Google AI for Writing Grants: How to Use Gemini, Notebook LM, and ChatGPT to Speed Up the Process
Why AI Is Changing Grant Writing for Nonprofits
If you work at a nonprofit (especially a small or grassroots one), you already know how challenging grant writing can be. It’s time-consuming, often confusing, and takes precious hours away from doing the real work: running your programs and serving your community.
But thanks to recent advances in AI, there are not tools that can make grant writing faster, simpler, and a whole less stressful. Google AI tools like Gemini and Notebook LM, along with ChatGPT, can help you organize your materials, summarize key data, and even write compelling responses to grant questions, all without needing to outsource the work or spend hours staring at a blank page.
In this blog, we’ll walk through a step-by-step guide to using Google AI for writing grants. Whether you’re writing your first proposal or your fiftieth, these tools can help you move from overwhelm to action, using your organization’s existing documents and data as the foundation.
What Are Gemini, Notebook LM, and ChatGPT?
Let’s quickly break down the three tools I personally have used for grant writing.
Gemini (Formerly Bard)
Gemini is Google’s advanced AI assistant (basically Google’s version of ChatGPT). You can use it to write, edit, summarize, and brainstorm content. Think of it like a very smart writing assistant that can generate high-quality text and improve what you’ve already written.
Use Gemini for:
Drafting and revising grant application answers
Rewriting content to be more engaging, concise, or readable
Brainstorming variations of your boilerplates
Notebook LM
Notebook LM is a lesser-known but incredibly powerful tool from Google that I love to use. It lets you upload documents (PDFs, documents, slides, etc.) and then ask questions about those documents.
The key difference between Notebook LM and a tool like Gemini or ChatGPT? Notebook LM only answers based on the information you give it—nothing else. That makes it perfect for nonprofits who want to write fact-based, accurate responses using their own materials.
How I love to use Notebook LM in grant writing:
Upload internal documents like annual reports, logic models, past proposals, or program impact summaries
Upload third-party sources like census reports, county health rankings, state needs assessments, or public health research to ground proposals in real data
Ask specific questions to pull stats, summaries, or quotes for use in your narrative—like, “What are the most recent poverty rates for our county?” or “What does this document say about maternal health disparities in our state?”
Note: I always double-check everything by verifying the page numbers and reviewing the source document to ensure accuracy. Notebook LM gives you citations, but it’s up to you to confirm they’re correct before including that information in your application.
Use Notebook LM for:
Summarizing local need based on government or academic reports
Extracting compelling data points and citations to strengthen your needs assessments or problem statements
Reusing exact language you’ve already written in other applications or internal reports so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s generative AI model, and my personal favorite to use over Gemini. It can do everything Gemini does—and more—especially if you’re on the Pro plan and can upload project files. It’s a flexible, conversational AI that can help with both idea generation and content refinement.
Use ChatGPT for:
All-purpose grant writing support
Improving drafts using specific prompts (like the ones I recommend in this free download)
Organizing your uploaded materials into usable narratives
Step-by-Step: Using Notebook LM to Organize and Extract Grant Content
Whether you’re starting from scratch or refreshing a past proposal, Notebook LM can help you cut through the clutter and zero in on the strongest content fast. Here’s how I recommend using it step by step.
Step 1: Upload the Right Materials
Start by gathering all the documents that contain useful information for your grant application. This can include:
Internal Documents
Annual reports
Strategic plans
Boilerplate program descriptions
Past grant applications or LOIs
Outcome evaluations
Staff bios and org charts
External or Third-Party Data
County or state health needs assessments
Census data
Local education or housing reports
Public health studies or peer-reviewed research
Any report that helps show why your program matters right now
Pro Tip: Create one Notebook for each major grant application or program focus area, and group documents together based on theme or funder type.
Step 2: Ask Targeted Questions
Once your documents are uploaded, you can ask Notebook LM very specific questions to extract just the information you need. It will pull responses only from the files you uploaded and cit the exact document and page number so you can verify accuracy.
Here are some powerful questions you can ask:
For Organizational Context:
What is our mission and when were we founded?
Summarize our main programs and services.
What are our recent impact outcomes or KPIs?
For the Problem Statement Section:
What does the census data say about poverty in [your county]?
What are the key maternal health disparities mentioned in the state report?
What stats do we have about the underserved populations we work with?
For the Program Design Section:
How do we describe our theory of change or program model?
