Set up your AI assistant
Personal setupTools · about 10 min · Everyone — AI assistance is part of how FFC works
FFC leans on AI assistants — they’re remarkably good at walking you through any step in plain language, at any hour. Being willing to use one is a Phase 0 requirement.
The required assistant matches your email ecosystem, so the one you need is already tied to an account you have.
Use the assistant that matches your ecosystem
If your email is Gmail or iCloud, your assistant is Google Gemini. If it’s Outlook.com, your assistant is Microsoft Copilot. For development and deeper writing work you’ll also use Claude. Matching the assistant to your ecosystem means one less account and an assistant that can already see the right context.
- 1
Pick the assistant for your email
Gmail or iCloud → use Google Gemini (gemini.google.com), signed in with your Google account.
Outlook.com → use Microsoft Copilot (copilot.microsoft.com), signed in with your Microsoft account.
Either one is free to start and works in your browser and as a phone app.
- 2
Sign in and secure it
Sign in with the matching account and make sure that account has multi-factor authentication on (see the MFA guide) — the assistant can see a lot, so protect the login behind it.
- 3
Add Claude for development work
For building and maintaining the charity’s website with an AI agent, you’ll also use Claude. See the Dev Environment Setup guide (https://ffcadmin.org/developer-environment-setup/) for how FFC uses Claude, Codex, Gemini, or Copilot for code.
Stuck on any FFC step? Your assistant is the fastest first answer — paste the step and ask it to explain.
Common questions
Do I have to pay for an AI assistant?
No — the matching assistant (Gemini or Copilot) has a capable free tier that’s plenty for onboarding. You can upgrade later if you want, but it isn’t required to apply or get started.
Should the charity buy AI accounts for the team instead?
Not yet. Everyone — volunteers and founders alike — should use and fully max out their own personal AI account first. It’s free or cheap, already tied to your email, and very capable, and the charity saves money by waiting. Organizational AI only makes sense once individual accounts can’t keep up and the charity is much larger (see the organizational AI assistants guide).
Why does the assistant have to match my email?
Because it’s already tied to an account you have (Gemini to Google, Copilot to Microsoft), so there’s nothing new to create, and it can work with your email and files in that ecosystem. Claude is added on top for development work.
Next setup guides
Where you’ll use this
This account is a starting point for these volunteer training tracks:
Stuck on any step? Text Clarke Moyer at (520) 222-8104 — every step is meant to be simple, so if something doesn't match what you see, ask.