AI Prompt Guide for Fundraising Professionals

I raise money and build relationships for [Organization name]. My role here, in my own words: [e.g. I manage a portfolio / I run annual giving / I work corporate partnerships / I write grants / I support the team]. A person will read your draft before anything is sent or said. Here is what I know: - Our mission, in one sentence: [ ] - This is for: [an individual / a family / a foundation / a company / a congregation / a civic group] - Where we are with them: [first contact / staying in touch / asking / thanking / they said not now] - Facts I have already checked: [paste only notes you are allowed to share] - What I need from you, in one sentence: [ ] Please: - Do the one job I named. Do not add extra sections. - Do not invent statistics, quotes, gift amounts, or results. - Mark anything you are unsure about as [TO VERIFY]. - Write at a grade 8–10 reading level. - Sound like a specific person at a specific organization. No slogans. No "journey." No "impactful." No "I hope this finds you well." - Keep it to [word count or length]. When you finish, list anything you assumed that was not in my notes.

Rewrite the notes below so they are safe to paste into a general AI tool. Remove: - names of children - medical detail - account numbers, home addresses, CRM IDs - exact wealth-screening figures Replace people with roles if a name is too identifying. Keep the fundraising facts. Give me the cleaned notes, then a short list of what you removed and why. My notes: [paste]

These samples are how our organization already sounds when we are at our best. Write a one-page voice guide we can paste above future prompts: - Who we sound like, in one sentence - Words we use - Words we never use - How we talk about the people who give (never as saviors, never as ATMs) - How we talk about the people we serve (dignity; no trauma as a marketing hook) - Typical sentence length - Three rewritten sentences that match the voice If the samples are stiff, say so. Do not flatten us into "nonprofit voice." Samples: [paste]

You are a careful editor for a fundraising team. Read the draft below. For each item, write Pass or Fail and one short reason: - True - Respectful - Specific to this organization - One next step - Sounds like a person - Honest (no fake deadline, no made-up match, no tax advice) - Private enough - Ready to send Kill these if they appear: "I hope this finds you well," "just circling back," "I know you are busy," "your generosity," "journey," "impactful." Then give me a revised draft that fixes every Fail. Do not add new facts. Draft: [paste]

I work in development at [Organization name]. A colleague will check every claim before we use this. Using only the public notes I paste, write a one-page brief on [Person’s public name]. Do not add facts I did not give you. If you search, name the source. Headings: - Snapshot (who they are, four lines) - Connection to our mission (only if the notes support it) - Public giving or civic pattern - Likely interests - Questions I still need answered before a meeting - Sources - [TO VERIFY] list Do not estimate net worth. Do not suggest an ask amount. Public notes: [paste]

I am preparing a [first / follow-up / ask] meeting for [Organization name]. Length: [30 / 45 / 60] minutes. Who they are to us: [individual / family / foundation staff / company / congregation]. Goal, in one sentence: [ ] Who will be there: [roles] What we know (checked facts): [ ] What we must not raise: [ ] Write a meeting plan: - Opening 60 seconds (no monologue) - Six questions, in order, and why each one matters - Two stories we are allowed to tell, tied to their interests - If this is an ask: the ask sentence, then a note to pause - How to close, plus a written next step - What success looks like if they do not give today Do not invent prior conversations. Keep the language simple.

I am preparing to meet a [individual / family / foundation / company community lead / congregation] about [program]. Write ten questions grouped by: - why they give or partner - timing - who else decides - what is appropriate to ask about capacity - permission for a next step For each question: why I am asking, and what a useful answer sounds like. Flag any question that would feel like a wealth interrogation or a pitch.

Turn the visit notes below into a file memo. This is not for the other party. Include: - What they care about, in their words if I captured them - Ready / not yet / unlikely — and why - A suggested ask range only if the notes support it. If not, write "range not yet earned." - Next step, who owns it, and a date - Risks (someone important was not in the room, competing campaign, cooling interest) No "great meeting." No adjectives that do not change the work. Visit notes: [paste]

Write a short invite to see our work in person. What they would see: [ ] Length: [ ] Why this person (from my notes): [ ] Logistics I can offer: [dates / parking / who greets them] 120 words or less. One next step: a date, not a brochure. Do not turn the visit into an ask.

I am about to call someone on behalf of [Organization name]. How we know them: [introduction / event / prior gift / they asked to be called] Why I am calling, in one sentence: [ ] What I want from this call: [a 20-minute meeting / an answer to one question] — not a gift on the phone. Write: - A 15-second opener I can say out loud (permission to continue, then the reason) - A 20-second voicemail if they do not pick up - One backup line if they say "now is not a good time" Do not write "just circling back." Do not ask for money on this call. If a line would embarrass me in a grocery store, rewrite it.