What partnerships are mentioned in our annual report or strategic plan?
List specific services offered in [Program Name].
For Outcomes & Evaluation:
What evaluation methods are described in our past proposals?
Summarize our program outcomes from the last year.
What are the most common metrics we use to track success?
Step 3: Review, Copy, and Save the Best Answers
As you start getting responses, keep a Google Doc or spreadsheet open to copy the most relevant answers. Because Notebook LM cites exactly which document and page it pulled from, you can easily go back and:
Double-check the accuracy
Refine the language for readability using Gemini or ChatGPT
Combine similar insights into a cohesive narrative
Using Notebook LM as your working base before jumping into Gemini or ChatGPT can help jumpstart your grant applications.
Using Gemini to Draft Grant Answers Faster
Once you’ve gathered relevant information using Notebook LM—key outcomes, needs data, program descriptions, and more—you can bring it into Gemini to begin writing strong, structured answers to actual grant application questions.
Gemini can help you brainstorm, draft, and refine written content. For grant writing, it works beautifully as a virtual editor and collaborator when you feel like you’re hitting a wall.
Step 1: Bring in the Raw Content
Copy the most relevant summaries, quotes, or data points from Notebook LM into a Google Doc or directly into your Gemini prompt. Then tell Gemini what you want it to do. Be specific about the question you’re answering and give it clear direction on how to respond.
Sample Prompt:
“Using the following note, write a 250-word response to the grant question, ‘Describe the problem your program seeks to address.’
[Insert bullet points from Notebook LM or another document here]”
Step 2: Refine with Gemini’s Help
Once Gemini drafts a response, use follow-up prompts to make the content stronger, clearer, and more tailored to your audience. Here are some examples of refinement prompts:
“Make this answer more readable and concise.”
“Rephrase this at a 9th-grade reading level and eliminate any technical jargon.”
“Strengthen the emotional appeal in the opening sentence.”
“Add a stronger conclusion sentence that ties back to our mission.”
“Format this as a polished grant application paragraph and remove bullet points.”
“Replace jargon with clearer, plain language.”
You can also give Gemini examples of tone, “Rewrite this in the same tone as this excerpt: [paste example].”
Step 3: Repeat the Process for Each Major Grant Section
You can use Gemini to help with nearly every section of a typical grant proposal:
For the Problem Statement, Gemini can help turn raw needs data into a clear, compelling narrative.
For the Program Description, Gemini can explain your model and services in plain language accessible for audiences who don’t have a background in your work.
For Goals and Objectives, Gemini can turn broad outcomes into SMART goals and measurable objectives.
For Budget Narratives, Gemini can translate numbers and spreadsheets into simple, funder-friendly explanations.
For Sustainability Plans, Gemini can help brainstorm clear, confident ways to talk about future funding.
Tip: Keep a Master Prompt Template
If you find yourself using the same prompts repeatedly, consider saving a prompt template for different sections of your proposals. That way, your process gets even faster over time.
ChatGPT vs. Google AI for Grant Writing
If you’re looking for a flexible tool that can both analyze documents and help you write your grant proposal, ChatGPT is a powerful option (and my personal favorite).
While Notebook LM is great for reviewing your own documents and Gemini excels at rewriting and refining, ChatGPT can do both in a single workspace. If you have the Pro version, you can upload documents, summarize them, draft sections, and polish your writing all within the same chat.
Step 1: Upload Your Files and Set the Context
When starting a new grant, upload your relevant documents just like you would with Notebook LM:
Program overviews
Outcome evaluations
Needs assessments
Third-party reports
Budgets
Then, add a clear message like: “Please only use the information in these documents when answering my questions. Don’t pull from the internet unless I ask you to.”
This helps ChatGPT stay grounded in your materials and not accidentally “hallucinate” information from elsewhere. I still always check ChatGPT’s responses for accuracy.
Step 2: Ask for Summaries and Specific Data
Once your documents are uploaded, ask questions to extract the information you need. You can use the same types of prompts as Notebook LM:
“Summarize our outcomes for [Program Name].”
“What does this report say about health disparities in our city?”
“Pull quotes or stats about food insecurity in [county].”
“List our services by population served.”
You can even ask for comparisons: “Compare our 2022 and 2023 impact data and summarize the key differences.”
