A Nonprofit’s Guide to Crafting the Perfect Prompt for Language AI Tools

Language AI tools help users generate human-like language for various purposes. However, not all language AI tools are equal, and it’s crucial to understand the differences between them to ensure you make the most of the innovative technology.

In this blog post, we’ll look at three popular language AI tools: ChatGPT, Bard, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. We’ll explore the general differences between them and how your nonprofit can curate the right prompts to ensure you receive the information you need.

ChatGPT vs. Bard vs. Microsoft 365 Copilot

ChatGPT, Bard, and Microsoft 365 Copilot are all language-based AI tools, but they differ in several ways.

To start, ChatGPT and Bard primarily generate human-like language, such as email or script writing. Trained on large text data sets, both can generate coherent responses to prompts. Microsoft 365 Copilot, on the other hand, specifically assists with productivity and collaboration tasks within the Microsoft Office suite of applications, such as Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.

Another difference is that ChatGPT and Bard are pre-trained models that individual users cannot customize. However, Microsoft 365 Copilot offers customization options through its settings, allowing users to adjust their preferences.

The final major callout is that ChatGPT and Bard are available to developers through their respective application programming interfaces (APIs). Microsoft 365 Copilot is only available to Microsoft Office users as a feature within the application.

Best Practices for Crafting High-Quality Prompts

Writing an effective prompt requires creativity and precision to ensure the tool understands the intended meaning and generates a response that meets the desired outcome.

Here are some best practices for crafting effective prompts when using a language AI tool for nonprofits:

• Be clear and concise: Use clear and concise prompts to ensure the AI tool understands the intended meaning and generates a relevant response. Long and complex prompts can confuse the AI tool and lead to irrelevant or inaccurate outcomes.

• Use simple language: Avoid technical jargon or complex vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to the AI tool. Simple language makes it easier for the tool to understand the prompt and generate a relevant response.

• Provide context: Offer enough background information to provide context for the prompt and help the AI tool understand the intended meaning.

• Avoid leading questions: Often, leading questions can result in responses that reflect the desired outcome rather than the actual meaning of the prompt.

• Test and refine: Test different variations of prompts and refine them based on the results to improve the effectiveness of the prompts over time. This ensures that the AI tool generates the desired response.

Implementing these best practices will help nonprofits leverage the full potential of language AI tools to achieve impactful results, such as generating strategic insights or improving operations. By crafting effective prompts, you take a critical first step toward achieving those goals.

When to Leverage Language AI Tools at Your Nonprofit

Web Content

Nonprofits can use language AI tools to create web content, such as blogs, LinkedIn articles, or social media posts. These tools can suggest headlines, write summaries, or even generate entire articles based on a given topic, making it easier and quicker for nonprofits to create the materials needed to engage audiences.

Additionally, nonprofits can use language AI tools to optimize websites for search engines by generating metadata, keywords, and tags. Language AI tools can also analyze website traffic data to suggest improvements to website design or content.

5 Ways Nonprofits Can Use ChatGPT for Blogging

Strategy

If your nonprofit is in a creative or strategic rut, language AI tools might be what you need to get inspired. For example, have you considered leaning on ChatGPT to iterate your nonprofit vision statement? Or ask the tool for fundraising event ideas to raise money for your next big goal?

Email

By analyzing data on the recipients of your email with ChatGPT and Bard, such as their past donations or interests, and using this information to tailor the message, you can personalize your emails. These tools can then analyze the content you’ve written and suggest more attention-grabbing email subject lines.

It’s also worth mentioning that language AI can help evaluate for tone and style consistency across your emails, provide content suggestions, and ensure your messages are error-free.

9 Nonprofit Emails That Actually Convert

Data Analysis

Arguably the most helpful feature of language AI tools for nonprofits is their ability to analyze data and deliver strategic recommendations based on their findings.

Here are a few ways these tools can support donor data analysis processes:

• Sentiment analysis: Understand how people feel about your nonprofit’s brand, products, or services
• Text classification: Categorize text data, such as customer feedback, support tickets, or social media comments, to identify common themes and trends
• Text summarization: Summarize long documents or reports, such as grant applications or impact assessments, to identify key points and insights quickly

Social Media

A crucial part of your nonprofit’s marketing strategy, social media offers tremendous opportunities for thought leadership and demonstration of your expertise in the space.

Language AI performs numerous tasks to support nonprofits’ social media strategies, like:

• Social listening: Monitor social media conversations related to your nonprofit’s brand, mission, or programs
• Content creation: Generate social media content, such as captions or hashtags, that resonates with your audience
• Social media advertising: Optimize social media ad campaigns by identifying target audiences, analyzing ad copy and creative, and optimizing bidding strategies

Overall, language AI tools can help nonprofits leverage social media to increase engagement, reach new audiences, and facilitate conversions.

How to Bring These Prompts to Life: 10 Examples

1. Help me write a heading for my nonprofit donation page that focuses on [my nonprofit’s mission] to a person coming from [a Facebook post].
2. Write an urgent appeal on my homepage [nonprofit URL] to help raise money for [those affected by X].
3. Strategize five ways that [my nonprofit] can increase [online donations greater than $X].
4. Write an email to donors of [my nonprofit] who donated more than once and encourage them to become a recurring giver. Write it in a [friendly tone] that emphasizes the impact their donations have on [my nonprofit].
5. Convert this blog post [blog URL] into different social media post ideas for Instagram and TikTok.
6. Give me [10] unique video ideas for [my nonprofit] to create on [TikTok].
7. Write a blog post [1,500-2,000] words long to rank on page one of Google for the keyword [keyword]. Write it using the same voice and tone as the other blog posts of [my nonprofit website]. Include a title, meta description, and suggested image.
8. Create an email template for [my nonprofit] to highlight the work my nonprofit does every month that is upbeat and shows donors how their contributions help [the community].
9. Summarize the information in this spreadsheet [URL].
10. Rewrite this section of my website to include updated information on [X] following the same tone and voice as the rest of the page.

Language AI Tools Can Help Further Your Unique Nonprofit Mission

Language AI tools, like ChatGPT, Bard, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, can be powerful tools for nonprofits to connect with potential supporters, provide education and resources, and increase content output to leave a larger digital footprint in the space.

By leveraging the tools’ capabilities, nonprofits can reach more givers, impact more individuals or groups, and make a positive difference.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien