Non-ProfitFree
Passive Voice Checker for Nonprofit Writing
Paste a grant, appeal or report. Every passive sentence is marked in place, with a note on whether it hides who did the work.
River's passive voice checker marks every passive sentence in your nonprofit writing, right where it sits. Paste a grant section, appeal letter, report or web copy. Each passive construction gets a comment that says who is missing from the sentence and whether that matters, so you can decide what to change.
Not every passive sentence is a problem. 'The grant was awarded in March' is fine. 'Services were provided to 412 families' hides the people who did the work, and in a grant or an appeal that is exactly what readers want to see. The comments focus on those cases and leave reasonable passive sentences alone.
This suits grant writers, development staff and executive directors checking a draft before it goes out. It does not rewrite your text. For a fuller edit that tightens sentences in your voice, use a line edit instead.
Why passive voice matters in nonprofit writing
Passive voice puts the action first and the actor later, or nowhere: 'Meals are delivered every weekday.' Active voice names the actor: 'Volunteers deliver meals every weekday.' Both are grammatical. The active version tells the reader who is doing the work, which is often the point of a grant or appeal.
In grant proposals, passive sentences such as 'participants will be assessed' leave a program officer asking who assesses them, when and with what tool. In appeals, 'donations are needed' is weaker than 'your gift will pay for'. Naming the actor usually makes a sentence shorter and more specific at the same time.
Keep passive voice when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, or when you want the focus on the person affected: 'Maria was diagnosed in 2019.' The aim is a deliberate choice, not a quota. Read each marked sentence and ask whether the reader would want to know who acted.
How it works
Paste your writing
Paste a grant section, appeal, report or web copy, or attach the file.
River marks passive voice
Each passive sentence is commented in place, with a note on who is missing.
Review the comments
Each comment sits on the exact words, with a short reason and a question or suggestion.
Revise in your voice
Make the changes you agree with, then ask River to check the new version.
What you get
- Every passive sentence marked in place, anchored to the exact words
- A note on who is missing from each sentence and whether it matters
- A suggested active version only where naming the actor helps the reader
- Reasonable passive sentences left alone, with no quota or score
- A short summary of the sentences most worth changing first
Common questions
Will it rewrite my sentences?
No. It comments in place and, where naming the actor would help, shows one possible active version in the comment. Your text stays exactly as you wrote it until you change it.
Is passive voice always wrong?
No. It is right when the actor is unknown or unimportant, or when the focus belongs on the person affected. The comments point out the passive sentences that hide who did the work, and leave the others alone.
Can I use it on grant proposals?
Yes. Grant reviewers look for who will do what, and passive sentences like 'data will be collected' leave that unclear. The comments ask who acts, so you can name the staff role or partner.
Does it check grammar or spelling too?
No. It only looks at passive voice, so the comments stay focused. Run a separate spelling check once you have finished revising.
Passive Voice Checker for Nonprofit Writing
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.