Getting Better Results from AI Starts with Better Prompts
Tomorrow, we will be holding our first quarterly workshop, AI for Nonprofit Management: Myths, Risks, and Real-World Uses. This interactive, hands-on session is designed for nonprofit leaders who want to engage with AI in ways that are practical, ethical, and immediately applicable to their work. Together, we’ll explore what AI is and isn’t, surface common myths and risks, and build clarity around how to use these tools responsibly within nonprofit settings.
We know that many leaders are approaching AI with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Some have tried it and found the results underwhelming or generic. Others aren’t sure where to begin or whether these tools align with their organization’s values and mission.
This multi-part blog series is designed to meet you in that space. We’ll share key takeaways from the workshop to help you move from uncertainty to informed, grounded experimentation. In this first post, we focus on one of the most important (and often overlooked) skills: writing better prompts to get more useful, relevant results from AI.
Why Prompts Matter (Especially for Small Nonprofits)
Unlike traditional software, AI tools don’t come with rigid menus or workflows. They’re flexible. That flexibility is powerful. But it also means the tool depends on you to guide it clearly.
Think of AI less like a search engine and more like a new staff member:
It’s fast and capable
It can draft, summarize, brainstorm, and analyze
But it needs clear direction, context, and expectations
If you give vague instructions, you’ll get vague results.
If you give thoughtful, structured prompts, you’ll get outputs that are genuinely useful.
For small nonprofits where time, staff capacity, and resources are limited this distinction matters a lot. Strong prompts can turn AI into:
A thought partner for program design
A drafting assistant for grants and communications
A support tool for operations and strategy
What Makes a Strong Prompt?
There’s a growing body of guidance on prompt-writing, including resources like the Tech:NYC “Decoded Futures Prompt Cookbook” and Google “Prompting Guide 101” (see links to these resources below). While we encourage you to check out both resources for valuable, detailed information, here are four essentials to focus on:
1. Be Clear About the Task
Start by stating exactly what you want the AI to do.
Instead of:
“Help me with a donor email”
Try:
“Draft a thank-you email to a long-time donor, emphasizing impact and inviting them to an upcoming event”
2. Provide Context
AI performs significantly better when it understands your organization, audience, and goals.
Include details like:
Your mission or program focus
Who the audience is (donors, participants, partners)
The tone (formal, warm, conversational)
Any constraints (word count, format, deadline)
This context helps the AI tailor its response to your reality rather than a generic one.
3. Define the Role You Want the AI to Play
One of the most effective techniques is assigning the AI a role.
For example:
“You are an experienced nonprofit grant writer…”
“You are a program evaluator with expertise in community-based organizations…”
“You are a communications director for a small nonprofit…”
This shifts the tone, structure, and depth of the response in meaningful ways.
4. Specify the Output Format
Don’t assume the AI will format things the way you want—tell it.
You can ask for:
Bullet points
A step-by-step plan
A polished email
A one-page memo
Headings and subheadings
This small step can save you significant editing time.
Check out these free resources to learn more and see helpful, detailed examples.
