduce inequities, and enhance quality of life for fundraisers, donors, and the communities they serve.

I did not expect artificial intelligence to become my go-to thought partner. But somewhere between a back-to-back meeting day and a time-sensitive donor email that I could not quite word correctly, I opened ChatGPT and asked for help. What I got back was not magic—it was clarity. And I realized something important: AI is not just a timesaver. It is a professional development tool and assistant hiding in plain sight.

As a fundraiser and leader in higher education, my days are filled with conversations, drafting outreach messages, writing donor notes, preparing meeting summaries, and mentoring teammates. Language matters in all of it. And while I have plenty of experience, everyone hits mental roadblocks. I use AI when I am in a time crunch or when I am trying to rephrase something I have said three different ways and still cannot get it quite right. I also use it when a message needs to strike a specific tone, warm but direct, or candid without being harsh, and I want a second opinion before I hit send.

The collaborative process was surprising. AI is not replacing me—it is refining me. I drop in a few bullet points from a meeting, and it helps me shape a clear set of next steps. For instance, it has helped me identify key points from a meeting that I might have missed, leading to more comprehensive meeting summaries. I ask it to review an email and make the subject line more enticing, and it comes back with several options I had not thought of. It helps ensure consistency in my language and tone, especially across stewardship messages where continuity builds trust. It even allows me to adapt my communications based on what I know about someone’s DiSC profile, which has strengthened my emotional intelligence as a colleague, fundraiser, collaborator, and leader.

I use AI for my work in a straightforward process by first recognizing the task I need help with, such as rewording an email for clarity or refining its tone. Then, I share contextual information, telling the AI who it is professionally and what role it is playing with the information I input. After ensuring the AI fully comprehends my needs, I ask if it requires further information. If that appears excessive, I know. I used to think that giving AI too much detail would cloud its responses, but it turns out the opposite is true. The more specific and contextual I am, the more valuable and nuanced the output becomes. For example, when I tell it, “You are a development officer at a university, with a long tenure in planned giving,” the suggestions are more focused and relevant. And yes, it responds even better when I say 'please' and 'thank you.' There is research to support this, but it is also good practice.

Embracing AI in this way has been a liberating experience. It relieves the mental load from small tasks, allowing me to direct more energy toward the strategic and challenging work that truly requires my human expertise. When I do not have to struggle with crafting the perfect opening sentence of an update email, I have more time to contemplate what motivates a donor, how to support a colleague, or how to structure a complex gift agreement.

You do not need to be a tech expert or have a grand strategy to start using AI, but you do need curiosity and a willingness to try. Start with the easy stuff. Let AI give you a rough draft, help rewrite a paragraph in simpler terms, or type up next steps from meeting notes. Use it to check your tone before delivering a difficult message or to brainstorm outreach ideas when your well is dry. You might find that you can ignore 80 percent of what it suggests—but that last 20 percent might be just what you needed. The ease of starting to use AI should encourage you and give you confidence in your ability to adopt this powerful tool. It is not about perfection but rather a journey of learning and the confidence it can provide.

The straightforward uses expressed here lead to minimal ethical dilemmas. However, whenever AI is used, ensure that responsible choices are made and keep the best interests of your constituents at the forefront.

Ultimately, AI is not making me less human. It is helping me be a more thoughtful communicator, a more consistent leader, and a more present fundraiser. Leaning on this reliable partner through curiosity and discovery is something I challenge you all to consider. Did I rely on AI to help me refine my thoughts for clarity and organizational purposes, and to stay within the word limit for this piece? You bet I did.

Artificial Intelligence

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