I work in development at [Organization name]. I am writing a LinkedIn note, not a pitch. Why this person: [ ] Shared context, if any: [event / introducer / public post] What I want after they accept: [a short call / nothing yet, just the connection] Write: - A connection note under 300 characters. Why them. No case statement. No link. - A first message after they accept, under 80 words, with one next step or no ask at all if I said the connection is enough. Do not use "I'd love to pick your brain." Do not attach a deck.

We already spoke. I have permission to text, or they texted me first. What we agreed: [ ] Write a text under 40 words that confirms the next step and the time. No mission paragraph. No emoji unless I use them in the notes. Do not ask for a gift by text.

The introduction already happened. Draft an email under 140 words that: - thanks the introducer by role (do not leak their private note) - says in one sentence why 25 minutes might be worth their time - asks for 25 minutes - offers two time windows Do not ask for money. Do not attach a brochure. Do not write "I know you are busy." Give me three subject lines, preview text, the email, and a shorter text-message version.

I am writing the same day as a visit. Write a 120–160 word email that: - names one thing they said (only from my notes) - confirms the next step I proposed in the room - offers one useful thing (a visit, a short brief, or an introduction) — not five attachments - does not re-pitch the case Give me a subject line and the email. Notes: [paste]

Event: [name] What they attended or said: [notes] Write a 90-word email that thanks them for a specific moment. Propose one next step that matches what they signaled (a tour, coffee, or an introduction). If they signaled no interest in a gift this year, do not force an ask.

They said not now. What they actually said: [ ] A later touch that would still be useful: [an update in six months / a site visit with no ask / nothing unless they write] Write an email under 110 words. Thank them for the clarity. Do not sneak in an ask. Do not write "I'll keep you in the loop" unless I named the loop. Subject line and body.

Write a three-email year-end sequence for [Organization name]. Segment: [first-time / loyal annual / monthly / major / partners / lapsed] One story I may use (already checked): [ ] One number I may use (already checked): [ ] Suggested amount, if any: [ ] Real deadline, if any: [date or none] How they usually give: [check / card / DAF / company / unknown] Email A — early December (or late November). Work from this year. Little or no ask. Remind them they already belong here. Email B — mid-December. The story. The number. A clear ask. A second option (monthly, a visit, or a DAF grant) only if I provided it. Email C — last days of the year. Short. Specific. No drama. If I gave no real deadline, do not invent one. Each email needs a subject line, preview text, and body. Change the opening each time. Do not recycle the same paragraph. Do not invent a matching gift. Do not use "time is running out" unless I gave a real deadline. Donor, partner, or grantmaker as the subject. Program as the object.

They give, or may give, through a donor-advised fund. What they said: [ ] What we are asking them to consider: [ ] Timing I know: [ ] Write: - How to talk about the DAF without treating the sponsor as the donor - A short email they could forward to their fund (or to a spouse) that makes recommending a grant easy - One question about timing, because grants are not cash in the door this week - What not to say (no tax advice, no "your DAF has to give this year," no pretending we received a gift until the grant arrives) Keep the person as the decision-maker. The DAF is paperwork, not a personality.

I may mention a company matching gift. What I know about their employer: [unknown / I think they match / they have matched us before] Instructions or link I can actually send: [ ] or none Write: - One sentence I can add to an ask or a thank-you that mentions matching as a courtesy, not a closer - A version if I do not know whether their employer matches - A version if they have matched us before - What not to do: do not assume, do not invent a match rate, do not make the gift about "doubling their impact" unless I gave you a real match Two or three sentences max in each version.

They already give, or they asked how to make giving simpler. Current pattern: [ ] A monthly amount I am allowed to suggest: [ ] One true reason monthly helps the work: [ ] Write a 140-word note that invites a recurring gift. Do not frame monthly as "more money from you." Frame it as steadier for the work, if my reason supports that. Include a way to stay annual if they prefer. No fake urgency.

I am preparing an ask for [Organization name]. Amount: [ ] Purpose: [ ] Why this person or organization (checked notes): [ ] Write three versions of the ask: - Direct: one sentence with amount, purpose, and a question - Story: four sentences, still one question at the end - Numbers-first: for someone who wants figures before narrative Then write two likely concerns and a calm response to each. Do not use pressure language. Do not invent a deadline or scarcity. Do not promise naming or recognition unless I said we can. Do not give tax advice.

They pushed back. What they said, as close to their words as I have: [ ] What I can honestly offer next: [ ] Write: - A spoken reply under 40 words (then a pause) - What not to say - A follow-up email only if a written next step is still appropriate Do not debate. Do not stack more case. Do not manufacture urgency.

They declined [the gift / the amount / the timing / a partnership]. What they said: [ ] Door they left open, if any: [ ] Write a 90-word note that thanks them, does not relitigate the ask, and names one later touch only if they invited it. If they closed the door, write the shorter version that simply thanks them and stops.

I am preparing a conversation about a bequest or a beneficiary designation. What I know (no wealth score): [ ] Give me: - how to open without sounding like an estate sale - five questions that honor family first - language for "I am not ready" - the one page we should leave behind Do not draft legal documents. Do not estimate estate value. Do not give tax advice.

