Here are a few of our favorite AI tools for grant writers. There are many AI and LLMs (Large Language Models) available today, including Lily AI, a grant writing assistant by Grant Frog, and are great for grant writing.
Be sure to check out our 4 best tips for using AI as a grant writer
Lily AI — Grant Writing Assistant by Grant Frog
Lily AI is our own grant writing assistant, built right into Grant Frog. What sets it apart from the general-purpose tools below is that Lily AI writes from your content — the narratives you've saved in your Grant Content Library — so what comes back sounds like your organization instead of a generic chatbot.
No more pasting your mission into an outside AI tool and reworking whatever it hands you. Because Lily AI lives where your grants already do, it pulls from your mission, your programs, and your outcomes to help you draft grant proposals faster.
A few of the ways grant writers use it:
- One-click assists for what you write most — funder-ready cover letters, executive summaries, and grant title options, all drawn from your own details
- Draft a section from your library instead of a blank page
- Tighten to a word limit — cut a 600-word program description down to 250 without losing the point
- Edit and polish writing you already have
Ask Lily AI sits right in your content editor, so help is there when you want it and out of the way when you don't. And you're always the one deciding what stays — nothing changes unless you accept it. That makes Lily AI a natural first stop before you reach for any of the general tools below.
Claude AI
Claude AI is my favorite AI tool for writing. It seems to sound the most personable and less AI- generated. Use it to generate summaries of your grant proposal, enhance program overviews, write reports to the CEO, improve your conclusions, and more. You can always guide it to sound similar to the tone of voice you need by with your initial instructions or the follow-up questions above.
Perplexity AI
Perplexity is my top choice if you're researching information or looking for data and statistics. It scans the web, then generates summaries and bulleted lists of information, along with a link to the source, which is so helpful. It also displays Related questions you might ask and images and graphics related to your prompt. As a general rule of thumb, you still need to always verify the source.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is the OG of modern AI tools in recent years. This may have been the first tool you tried when it debuted in 2022. It's still great and has only improved with time. It's useful for summarizing information and or writing outlines and reports, whether that's for your proposal, your yearly grants plan, your client's grant schedule, or your consulting business.
Other AI Tools
Copilot - Microsoft's signature AI tool with deep integration in Microsoft 365 and apps like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc. (there's also an coding AI tool called Github Copilot)
Gemini - Google's AI tool that's built into the Google Drive suite like Gmail, Docs, and more.
ChatGPT Images - Image generator AI - great for making quick images for social media or basic info. Don't expect it to be an amazing graphic designer that will do exactly what you want though.
Consensus - Search research papers for data and statistics
