Not-For-Profit organisations (NFPs) are on a mission to make a difference. In the context of rapid technological advancement, innovations like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly crucial in helping them achieve their mission.
Copilot, Microsoft’s AI tool, stands out as one of the latest AI-powered software. Let’s dive right into the practical ways that it can enhance the social impact of Nonprofits:
- Why Microsoft Copilot is Ideal for NFPs
- How is Copilot a Game Changer for Nonprofit Organisations
- Practical Use Cases and Suggested Copilot Prompts for NFPs
- Next Steps for Using Microsoft Copilot in Your Nonprofit
- Boosting efficiency
- Improving productivity
- Reducing operational costs
- Making data-driven decisions
- Be Specific: Clearly define what you want. The more specific your prompt, the more accurate the response.
- Context Matters: Provide as much relevant context as possible to guide the AI. You can ask it to refer to web pages or documents as reference or as examples.
- Tone and Style: If you want a specific tone or style, mention it in your prompt.
- Length: If you need a response of a specific length, specify it.
- Language: If you need the response in a specific language or spelling (like UK English), state it upfront.
- Iterate: Feel free to refine your prompt based on the responses you get.
Why Microsoft Copilot is Ideal for NFPs
Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant that can considerably boost your productivity. It can provide you with the specific outputs required for your daily operations as it integrates with the entire suite of Microsoft 365 apps, such as Word, SharePoint and Teams.
It is all made possible by combining the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) with your cloud data.
The beauty of Copilot lies in its ability to understand and generate human-like content, making it an ideal tool for Nonprofits. It can help with tasks ranging from drafting emails to preparing for meetings, brainstorming strategies based on data analysis, and much more.
How Is Copilot a Game Changer for Nonprofit Organisations
AI can assist Nonprofits in:
For example, Copilot can help you manage project timelines, communication, and task prioritisation. This allows you to respond and execute on your mission quicker. With Copilot handling routine tasks, your team can focus on skill-building activities and growing the organisation. Plus, with most NFPs having to operate on tight budgets, this can be a cost-effective solution.
If you’re curious to learn more about how NFPs can use AI to their advantage, check out our blog on How to Harness the Power of AI for Nonprofit Organisations.
Practical Use Cases and Suggested Copilot Prompts for NFPs
Here are some practical ways NFPs can use Copilot on a day-to-day basis:
| MICROSOFT APP/SERVICE | HOW COPILOT CAN HELP | PROMPTS YOU CAN USE* |
| Microsoft Outlook | Crafting personalised, impactful messages to your donors and stakeholders | “Draft an email to share the annual report with donors prior to the upcoming annual assembly.” |
| Microsoft Teams | Taking notes during online meetings | [no prompt needed, just click on the AI Notes button during your meeting] |
| Summarising key decisions and next steps from your online meetings, suggesting action items, and tracking progress on assigned tasks | “What was said about donor outreach?” / “Recap the meeting.” | |
| Microsoft Word | Creating compelling grant proposals, increasing your chances of securing funding | “Help me draft a grant proposal referencing [previous year’s proposal].” |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Designing engaging presentations for your Board meeting that effectively communicate your organisation’s achievements | “Create a presentation from [a Word document] that lists recent initiatives and achievements.” |
| Microsoft Excel | Generating formulas and column suggestions, highlighting interesting trends | “Add a new column showing the percentage difference between column A and column C.” |
| Identifying and showing insights in charts and PivotTables | “Create a bar graph showing the contributions growth between Q2 and Q3.” | |
| Microsoft Edge (direct access in the browser sidebar) | Performing searches and providing answers in relation to the page you’re viewing | “Compare our current membership management solution to [brand on this page] and present the comparison in a table format.” |
| Summarising documents, including PDFs and longer website content, making it easier to consume dense content online | “Summarise this document in 3 key points.” | |
| Helping with tasks like organising your tabs | “Group my tabs related to news about charities.” | |
| OneNote | Distilling complex information into concise summaries, making it easier for your team to understand and act on | “Create a summary of the research notes on this page. Focus the summary on the chronological order of our activities in the community and place them into bullet points.” |
| Microsoft Loop (a collaborative workspace that allows users to think, plan, and create together) | Providing innovative ideas to boost volunteer participation and commitment | Choose the Brainstorm prompt option, then type the rest (e.g., “Ways we can increase volunteer engagement”). |
The possibilities with Copilot are endless and can be tailored to your organisation’s unique needs. It’s all about exploring and experimenting to find what works best for you.
ONGC’s Top Tips for Efficient Microsoft Copilot Prompts
AI requires large amounts of data to operate and its effectiveness will depend on what you give it. Here are some quick tips for writing winning prompts in Microsoft Copilot:
Remember, the more you interact with Copilot, the better you’ll become at crafting effective prompts – and the better results it can produce for you over time.
Discover how you can reshape the way you work with Microsoft Copilot & AI-powered solutions.
Next Steps for Using Microsoft Copilot in Your Nonprofit
AI presents new opportunities for NFPs to increase their manpower and increase their impact. The number #1 myth about AI is that it is replacing jobs which couldn’t be further from the truth, both need to feed off each other to benefit the greater good.
At ONGC we can help you manage the transition to Microsoft Copilot and harness its benefits for everyone. But first, you need to understand the gap between where you are today and where you want to be.
ONGC’s AI assessment will review all of your systems in order to identify opportunities for AI and automation.
Kick-start your AI and Automation journey now: