Day 4: From Thank-You Notes to Networking Emails

How AI can help you write with confidence and save time

Welcome back to our 14-Day AI Challenge! Today we’re tackling something most of us do all the time — writing.

Writing is one of my favorite ways to clarify my thinking, dig deeper into a topic, and prepare myself to speak with confidence. But let’s be honest: whether it’s a thank-you note, a social post, or a paragraph for a grant proposal, writing can also feel intimidating.

AI as your brainstorming buddy or editor

That’s where AI can help. Think of it as your brainstorming buddy — a way to get past the blank page, polish your draft, or outline ideas. Personally, I like to start with my own words and then ask AI to review or suggest edits, but sometimes a quick AI-generated draft gives me the momentum I need.

Pro tip: Always make it your own. AI can help with structure, tone, or flow — but your heart and personal touch are what make writing land.

Day 4 prompts

Here are three prompt options to try for Day 4:

1. Nonprofit Focus (Donor/Supporter Note)
   “Help me draft a warm thank-you email to a donor who contributed to our nonprofit’s recent campaign. Keep it under 150 words, make it genuine, and highlight how their support directly helps our mission.”

2. School / Family Admin
   “Draft a short, kind, and clear email to my child’s school office letting them know my kid will be absent on [date]. Keep it polite and professional, around 3–4 sentences.”

3. Networking / Career Growth
   “Write a professional but approachable networking email to someone I met at a recent conference. I want to thank them for the conversation, mention what inspired me, and suggest grabbing coffee to continue the discussion.”

Each one shows how AI can save time and reduce the stress of staring at a blank page — while still leaving space for you to personalize before sending.

Five guidelines to protect privacy

A quick but important note on privacy: if you’re using AI to draft communications (especially in nonprofit or job-search contexts), keep these five guidelines in mind:

4. Don’t Paste Sensitive Information
   Never share passwords, Social Security numbers, health data, or financial account details. Treat the chat box like a semi-public space.

5. Know Where Your Data Goes
   Free or consumer AI tools may use your inputs to improve their models. Enterprise versions (like ChatGPT Enterprise or Microsoft Copilot within a corporate tenant) have stricter protections. Know which one you’re using.

6. Redact and Anonymize Before Sharing
   If you want help with an email or grant draft, swap names and details with placeholders like “[donor name]” or “[organization].”

7. Treat Outputs as Drafts, Not Finals
   AI text can sound convincing but may contain errors or “hallucinations” (side note, I recently learned that using the word “hallucinations” is not considered inclusive language — “ungrounded” is another way of speaking about it.) Always fact-check before sending anything important.

8. Use Secure, Trusted Platforms
   If you’re handling sensitive nonprofit or client data, use platforms with clear privacy protections (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic’s Claude for Business, OpenAI Enterprise). General rule: If you’re an individual contributor - just make sure to leave the personal info out of your gen AI work.

AI is here to make writing easier, not replace your voice. Use it to clear roadblocks and free up energy for the parts of writing that matter most: connection, clarity, and authenticity.

Try a prompt and let me know how it went — reply to this email or drop a comment. Which one felt most useful for you? Any interest in diving deeper into how to use AI for any of these specific scenarios?