February 9, 2024
Orr Group LEARNS
AI Tools
Research Analysis
The information contained is sourced from publicly available data. The perspectives and
insights shared reflect the views of Orr Group and are not to be construed as definitive or
authoritative.
Executive Summary | Methodology
To further our work and impact with nonprofit clients, Orr Group established an AI Task Force to
evaluate and test AI tools across multiple categories including:
Fundraising
Focus
Productivity
and
Interaction
Chatbots and
Interactions
Data
Management
and Analytics
Language
and Writing
To date, 90+ AI tools have been reviewed and assessed. The following materials provide a
comprehensive summary of these AI tools, evaluated for nonprofit organizational needs based on
functionality, pricing, and suitability.
Executive Summary | AI Taskforce
In July 2023, Orr Group formed a team of eight staff members from various business functions to enhance our firm's AI
implementation knowledge and develop resources aiding the nonprofit sector's AI expansion.
Core Objectives of the AI Taskforce:
1. AI in our Workflows: Embed AI tools into regular work processes and administrative activities to reduce staff workload
with improved efficiency and quality.
2. AI in our Work Product: Apply AI tools to enhance our embedded client partnerships and increase the caliber of our
services and deliverables.
3. AI in the Field: Position Orr Group as an AI thought leader in the nonprofit sector to advance fundraising. Accelerate
non-profit AI adoption timelines by improving non-profits’ staff skills and helping them access the tools best suited to
their work.
Achievements to Date:
• Developed Orr Group’s first AI Tool Usage Policy outlining responsible usage and data privacy/security.
• Assessment of 90+ tools to understand the AI landscape and functionality of AI tools applicable to Orr Group.
• Led several staff trainings and developed resources in Fall 2023 to engage employees and refine core skills.
• Produced thought-leadership articles to educate the nonprofit sector on the impacts and considerations of AI.
Executive Summary | Key Insights
Nonprofits can find the best results from AI tools in the following use cases:
• Start by drafting
foundational documents to
serve as a base for further
refinement
• Aggregate expertise
quickly into initial template
• Create a framework to
build on for final work
products
• Avoid writers block and
initiate a project
• Design tools and other AI
products replace typically
outsourced functions
(graphic designers, etc.)
• Data analysis to identify
ROI and areas for
improvement
• AI personalizes donor
communications, boosting
engagement and reducing
acquisition costs
Initiating Work Products
• Maximize output with
minimal staff by generating
diverse versions of a
project
• Streamline operational
procedures to enhance
productivity
• Leverage data analytics to
optimize workflows and
strategic decision-marking
• Automate repetitive tasks
Creating Capacity
Decreasing Costs
Executive Summary | Trends
Nonprofits are typically slower to adopt new technologies, and often don’t have the same organizational
resources to train staff on utilization. Based off this research, below are trends for nonprofits to be aware
of as they are considering utilizing AI tools.
Risk Data Productivity
Staff may be starting to utilize AI
tools personally and may not be
aware of data sensitivity or other
risk factors such as false citations.
Organizations should develop and
share usage policies and provide
training to staff to help
minimize organizational risk.
Nonprofit organizations with large
data sets are incorporating trends
from the for-profit sector in
utilizing AI for large data sets. This
should continue to be evaluated
for how these tools can be
effectively utilized in the nonprofit
sector with potentially different
data regulations.
There’s a noticeable trend towards
tools that enhance productivity.
These can be great resources
for organizations, but will require
updated training and procedures
for staff, especially front-line
fundraisers.
Assessment of AI Tools
Comprehensive evaluation of the top solutions found out of the 90+
tools evaluated by the AI Taskforce
AI Tools | Orr Group’s Top AI Solutions
Copilot
Use: Advanced conversational AI tool with customization options and plug-ins Use: Conversational AI tool with image generation and live web sources
Cost: Free - $20/month (newest version, more plug-ins) Cost: Free (paid version not available yet)
Review: The best AI tool for power users and for integrating with other apps.
Great for research, content creation, data analysis, and administrative tasks
Review: The best AI tool for average Microsoft users – better platform than
ChatGPT’s free offering, but less customization than ChatGPT Plus.
Use: Conversational AI tool with live web sources and Google extensions Use: Create podcasts seamlessly from articles, text generation
Cost: Free Cost: Free - $99/month (5 hours of podcasts)
Review: The best AI tool for average Google account users – better platform than
ChatGPT’s free offering, but less customization than ChatGPT Plus.
