Effective AI Chatbot Prompts for Nonprofits
New evidence suggests that the differences among the AI LLM chatbots produces fewer variations in results than the differences in effectiveness among people’s prompts. In other words, better AI prompts = better results.
Below, I’ve detailed these types of prompts, how community benefit organizations should use them, and some use cases.
As always, experiment! Does it work better to upload examples or to paste them in? Should I add overall instructions to the project, or are there parts of the instructions that need to be included in each prompt? Does Claude work better than Perplexity or ChatGPT for this type of prompt? The AI world changes so quickly that the only thing to do right now is to learn as you work.
Task-Focused Prompts
These prompts clearly define a specific task or objective. I also call them “basic prompts.”
How it works:
Clearly state the desired outcome
Break down complex tasks into steps
Provide specific parameters and constraints
Steps:
Provide relevant context: “You are a [role] in/doing [situation].”
Define the main task objective
List any specific requirements or constraints
Specify the desired format or structure
Use cases:
Content creation
Problem-solving
Analysis tasks
Step-by-step instructions
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit grant writer. Create a step-by-step guide for our volunteer grant writing team to use when applying for community foundation grants. Structure the output as a markdown document with sections for Research, Preparation, Writing, and Submission. Include templates for common grant application sections and a checklist for quality control."
Zero-Shot Prompts (Similar to Task-Focused Prompts)
These prompts ask the AI to perform tasks without examples.
How it works:
Clearly describe the task and expected output
Provide detailed instructions
Set clear evaluation criteria
Steps:
State the task clearly
Define success criteria
Specify output format
Provide any constraints
Use cases:
Simple, straightforward tasks
Universal concepts
Basic analysis
General knowledge questions
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit operations manager. Create a workflow diagram for volunteer onboarding at our homeless shelter. Include all steps from application to first shift completion. Present the output as a numbered list with main steps and sub-steps, indicating staff and volunteer leader responsibilities."
Chain-of-Thought Prompts
These prompts encourage the AI to show its reasoning process.
How it works:
Ask the AI to break down its thinking into steps
Request explanations for each decision point
Guide the AI through logical progression
Steps:
Present the problem or question
Ask the AI to "think step by step"
Request explanations for each step
Ask for a final conclusion
Use cases:
Complex problem-solving
Decision-making processes
Logic puzzles
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit program evaluator. Evaluate whether our youth mentoring program should expand to three new schools. Think through this step by step, considering community needs, resource requirements, potential impact, and sustainability. Present your analysis in a board presentation format with clear reasoning for each consideration."
Self-Consistency Prompts
These prompts generate multiple independent responses to verify consistency and accuracy.
How it works:
Request multiple solutions to the same problem
Compare different approaches and answers
Identify common patterns or consensus
Aggregate results for higher accuracy
Steps:
Frame the same question in different ways
Generate multiple independent solutions
Analyze consistency across responses
Synthesize the most reliable answer
Use cases:
Complex reasoning tasks
Verification of answers
Reducing random errors
Improving response reliability
Example Prompt: "You are an impact measurement specialist. Analyze our food bank's effectiveness using three different evaluation methods to validate the correlation between food distribution patterns and community food security. Present each analysis approach separately, then synthesize the findings into recommendations for program improvement. Format as a donor report with methodology, results, and strategic implications."
Iterative Prompts
These prompts refine outputs through multiple rounds of improvement.
How it works:
Start with a basic prompt
Evaluate the response
Refine the prompt based on output
Repeat until desired quality is achieved
Steps:
Create initial prompt
Analyze response quality
Identify areas for improvement
Modify prompt with specific refinements and repeat until you’re satisfied
Use cases:
Content optimization
Quality improvement
Detail enhancement
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit communications director. Create a year-end giving campaign for our animal shelter. After generating the initial campaign outline, we will refine it through three iterations focusing on: 1) emotional storytelling, 2) donor engagement, and 3) impact demonstration. Present each iteration with campaign elements, fundraising goals, and donor stewardship strategies."
Few-Shot Prompts
These prompts provide examples to guide the AI's response format and style.
How it works:
Show multiple examples of desired input-output pairs
Demonstrate the pattern you want the AI to follow
Present a new case for the AI to handle
Steps:
Provide 2-3 example pairs of input and desired output
Highlight the pattern or format
Present the actual task
Ask for a response following the same pattern
Use cases:
Format consistency
Style matching
Pattern recognition
Template creation
Example Prompt: "You are a volunteer coordinator. Look at these example responses to volunteer inquiries:
Input: 'I want to help but can only commit to weekends' Response: 'Thank you for your interest in supporting our cause! We have several weekend opportunities, including our Saturday food sorting program and Sunday meal delivery service.'
Input: 'I have professional marketing experience to share' Response: 'Your marketing expertise would be invaluable! Our communications team meets virtually every Tuesday evening, and we also need help with our social media campaigns.'
Now, generate appropriate responses for these new volunteer inquiries, following the same appreciation-opportunity-connection pattern."
Constraint-Based Prompts
These prompts set specific limitations or requirements.
How it works:
Define clear boundaries and limitations
Specify required elements or formats
Set quality criteria
Steps:
List all constraints clearly
Specify required elements
Define forbidden elements
Set success criteria
Use cases:
Content moderation
Format compliance
Safety requirements
Technical specifications
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit compliance officer. Create a donor privacy policy that: 1) must be under 500 words, 2) complies with charitable giving regulations, 3) uses accessible language, 4) includes all required disclosures. Format the output as a donor-friendly document with clear sections explaining how we protect and use donor information."
