Using the AI Assistant

Boost is your AI grant-writing co-pilot — how to start a conversation, draft content, refine it, and give it the context it needs.

Starting a new conversation

1. Go to the Assistant page.
2. Click New Thread in the left sidebar to start a fresh conversation, or click on an existing thread in your chat list to pick up where you left off.
3. Type your question or writing task into the message box. When you’re starting a brand-new thread, the box is labeled “Type in a grant application question or give Boost a writing task.”
4. Click Boost! to send your message.

Each thread is saved automatically and appears in your chat list on the left, named after your first message (or a custom name you give it — click the three-dot menu next to a thread and choose Rename).

Asking Boost to draft grant content

You can ask Boost to write in plain language — for example, “Write a needs statement for our after-school tutoring program” — and it will generate a draft directly in the conversation.

You can also use one of the built-in content templates (like Grant Proposal, Needs Statement, or Letter of Inquiry) to have Boost ask you a few guided questions and generate a polished first draft. See Templates and Custom Templates for details.

Once a response is generated, you’ll see:

• A word and character count below the response, so you can track length against a funder’s limits.
• A copy icon to copy the response text.
• A save (star) icon to save the response for later — see Saved Chats and Folders.

Rewriting or optimizing a response

If a draft isn’t quite right, you don’t have to start over:

1. Choose an Output Length from the dropdown next to the message box — Short or Default.
2. Click Rewrite to have Boost generate a new version of the most recent response using your feedback. Type what you’d like changed into the message box first (the placeholder text will change to “Tell Boost how to improve the answer or paste in a new question!” once a conversation is underway), then click Rewrite.
3. Click Continue Writing if you’d instead like Boost to keep going and add more to the existing response rather than replace it.

You can also paste in a block of your own writing and ask Boost to clean it up using the Rewrite Existing Content template on the template bar, which transforms your text into clearer, more concise, jargon-free content.

Adding context so drafts are more relevant

Boost writes better drafts when it knows what you’re applying for and what the project is about. At the top of any conversation you’ll find two buttons:

1. Add Grant Instructions — paste in the funder’s application questions, guidelines, or RFP text. Once you’ve added instructions, this button changes to View Grant Instructions so you can review or update them.
2. Add Project Context — paste in details specific to the project or program this application is for. Once added, this button changes to View Project Context.

To add either type of context:

1. Click the relevant button (Add Grant Instructions or Add Project Context).
2. Paste your text into the box.
3. Click Save.

Boost will factor this context into every response in that conversation. You can also strengthen Boost’s drafts by uploading supporting documents (see Documents and Sources) and by saving your organization’s best past answers (see Saved Chats and Folders) — Boost automatically references these as it writes, up to a limit shown in a banner at the top of the Assistant page if any are excluded.

Boosts and free accounts

Every time Boost generates or rewrites a response, it uses one Boost. Free accounts get a limited number of Boosts each month, and a Free Boosts meter in the sidebar shows how many you’ve used. For the exact number of free Boosts and what happens when you run out, see Plans and Free Actions.