Review: Easy to use and decreases time substantially from creating a script,
recording, and background music, ethical questions on disclosing
Use: Basic conversational AI tool on Intranet page to support basic HR queries Use: Automate processes between applications and research
Cost: Free - $99/month (newest version, customizable options) Cost: Free - $69/month (unlimited users, tech support)
Review: Easy to create and share, this custom chatbot can be trained on a
combination of documents and specified websites
Review: Requires some technical knowledge, but a high degree of automation
and integration to a large variety of apps
Grantable
Use: Streamlines grant reporting and responses to RFP questions Use: Compile notes, action items, and recall information during Zoom meetings
Cost: Free - $199/month (multiple users, unlimited text) Cost: Only available with plans $14.99/month and up
Review: Free version credits are utilized quickly, easy to use and accurate Review: High value tool that saves manual time note taking
(Formerly Bard)
AI Tools | AI LLM Assistants
AI Tool Description Pricing Notes
Chat GPT 4 (Plus)
Advanced conversational AI model by
OpenAI
Free - $20/month
(enhanced features,
newest version, tools,
upload files, etc.)
Most innovative tool with new features and
plug-ins continued to be unveiled.
Claude
AI Assistant focused on ethical AI
implementation, and data privacy
Free - $20/month (newest
version)
Alternative to ChatGPT with focus on data
privacy and ethical AI standards, but less
functional
Coda.IO
AI Assistant to create documents and sort
information faster, using organizational
data
Free - $30/month
(unlimited automations,
team features)
Cost-effective option for organizations
looking to use a common AI tool for staff to
build materials.
Google Gemini
(formerly Bard)
Google's experimental, conversational, AI
chat service; added Gemini for more
advanced coding and processing
December 2023
Free (No paid version)
Most useful for prospect research and
strong creativity; ability to export to Google
sheet and use data within personal Google
Drive.
Microsoft Copilot
Conversation model to process
information and fulfill requests
Free (with Microsoft O365
license)
Strong responses on topics that require real-
time knowledge
Perplexity AI
AI Assistant focused on improving search
engine functionality
Free (No paid version)
Displays AI responses in a Google search-
like interface for quick fact-finding and news
Leena
Chatbot specializing in completing tasks in
business operations (IT, HR, Finance,
Sales, etc.) and fielding employee
questions
Custom pricing options
AI features combined with a chatbot to help
field employee questions and multiple
business functions
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Custom AI Chatbots
AI Tool Description Pricing Notes
Cody.AI
Chatbot that uses organizational
content to answer queries for
employees based on defined
knowledge sources
$29 (3 users, 3 bots) -
$249/month (50 users
and 50 bots)
Easy to deploy with some customization;
cost-effective at small scale
Cohere
Chatbot with specialization in business
and professional services
Custom pricing options
Interface used to build McKinsey internal
chatbot, more expensive and specialized;
higher skill level needed for deployment
Amazon Lex
Voice and text chatbot creator $32 for 8,000 requests
Built on Amazon platform and
emphasizes “voice” chatbot functionality
Dialogflow
Google's chatbot development
framework
Cost varies per usage
Build chatbots and voicebots interfaces
on Google’s platform – more expensive
and specialized.
ChatGPT
Ability to create Chatbot using Open AI
interface
$20/month (need
subscription to use)
Easy to create custom chatbots, but not
easy to secure who has access or deploy
outside of the ChatGPT interface
LLaMa 2
Chatbot creation and deployment tool Free, built on Meta
Programming/technical skill required,
free to build chatbot
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Writing and Content Creation
AI Tool Description Pricing Notes
Grammerly
Go Advanced grammar and spell checker
Free - $25/month for all
features
Highly effective tool for grammar
checking and auto completion of writing,
with simple AI text generator built-in
Wondercraft
Create podcasts seamlessly from
articles, text generation
Free - $99/month (5
hours of audio)
Very user friendly and wide range of
podcast creation features
Descript
Creates trainings, and other content
(podcasts, images, design, etc.)
