Local business and nonprofit leaders got a crash course in how artificial intelligence (AI) can transform the way organizations pursue funding during the Kent Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon on July 24, 2025.
The event (see video highlights below), titled The AI Advantage in Grants and RFPs, featured Favour Orji, managing principal of ADA Unlimited, and DeiMarion Scisney, founder of The Data Guys™, who demonstrated how AI tools such as ChatGPT can streamline proposal writing and help lean teams compete for funding.
Orji opened the session by highlighting the challenge small teams face in navigating complex funding applications.
“Eighty percent of lean teams feel overwhelmed by proposal writing,” Orji told attendees. “AI can help you brainstorm, organize, and automate tasks, so you can focus on what you do best.”
Scisney, a former Amazon Web Services AI and machine learning specialist, walked participants through a live demonstration of how to use platforms like GrantWatch and BidPrime to identify funding opportunities. He then showed how ChatGPT can be “trained” on an organization’s data to generate proposal outlines, evaluate the viability of grant opportunities, and draft sections of RFPs.
“Think of AI as a drafting partner, not the storyteller,” Scisney said. “You are in the driver’s seat, but AI can help you move faster and with more precision.”
Attendees learned how to create project folders in ChatGPT for ongoing proposals, build itemized pricing tables, and avoid common pitfalls like over-reliance on AI or sharing sensitive information.
The presentation also touched on the rise of AI “agents,” automated systems that could soon handle entire grant workflows from search to submission.
The luncheon concluded with a Q&A session and the promise of follow-up materials, including prompt templates and training resources.
The Chamber noted that the session was designed to give both businesses and nonprofits a competitive edge in securing contracts and grants across Western Washington.
Learn more about the Kent Chamber here.
Video
Below are highlights from the event, as filmed/edited by Scott Schaefer (running time 57-minutes 25-seconds):
