A charity’s guide to AI prompting

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just for big organisations with big budgets. As we covered in our last resource, more and more small and medium-sized charities are using AI to save time, strengthen communications and reach more people.

The secret to making AI genuinely useful isn’t about knowing every tool, it’s about learning to write good prompts. A well-crafted prompt can turn AI from a clunky experiment into a practical helper that drafts proposals, summarises reports and frees up space for the work that really matters.

What is prompting?

Vague prompts (like “write me something about fundraising”) tend to produce vague results. Clear, structured prompts however, can provide the detail your AI chatbot needs to create something accurate, relevant and easy to work with.

For charities juggling limited time and resources, strong prompts are one of the fastest ways to unlock real and timely value from AI. They’re also a simple way to use AI chatbots in a more environmentally sustainable way, as an accurate prompt will can mean less back and forth and improve response quality.

How prompting helps charities

Thoughtful prompting can make a real difference by:

• Saving time: Turning a 10-page report into a one-page update or draft an email in minutes instead of hours.
• Boosting productivity: Using prompts to create first drafts so staff can focus on strategy, relationships and delivery.
• Supporting accessibility: Asking AI to turn policies into easy-read versions, simplify jargon or translate copy into plain English.
• Sparking creativity: Helping you brainstorm campaign copy, fundraising ideas or social content when inspiration runs dry – which happens to us all from time to time!

The PTCF framework for effective prompts

A helpful way to structure prompts is to use the PTCF framework.

• Persona: Decide the role you want the AI to take, or the audience you’re writing for.
• Task: State clearly what you want it to do.
• Context: Provide key background, such as your charity’s mission, target group or tone of voice.
• Format: Explain how you’d like the output presented, whether that be bullet points, a table, 200 words, etc.

Practical examples of PTCF prompting

Looking for some examples? We’ve created a few charity-specific scenarios below.

Prompting techniques for charities

Be specific 

The more detail you give, the better the result!

Instead of “write a fundraising email”, try: “Imagine you are a charity fundraising assistant. Write a 200-word individual giving email for a small children’s mental health charity, aimed at parents, with a caring yet professional tone.”

Use step-by-step prompts

Guide your AI chatbot through each stage of your thinking. For example:

• Summarise this report into three bullet points
• Now rephrase those points for Twitter and LinkedIn

Chain your prompts 

Don’t start from scratch every time. Rather, use what the AI chatbot creates as a base, then ask it to refine or expand.

You could say something like “good start, now make it warmer and add a clear call to action.”

Ask for reasoning

Prompts like “please explain your thinking” help you understand how AI reached an answer, making it easier to spot bias or errors. It’s vital that everyone using AI acknowledges that no matter what AI model you’re using, bias will be built in.

By asking for reasoning and specific sources, users can help mitigate this and hold AI tools accountable for the information it provides.

Experiment with formats 

Prompts don’t just have to be about writing copy. You can ask for templates, checklists, FAQs, interview questions or staff-training exercises. Take some time to experiment with what formats your request suits best and always mention what format you’d like your answer to be in your prompt.

Build a reusable prompt library

Over time, your charity can save prompts that work well and adapt them for new situations. This helps maintain consistency in your communications and reduces the time spent writing new prompts from scratch.

Key takeaways

• Clear, specific prompts save time and improve quality.
• Break down tasks into smaller steps and build on outputs.
• Keep a library of prompts that work well for your charity.
• Always check and challenge AI-generated content for accuracy and bias.
• Use AI where it adds value, not just for the sake of it.

By learning the basics of prompting, charities can use AI as a practical tool to improve communications and make limited resources go further.

With thanks to our trainer Leon

This resource was created as part of Media Trust’s AI Essentials for Charities programme, delivered in partnership with NCVO. Our top tips and insights are inspired by a programme session on AI prompting delivered by Leon Mclean.

A big thanks to Leon and the Centre for Public Impact and Google AI Opportunity Fund: Europe for funding this ongoing programme.