1) Discover funding that actually fits
Use AI-powered search and summarisation to scan eligibility criteria, deadlines, and priorities across multiple funders. Create a simple table of opportunities (name, deadline, amount, eligibility, notes). Then ask AI to extract the essentials from each fund’s guidelines so you can quickly shortlist the best matches.
Tip: Keep a living “grant pipeline” document. Update status fields like prospect, drafting, submitted, successful, report due.
2) Draft faster without losing your voice
Start with bullet points about your venue’s mission, audience, accessibility, and community impact. Use AI to expand those bullets into clear, professional text aligned to a funder’s questions. Keep your unique tone by editing the draft and adding concrete, local examples.
3) Turn data into persuasive evidence
Feed basic figures (capacity, annual shows, artist origins, audience demographics, education activity) into a spreadsheet. Ask AI to calculate totals, growth rates, and summaries, and to produce plain-language insights you can quote. Replace vague claims with specifics like seasonal trends, emerging-artist share, or neighbourhood reach.
Impact snapshot idea: “Last year we hosted 220 shows; 72% featured emerging artists from within 50 miles; audience attendance grew 18% year-on-year; 14 accessible events delivered.”
4) Build credible budgets and timelines
Provide your cost lines (artists, tech, access provision, marketing, staffing, venue hire, contingency) and ask AI to assemble a draft budget with subtotals and a clear narrative. Do the same for project plans: milestones, responsibilities, and outputs. Then sanity-check figures against past actuals to keep everything realistic.
5) Tailor to each funder’s criteria
Paste the fund’s assessment criteria and your draft answers into an AI assistant. Ask for a point-by-point alignment check highlighting gaps, jargon, or repetition. Keep the edits that improve clarity, and reject anything that changes your intent.
6) Strengthen access, inclusion, and community sections
Use AI to generate checklists for accessibility (physical, sensory, info, price), inclusion (artist development, fair pay), and community impact (partnerships, education). Convert the relevant items into concrete commitments and budget lines.
7) Proofread for clarity and compliance
Run a final AI pass to catch grammar issues, overly long sentences, missing attachments, and word-count overruns. Keep a plain-English version of each answer to ensure it’s understandable to non-specialists on the panel.
8) Simplify monitoring and reporting
Set up a lightweight tracking sheet for outputs and outcomes. Use AI to summarise monthly activity into short progress notes and to turn raw figures into visuals for reports. Store quotes from artists and audiences to add human stories alongside the numbers.
9) Organise deadlines and documents
Ask AI to extract key dates from guidance PDFs and create a deadline calendar with reminders for drafts, sign-offs, and submissions. Keep a reusable library of boilerplate text (venue profile, safeguarding, environmental policy) that AI can adapt per fund.
10) Stay accurate and transparent
Use AI as an assistant, not an author. Check facts, cite sources, and ensure all claims can be evidenced. Avoid fabricating partnerships or outcomes. Your credibility is your most valuable asset.
Quick-start checklist
- Create a one-page venue profile (mission, audiences, impact, partners, policies).
- Make a grant pipeline sheet with status and deadlines.
- Collect last 12–24 months of audience and programme data.
- Draft standard budget lines and day rates for common costs.
- Build a small library of case studies and testimonials.
Final thoughts
AI won’t replace your venue’s story or values. It simply removes friction—helping you find the right funds, write clearer applications, and evidence your impact. Start small, keep control of your narrative, and focus the saved time on the music and the community you serve.