Step 3: Draft and Improve Grant Responses
Once you’ve gathered the raw content, ChatGPT can help you build out your grant sections.
Sample Prompt:
“Using the data you pulled, write a 300-word response to, ‘What is the need for your program in the community?’ Use plain, persuasive language.”
Then, refine the response using follow-up prompts like:
“Make this more engaging and concise.”
“Add a compelling first sentence.”
“Strengthen the closing by emphasizing urgency.”
“Format this in paragraphs with clear topic sentences.”
Note: I always edit/refine what ChatGPT produces to ensure the messaging is on-brand, sounds human, and actually makes sense. ChatGPT isn’t here so you can relinquish your critical thinking skills; rather, to make the process easier and faster for you and your team.
Bonus: Use My Free Prompt Pack
If you’re not sure how to work your prompts, I’ve put together a free ChatGPT Grant Writing Prompt Pack to help nonprofits write stronger, faster. It includes 5 simple prompts you can use to kickstart your grant applications.
So. . .Gemini or ChatGPT?
Both are excellent AI grant writing tools. If you’re already working in Google, Gemini may feel more familiar. If you want an all-in-one workspace that can read files and generate longform responses (while remembering details and instructions), ChatGPT might be your go-to.
In many cases, I use both Notebook LM and ChatGPT, but that’s my personal preference.
AI Tips for Staying Accurate, Ethical, and Grant-Ready
AI tools can be incredible time-savers, but they still need YOUR human touch. When it comes to writing grant proposals, accuracy, integrity, and clarity are essential. Funders expect proposals to reflect your organization’s voice, your actual data, and your real work in the community—not generic or invented content.
Here are some best practices you can use to ensure your AI-assisted proposal is ready to submit.
1. Always Verify the Facts
Even if you’re using tools like Notebook LM or uploading files to ChatGPT, it’s still important to double-check any data, quotes, or descriptions before pasting them into your final application.
Double-check statistics against the original source
Make sure all claims about your outcomes, reach, or budget are up to date
If AI pulls a number from a third-party report, revisit the page it came from to ensure it’s not taken out of context
2. Avoid “AI Voice” and Keep It Human
AI can sometimes sound robotic, vague, or overly formal. Funders want to hear your voice—the voice of the nonprofit that knows its community and cares deeply about the work.
Don’t be afraid to inject warmth, clarity, and passion into your writing
Use AI as a first draft or brainstorming partner, not the final word
If the writing feels flat, ask AI to “rewrite this in a more conversational and human tone”
3. Make It Specific to the Funder
Never just copy and paste from one application to another! Generic responses won’t cut it. Even with AI’s help, you need to customize each proposal to the funder’s priorities.
Align your answers with the funder’s mission, values, or impact goals
Reference their guidelines or past grantees when relevant
Use AI to help rephrase and repurpose content between applications, but again never copy-paste without tailoring
4. Treat AI Like a Research Assistant, Not a Replacement
AI is such a powerful support tool, but it isn’t a substitute for your expertise. You still know your community, your challenges, and your impact better than any tool ever could. So view these AI tools as assistants to help you research and write, but not entities that do all the thinking for you.
Use AI to reduce busywork, like summarizing documents or cleaning up clunky text
Lean on it for brainstorming or polishing, not for original ideas about your mission
Don’t let AI do the thinking for you. Instead, use it to sharpen the thinking you’re already doing
Let ChatGPT and Google AI Make Grant Writing Easier, Not More Complicated
You don’t need to be a tech expert or a professional grant writer to take advantage of AI tools like Notebook LM, Gemini, and ChatGPT. These tools were built to save you time, help you stay organized, and make your writing stronger. And for small nonprofits or stretched-thin teams, that kind of support can be a game changer.
By uploading your existing materials into Notebook LM, asking smart questions, then drafting and refining responses in Gemini or ChatGPT, you can cut hours off your grantwriting process without sacrificing clarity, accuracy, or strategy.
Want to Try It for Yourself?
If you’re ready to experiment, here’s my homework for you this week:
Create a Notebook LM project and upload 3-5 of your strongest and most informative documents
Ask it a few of the sample questions listed above
Copy that content into Gemini or ChatGPT and prompt it to write a sample response
Refine it. Tweak it. Make it sound like you.
Repeat the process for the next grant you’re working on
Need help getting started?
👉Download my free ChatGPT Grantwriting Prompt Pack for ready-to-use prompts.
