Nonprofits around the world do critical work in their communities, from helping people build new skills, to studying and protecting biodiversity. But they’re also often stretched, under-resourced and weighed down by time-consuming administrative tasks.

Research shows that generative AI tools can improve productivity by 66%. That efficiency could be particularly valuable to nonprofits, taking smaller tasks off their plate in order to focus on bigger-impact efforts.

We recently surveyed more than 4,000 organizations in our Google for Nonprofits program to get a better sense of other opportunities, and obstacles, of using generative AI in the nonprofit world. Here are three insights from that survey, plus some AI tools nonprofits can start using today.

1. 75% of nonprofits said that generative AI had the potential to transform their marketing efforts.

When asked about the most immediate potential of generative AI in their work, survey participants consistently mentioned marketing tasks that involve writing or personalizing content. Whether creating effective ad copy to reach new donors or running an awareness-building campaign, effective fundraising and communication involves a lot of time-intensive customization.

With AI-powered Google Search ads, organizations can reach new audiences with relevant messages tailored to their goals. Tools like responsive search ads allow nonprofits to enter multiple headlines and descriptions for an ad, and over time, Google Ads will automatically test different combinations and learn which performs best.

For example, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) used Google Ad Grants to serve 48 million public service announcements. That included encouraging voter registration for citizens who had upcoming elections in their area, and sharing information about local causes, like donations to support local female entrepreneurs, to those most likely to be interested in them.