Free - $24/month (30
hours of audio)
Ability to create trainings easily and
quickly; podcast and design features
Synthesia
AI generated video (AI actors)
$22 - $67/month (360
minutes of video)
Very cost effective compared to hiring
actors and production (alternative is Hour
One)
PlayHT
AI Voice generation and voice cloning
Free - $99/month
(unlimited)
Voice cloning is fairly accurate with
limited inputs
ElevenLabs
AI Voice generation, audio editing,
subtitles, and voice cloning
Free - $22/month
Several voice and audio editing features
in one place
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Human Resources
General AI Tools
Description/Functionality Pricing Notes
Juicebox.AI (People GPT)
Recruiting tool to source candidates
via LinkedIn profiles with email
information
Free (100 searches)-
$179/month (unlimited, export
ability, more profiles)
Highly intuitive and accurate to find
candidates with certain specifications
CultureAmp
Employee engagement and culture
analytics
$4,000 (engagement survey) -
$13,000 (+performance) / year
Optimal for large firms; deciphers
company culture and highlights issues.
Expert-vetted, yet costly. Machine
learning and automation of manual
processes
Attract.AI
Manage talent pipeline and source
candidates via all social profiles
Custom pricing options
Integrates directly with HR software,
most expensive
Textio
Augmented writing platform to
analyze inclusive language
$20,000+ (Full platform)
Useful to help analyze text for inclusive
language, but very expensive.
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Graphic Design and Presentations
AI Tool Description/Functionality Pricing Notes
MidJourney
AI-generated art platform
$10/month (13 jobs) -
$120/month (faster, 25+
jobs)
Used regularly and easy to
generate graphic content, not as
user friendly
Stability.AI
AI image generation $20/month
User friendly and better for more
creative/artistic images
DALL-E (ChatGPT Plug-In) AI image generation
$20/month (only available
with premium ChatGPT)
Less variability in design choices
but easily accessible in ChatGPT
interface
Tableau
Data visualization and analytics $15 - $70/user/month
Easy to set up and use, however,
requires strong maintenance of
data to be useful
Gamma.App
AI created decks and presentations; AI
writing element
Free - $15/month
(unlimited creation)
More creative and stronger AI
generative capabilities
Beautiful.AI
AI created decks and presentations
$12 - $40/month
(branding uploaded)
More boiler plater and less
creative than Gamma.App
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Administrative Functions
AI Tool Description/Functionality Pricing Notes
Zoom AI Companion
Note taking for Zoom meetings, ability to ask
AI companion for real-time information
$14.99/month an up
Accurate notes, seamless
integration into Zoom meetings
Zapier
Automate repetitive administrative tasks and
connect across multiple platforms and data
sources
Free - $70/month
Requires some technical
knowledge but a high degree of
automation and integration to a
large variety of apps
Otter.AI
Audio transcription and note taking
Free (300 mins) -
$20/month (analytics, 3
assistants)
Easy to use and integrates to
Zoom, less accurate with notes
fireflies.ai
Audio recording and transcription platform
for note taking
Free (800 mins) -
$19/month
More reasonable and easier to
set up, lower quality but a free
option with generous credits
MeetGeek.Ai
Virtual meeting platform
Free (300 mins) -
$59/month
Very good tool but unsure on
difference from Otter.AI and
fireflies
Clara
AI-powered scheduling assistant
$300/month/user
(unlimited)
High-quality product; however,
it's costly, may exhibit latency,
and poses challenges for large
organization implementation
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Data Insight and Management
AI Tool Description/Functionality Pricing Notes
PowerBI
(and Power Automate)
Microsoft analytics/automation tools that
provide visualizations and business
intelligence capabilities.
$10/user/month and up
Simple interface with numerous
integrations. Easily connected
with Office 365 security groups
Apollo
Sales engagement and lead management;
sources contact information based on
limited data
Free (60 credits/year) -
$99/month (1,200
credits)
Finds contact information for
prospects and sales, AI
assistance with cold emails
Hunter.IO
Source contact information and integrates
into email, automated cold email campaign
Free - $349/month
Easy to use and accurate, more
expensive, AI assistance with
cold emails
Salesforce - Einstein
AI-powered CRM analytics, financial
projections and other analysis
$50/user/month
Powerful AI analytics into
projections based on CRM data,
however, technical skills
required to set up
Booke.AI
Financial bookkeeping automation tool
$60 - $120 annually
(higher integration/feature
s)
Only integrates with QuickBooks
and Zero
Amazon Rekognition
Image and video analysis tool $1,000 for 1M images
AI detects faces, text, and more
from large image/video datasets
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
AI Tools | Nonprofit and Fundraising Focus
AI Tool Description/Functionality Pricing Notes
Raise from
Gravyty
AI moves management and email generator for
frontline fundraisers
Strating at $30,000+
Tool that requires minimal training (emails
automatically) most suitable for large team
Impact Writer (by Life
Legacy)
AI Language Model for fundraising to generate
content (blogs, appeals, etc.)