I am coaching someone who will ask a peer on behalf of [Organization name]. Who is asking (role, not a lecture): [board / volunteer / alumnus / parent / congregant / colleague] Who they will ask: [ ] Amount and purpose, if known: [ ] Write a one-page cue card they can actually use: - why they are the right person to ask - a 45-second case - the ask sentence - what to do if the answer is not now No script they would be embarrassed to read aloud. No jargon they do not use.

Write a thank-you for this gift, grant, or sponsorship. Purpose: [ ] Relationship: [first / loyal annual / major / company / foundation / congregation] Impact I am allowed to cite: [ ] 180–220 words. They are the subject. The program is the object. Do not write "your generosity." Show what happens next and when they will hear from us. Give me an email version and a 90-word handwritten card version.

This gift is in honor or in memory of someone. Who is honored or remembered: [ ] Who gave: [ ] What I am allowed to say: [ ] Whether we notify a family: [yes / no / I do not know] Write a thank-you that is specific and quiet. Do not use the dead or the honored person as a fundraising hook. If I do not know family-notification rules, add a [TO VERIFY] instead of inventing a process. 90–140 words.

Write a 12-month stewardship calendar for one relationship. Include: an impact report, an invitation, informal contact, a board or site moment, and the next ask window. Mark each touch as email, call, or visit. Do not schedule an ask every quarter. That is not stewardship. Known preferences: [ ] Staffing: [thin / normal]

Last gift: [year], purpose if known: [ ] Write a 110-word email that: - reports one piece of progress I can stand behind - offers a simple way back (a gift, a visit, or a reply about what they want to hear) - does not accuse them - does not use "we miss you" as a hook Give me five subject lines that do not say "We haven't heard from you."

I am writing a grant Need section. Funder priorities, from their guidelines: [paste] Our checked need facts (do not add statistics): [paste] Write 280–320 words. Use their language without copying it. Every number must come from my notes or be marked [TO VERIFY]. Give me the Need section and a short table of each claim and where it came from in my notes.

Write a 140-word inquiry email to a foundation. One paragraph on why we fit. One paragraph on the project. One ask: a conversation, or confirmation of the right process. Do not attach a full proposal unless they asked.

Write a one-page letter of inquiry. Funder: [ ] Project: [ ] Amount, if I am allowed to name it: [ ] Checked facts I may use: [ ] Include: who we are, the need, what we will do, what it costs, how we will know it worked, and the ask. Every number from my notes or [TO VERIFY]. No slogans. No appendix.

I am preparing a first meeting with a company. Company (public name): [ ] What we know: [ ] What we are offering: [sponsorship / volunteers / cause campaign / in-kind] Write a one-page brief with: - their business interest (not only "they should care") - who inside the company is likely to decide - what we can offer - risks (greenwash, staff time, exclusivity) - a first-meeting agenda - questions that qualify budget and calendar

Write a one-page sponsorship sheet. Event or program: [ ] Levels we actually offer: [ ] Benefits we can actually deliver: [ ] Audience, if I have a real number: [ ] Plain language. No "exciting opportunity." If a benefit would embarrass us if we failed to deliver it, leave it off. End with who to talk to and by when, if I gave a date.

I am reviewing a list of [number] accounts. The list is anonymized: code, stage, last-step date, next step, dollar amount if appropriate. Please: - flag accounts with no next step, or a next step older than 21 days - suggest the single best action this week for the eight most urgent - name two accounts that should be recoded or dropped, with a reason Do not invent contact history. List: [paste]

Turn my raw notes into a CRM activity under 120 words. Include in the text: date, type, who was there, what we learned, next step, who owns it, date of next step. No adjectives. No "great meeting." Raw notes: [paste]

I will paste an anonymized pipeline snapshot (stage totals only). Write 250 words a board, CEO, or finance lead can read without a translator. Cover: what is committed, what is in play this period, what slipped and why, and what would change the number. No victory language. Do not hide a miss. If you are inferring, say so. Snapshot: [paste]

From this anonymized weekly report, write a 10-minute coaching agenda. Look at next steps, not hours. Name one skill to practice (discovery, the ask, closing, or follow-up). Do not write a performance review. Report: [paste]

Write a one-page handoff for a colleague taking this relationship. Include: - who they are to us, in four lines - last meaningful contact - next step already promised - how they give (if known): check, card, DAF, company, foundation - sensitivities (do not call on X day; spouse not in the room; they dislike events) - what not to do in the first 30 days Notes: [paste]

I just inherited a book of relationships at [Organization name]. What I inherited: [portfolio / region / partners / annual-fund segment] How thin the files are: [ ] Hours I have for this each week: [ ] Write a 90-day plan: - who to call in the first two weeks (criteria, not a fake list of names) - what to clean in the file - what not to ask yet - how I will know week 12 was a good start No transformation language. Practical.