As a consultant that gets paid to help people write to donors, I can tell you first hand that it isn’t enough to be a good writer. Each organization you work for will have their own voice and style and you need to make it match across the board. The good news is that AI can help you do it.
If you already have a brand guide with notes on tone and style—good for you! You are ahead of the game. If you don’t, then get excited because I have a tool for you. And just to help you understand how helpful AI can be, let me lay out how I went about this:
- AI helped me gather and sort the information I needed to build a brand guide
- I had an idea of what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure I could make it happen without a developer and cash, so I went back and forth with ChatGPT on my options and what I could do for free
- Then I told it how I wanted it to work on a website and it CODED IT FOR ME
Now, I will say that I went round and round with ChatGPT and almost lost my mind because parts of the code weren’t working, but ultimately I went to a different AI (Claude), asked it what was wrong with the code and it fixed it for me immediately. I always assume that a solution to my problem exists on the internet. And now, as AI gets better, I’m finding that there is usually an AI solution. Literally just google “AI that will help me ___.”
Anyway, back to brand voice. A brand’s voice is generally made up of:
- Style. This is the structure and rhythm of your writing. It includes things like sentence length, word choice, and pacing. Some brands lean toward short, punchy sentences; others prefer longer, more reflective prose. Style affects how approachable—or sophisticated—your message feels.
- Tone. The emotional quality or attitude behind your words. Is your voice warm and encouraging? Bold and urgent? Calm and professional? Tone shifts based on context, but your core tone tendencies should stay consistent across communications.
- Values. Your brand values guide not just what you say, but how you say it. If your organization prioritizes equity, you may use inclusive language. If you’re driven by innovation, your voice might be future-focused and imaginative. Values are the “why” behind your communication choices.
- Brand Archetype. Archetypes are personality frameworks that give your brand a distinct identity. Whether you’re a Caregiver (nurturing and supportive), a Rebel (bold and disruptive), or a Mentor (wise and trusted), your archetype shapes the overall character of your messaging.
I created a tool that will allow you to quickly and easily capture all of these in one place and create a prompt for how you want AI to write for you. You could also give this to any human writer that is creating content for you.
Before I show you how it works, a word of caution. Technically you aren’t supposed to just create your brand voice willy nilly by yourself in your cubicle. In a perfect world you work on this with leaders and have buy in and all that. I also understand that in some organizations that would take 6 months and multiple hours of quibbling. So….do whatever you need to do.
Now, on to the tool.
It’s pretty self explanatory. It will lead you through four pages, one for each component of your brand voice.
| What It Defines | Why It Matters | |
| Tone | Emotional attitude (e.g., warm, bold, calm) | Sets the feel of the brand |
| Style | Language mechanics (e.g., short vs long, emojis, contractions) | Controls how the voice reads |
| Archetype | Brand personality (e.g., Mentor, Rebel) | Anchors voice to a persona that guides consistency |
| Values | What the brand stands for (e.g., equity, innovation) | Ensures the voice reflects the why behind what you say |
These give you a clear and flexible structure for defining, visualizing, and sharing a brand voice.
At the end it will give you a prompt that you can feed into AI. Let me show you how that will change your writing:
Let’s say you have two nonprofits that deal with homelessness. Nonprofit A is a boots on the ground, Gen Z-led organization based in Santa Monica, CA. They are small, and do what they can with what they have. They are edgy and cool and young and hopeful and they think they know exactly how to get people off the street. Running through the brand builder for them, I get this prompt:
Use the following brand voice characteristics when generating content for this organization:
TONE: Very Casual, Warm, Assertive
STYLE: Short sentences, creative word choice, dynamic pacing
ARCHETYPE: The Rebel
CORE VALUES: Community, Optimism
Please ensure all content reflects these voice characteristics and maintains consistency across all communications.
Ok. Now Nonprofit B is a nonprofit dedicated to homelessness based in Sacramento. They are large and slow-moving, and are generally working with policy-makers to make structural changes. They have a lot of infrastructure and a donor base that is older and sophisticated. A brand voice for them might look like this:
Use the following brand voice characteristics when generating content for this organization:
TONE: Formal, Warm, Confident
STYLE: Long sentences, elevated word choice, deliberate pacing
ARCHETYPE: The Advocate
CORE VALUES: Leadership, Accountability
Please ensure all content reflects these voice characteristics and maintains consistency across all communications.
Now that we have those two different brand voices, let’s see what difference it makes in AI. Now, in general, the more data the better, so you should be specific about what you are asking AI to write—the who, what, where, when, how, and all that jazz—but for now, I am going to be basic. I am going to ask ChatGPT to write a donor letter for these two organizations use the brand voice prompt.
Nonprofit A:
Subject: Let’s change the rules. Together.
Header: Home shouldn’t be a privilege.
Dear [First Name],
We’re tired of the same old story—people left outside while systems stall and excuses pile up.
So we’re rewriting it.
At Nonprofit A, we believe housing is a human right. Not someday. Not eventually. Now. And with you by our side, we’re turning that belief into real action—block by block, bed by bed.
This isn’t about charity. It’s about justice.
It’s about a community where everyone belongs. Where hope shows up not just in words, but in warm meals, safe beds, and second chances.
And yeah—it’s working. People are getting off the streets. Into homes. Into stability. Into a life they deserve.
Your support fuels that change. Your gift breaks the cycle.
Let’s keep pushing. Let’s make this movement impossible to ignore.
Give boldly. Stand with us.
With radical gratitude,
[Your Name]
Nonprofit A
Nonprofit B:
Subject: A Clear Path Forward—Thanks to You
Header: Because leadership demands action
Dear [Donor Name],
At Nonprofit B, we are guided by a fundamental belief: that no individual should be left to navigate the trauma of homelessness alone. Housing is not only a basic human need—it is the foundation upon which stability, dignity, and opportunity are built.
Your generosity affirms that belief. It tells a powerful truth: that leadership is not measured solely in words, but in the decisions we make and the actions we take.
Because of you, we have made critical strides in our mission—expanding transitional housing, enhancing case management services, and ensuring that our interventions are not only compassionate but also evidence-based and effective. Your investment has helped us establish systems of accountability that honor the trust placed in us by our community and, most importantly, by those we serve.
There is still much work to be done. But we are not deterred. With your continued partnership, we will press forward with integrity, urgency, and resolve—knowing that the solutions we implement today will shape a more equitable tomorrow.
Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your belief in ours.
With deep appreciation,
[Your Name]
Executive Director
Nonprofit B
By looking at these two letters, you can see a few things:
- Brand voice makes a big difference. These are two completely different letters that are asking the same thing.
- AI will make stuff up. Humans are still completely necessary to this process. For example, has nonprofit B expanded transitional housing, enhanced case management, and made evidence-based interventions?? No, because it doesn’t exist. You need to feed it as much info as you have (especially if you want it to be included in the letter) and you need to help finesse the messaging. It will write something pretty, but it may not be correct.
- It’s not perfect. Your radical gratitude? No one would ever sign off a letter like that. You need to edit what it spits out. Also, notice I asked it for a letter and it gave me an email. It still works, I can just ignore the subject and preview, but…the robots aren’t ready to take over yet.
Please try it for yourself! Play around with it—it’s free and you can try it over and over again to see what works. Leave a comment to let me know if it’s helpful or hopeless and any changes you’d like to see.