Hey, friend!
Everyone is talking about AI and grantwriting. Almost no one is telling you the truth about it.
Funded or Fooled? What AI Can and Cannot Do For Your Grant Proposals is the book that closes that gap.
Written by the only grant writing expert in this conversation who also holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, this is not a book of hype. It is not a book of fear.
It is the complete, honest, nuanced guide to using AI in your grantwriting process in a way that makes your proposals stronger without losing the one thing that actually gets you funded: you.
In fourteen chapters across five parts, you will learn:
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How AI actually works — a plain-language explanation that gives you the foundation to use it intelligently, not accidentally
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The synthesis superpower — where AI genuinely saves you weeks of research time, and how to use it without skipping the verification step that protects your credibility
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The five things funders are actually funding — none of which can be generated by AI, and all of which live in you, your staff, and your organizational culture
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Heart before head — the writing technique that makes funders lean forward, and why no language model can manufacture it
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Your organization's story — how to surface the tacit knowledge that makes your proposals unforgettable through the Story Mining method
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The AI Brief — the single most important step in any AI-assisted workflow, and the reason most people get generic output
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Three prompt types every grant writer needs — Research, Scaffold, and Edit — when to use each, and exactly what they look like in practice
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The Iteration Principle — why the first thing AI gives you is never the best thing, and how to push it further
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The real risks — five things no one in the AI hype conversation is telling you, and how to protect your professional credibility and your funder relationships
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The GYG AI Four-Phase Workflow — your complete, repeatable integration guide for every proposal you write from this day forward
Meet Dr. Jakita Thomas, Author and Leader
Dr. Jakita O. Thomas is a scholar, researcher, educator, tech-activist, and grant writer with over 13 years of experience. Originally from Decatur, GA, and currently residing in Lithonia, GA, she has been awarded over $2MM in grant funding and has helped her clients win over $6MM in grant funding since starting Grab Your Grant in 2022.
Dr. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing & Information Science with a minor in Mathematics in 1999 from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. In 2006, Dr. Thomas earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science with a specialization in Learning Sciences and Technology and a double minor in Cognitive Science and Educational Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Thomas is a recipient of the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award (2012 - 2019). She is also a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (2016), where she received a commendation from President Barack Obama for her research focused on understanding the intersectional experiences of Black girls in computing in the context of game design for social change. Dr. Thomas' research also focuses on scientific reasoning, complex skills development, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy.
She is also a wife and mother to her three children: Pharaoh (17), Vivian (16), and Erich Owensby (13). Dr. Thomas is an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Learn more about Dr. T at https://www.jakitaothomas.com/
Learn more about GYG at https://www.grabyourgrant.com/
What You Get When You Purchase The Book
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A full-length manuscript written in Dr. T's signature voice (direct, warm, evidence-based, and faith-infused). Every chapter is written to be both taught and practiced. This is not a reference document you skim once. It is the book you return to every time a new solicitation lands in your inbox.
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The GYG Prompt Library - Ten tested, documented AI prompts organized by phase (Research, Planning, Writing, and Revision) that you can use on your next proposal immediately. Each prompt includes usage notes and instructions for adapting it to your organization and funder type.
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Five Practical Appendices - Ready-to-use tools you will return to again and again:
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The AI Brief Template — fillable, printable, proposal-ready
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The GYG AI Decision Framework — one question that tells you exactly where AI belongs in any given task
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The 5-Step Verification Checklist — your professional protection against hallucination
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The Story Mining Protocol — five questions that surface your organization's most fundable knowledge
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The Authenticity Audit — five questions to ask of every section before you submit
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The 6W+H Formula Bridge - An exclusive connection document linking the AI workflow in this book directly to the GYG Framework and 6W+H Formula from From $0 to $100k+ in 50 Days. If you own both books, this bridge makes the complete GYG system explicit.
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You are a nonprofit leader or grant writer who has tried AI and gotten output that looked polished but felt like no one was home
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You are skeptical of AI and want to understand what it can actually do before you trust it with anything that matters
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You are already using AI in your grant writing and want to do it more strategically, safely, and effectively
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You want the honest answer (from someone who has been on both sides of the equation) to the question everyone in your sector is asking right now