Free (2 features) - $40 /
month (full suite of features
10+)
Largest suite of AI fundraising tools all in one place to
create content, centralized and comprehensive, uses
ChatGPT
Life Legacy
Planned giving marketing and management
Starting at $199/month (3
features)
Strong tool and most comprehensive in the planned
giving portfolio of options, AI limited to content
writing
FundMiner
Connects Fundraising CRM, grant management,
finance, and impact reporting systems
$5,000 (initial) and $12,000+
annually (# of restricted funds)
Very strong product on review, uncomplicates and
solves many compliance and restricted funds
tracking now in silos
Grantable
Grant writing system based on organization materials,
past applications, and other resources uploaded
Free - $199/month (10 users)
Easy to use and very compelling work products, free
version credits are used up quickly
b.world
AI-powered impact measurement and storytelling app
for corporate and social impact teams.
$90 (2 users) - $900/month
(25 users)
AI assists with content generation, emphasizing
stakeholder engagement and materials
Fundwriter.ai
Leverage organization’s data, content to create
targeted proposals, appeals
$22 (20K words) - $68/month
(unlimited)
User friendly tool overall but lacks differentiation
from other tools on the market (Impact Writer, etc.)
Hatch
Provides AI-powered prospect information on
individuals
$50 (2,500 prospects) -
$250/month (20K prospects)
AI assists with parsing prospect information and
research from various data sources
Humanitas
AI
In-kind fundraising management and AI chatbot for
nonprofit organization
Free
Must be a non-profit to use, can be customized to
your organization’s data, and collaborative space.
= Orr Group Top-Rated AI Tool
Conclusion | AI Transformative Potential
• Benefits for Nonprofits:
o Draft foundational documents efficiently
o Streamline workflows
o Reduce costs through automation
• Challenges for Nonprofits:
o Slow adoption of AI innovations
o Limited resources and training
Call to Action: The changes AI will bring to the nonprofit sector demands a proactive
approach to AI and nonprofits must invest and adapt. AI is not just a trend; it's the future.
Orr Group's AI Task Force has assessed 90+ AI tools in the key areas of fundraising,
productivity, and data management.
About Orr Group
SIZE
70+ employees in the US,
with offices in Washington,
DC and New York City.
CORE SERVICES
Strategy
Fundraising
Campaigns
Talent
Planned Giving
Leadership
FOUNDED
1991
EXPERIENCE
Work with 70+ nonprofits per
year, globally and nationally
across the social sector.
Use a team-based approach to
design, manage, and lead
comprehensive fundraising
efforts ranging from $10M -
$1B+.
Specialize in building and
implementing creative and data-
driven approaches to
philanthropy.
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
Connect With Us
TERRY CANGELOSI
Senior Director,
Head of Operations
• 10+ years experience in organizational operations and
technology.
• Specializes in efficiencies, building operational
strategies and innovations.
• Expertise in workflow improvements in nonprofit
organizations.
/LinkedIn/terry-cangelosi
• Expertise in fundraising and development, executive
leadership, strategic planning, campaigns, and events
management.
• 10+ years experience as an expert project and
relationship manager.
• Background in finance and strong foundation in data
analytics, metrics, and ROI.
CJ ORR
President & Partner
/LinkedIn/CJOrr
Appendix
Disqualified AI Tools
AI Tool Description Pricing Reason for Review
Change Finder
ChatGPT for grant writing
Free (1 user, less
custom) - $80/month
(more tools)
Unsure difference from ChatGPT
platform/overall benefits
MonkeyLearn
Text analysis and machine learning
platform
Free (100 text analysis)
- $99/month
(unlimited, NPS, etc.)
Challenging to use and not much better
analysis of bulk text other than
ChatGPT
Fundraising Kit
Various tools open sources to support
development strategy
Customized
Software was not an AI tool and only
calculated simple fundraising metrics
via Google Sheets
AutoGPT
Autonomous version of GPT-4, requires
Python 3.8 or later, an OpenAI API key,
and a PINECONE API key to function
Unable to source
Too complicated and expensive for
internal use