Output-Structured Prompts
These prompts specify exact formats for responses.
How it works:
Define precise output structure
Specify formatting requirements
Include template or example structure
Steps:
Provide output template
Specify required sections
Define formatting rules
Include any special requirements
Use cases:
Report generation
Documentation
Data formatting
Standardized outputs
"You are a nonprofit program manager. Create an annual report for our literacy program using this template:
Executive Summary (100 words)
Program Impact
Number of students served
Literacy improvement metrics
Success stories
Program Details
Teaching methodology
Volunteer contribution
Community partnerships
Future Goals Present findings in a format suitable for both grant makers and community stakeholders."
Creative Prompts
These prompts encourage original, imaginative outputs from the AI.
How it works:
Set parameters for creative freedom
Define the creative medium or format
Specify any style or tone requirements
Balance constraints with creative latitude
Steps:
Define the creative domain
Specify any required elements
Set stylistic guidelines
Include inspiration or reference points
Use cases:
Story generation
Artistic concepts
Innovation brainstorming
Creative problem-solving
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit storytelling specialist. Write a compelling beneficiary story for our medical aid program that will resonate with donors. The story should: 1) highlight a specific healthcare challenge, 2) demonstrate our intervention's impact, 3) show the ripple effect on the community. Present the story with clear narrative arc, maintaining dignity and privacy while inspiring support. The tone should be sympathetic and inspiring."
Analytical Prompts
These prompts focus on detailed examination and interpretation of data or concepts.
How it works:
Define specific analytical parameters
Request detailed examination of components
Require evidence-based conclusions
Structure analysis methodology
Steps:
Specify analysis objectives
Define evaluation criteria
Request specific analytical approaches
Ask for supported conclusions
Use cases:
Data analysis
Process evaluation
Performance assessment
Strategic planning
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit data analyst. Analyze the impact of our job training program using these metrics: participant employment rates, salary increases, and job retention at 6/12 months. Structure your analysis with: 1) Methodology, 2) Outcomes Analysis, 3) Social Impact Measurement, 4) Program Recommendations. Support conclusions with both quantitative and qualitative data."
Comparative Prompts
These prompts analyze similarities, differences, and relationships between elements.
How it works:
Define elements for comparison
Specify comparison criteria
Request structured comparison
Seek meaningful insights
Steps:
List items to compare
Define comparison framework
Specify evaluation metrics
Request synthesis of findings
Use cases:
Feature comparison
Process evaluation
Alternative analysis
Performance benchmarking
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit technology advisor. Compare these three donor management systems based on: features, affordability, ease of use, and integration with other nonprofit tools. Create a detailed comparison matrix focused on small nonprofit needs. Format the output as: 1) Feature Comparison, 2) Cost Analysis, 3) Implementation Requirements, 4) Recommendations."
Transformative Prompts
These prompts convert content between different formats or styles.
How it works:
Specify input and output formats
Define transformation rules
Set quality criteria
Steps:
Define source format
Specify target format
List transformation requirements
Set preservation priorities (content integrity, or what content you want to retain)
Use cases:
Format conversion
Style adaptation
Content repurposing
Language transformation
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit communication specialist. Transform our annual impact report into three formats: 1) a board presentation, 2) a donor newsletter, and 3) social media impact stories. Adapt the content for each audience while maintaining our key impact metrics and beneficiary stories. Present each version with its specific audience engagement goals."
Contextual Understanding Prompts
These prompts focus on comprehending and applying specific contexts.
How it works:
Define relevant context
Specify contextual requirements
Request context-aware responses
Ensure appropriate application
Steps:
Establish context parameters
Define contextual constraints
Specify relevance criteria
Request contextual application
Use cases:
Situation analysis
Cultural adaptation
Environmental assessment
Contextual response generation
Example Prompt: "You are a community engagement specialist. Analyze how our youth empowerment program should be adapted for three different communities: urban, suburban, and rural settings. Consider socioeconomic factors, available resources, and community partnerships. Present your analysis with specific recommendations for each setting, including implementation strategies."
Critical Agent Prompts
These prompts encourage the AI to act as a critical evaluator or reviewer.
How it works:
Define evaluation criteria
Specify critical perspective
Request detailed analysis
Require supported conclusions
Steps:
Set evaluation framework
Define critical parameters
Specify analysis depth
Request actionable feedback
Use cases:
Quality assessment
Process critique
Content review
Performance evaluation
Example Prompt: "You are a nonprofit program evaluator. Review our after-school tutoring program for: 1) educational impact, 2) resource efficiency, 3) volunteer engagement, and 4) scalability. Provide a detailed assessment with specific examples and improvement recommendations. Format your review as an evaluation report suitable for board and donor presentation."
Best Practices for All Prompt Types
1. Clarity: Always be specific and clear about requirements
2. Context: Provide relevant background information
3. Format: Specify desired output structure
4. Iteration: Refine prompts based on results
5. Testing: Validate prompts with sample outputs
6. Documentation: Keep track of successful prompt patterns
7. Consistency: Maintain consistent terminology
8. Feedback: Include mechanisms for improvement