Prompt Engineering 101: Get Better Results from Any AI Tool

What Is a Prompt?

A prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool. Better prompts = better results. It's that simple — and it's a skill anyone can learn.

The CRAFT Formula

Use this framework for any AI request:

• Context — Who are you? What's the situation?
• Role — Tell the AI what role to play ("Act as a grant writer...")
• Action — What exactly do you want?
• Format — How should the output look? (bullet list, email, table)
• Tone — Professional, friendly, formal, casual?

Examples

Bad prompt: "Write me a fundraising email."

Good prompt: "You are a fundraising copywriter for a California nonprofit serving low-income families. Write a 200-word fundraising email for our year-end appeal. The tone should be warm and urgent, and include a clear call-to-action to donate $25. Our impact: we served 1,200 families this year."

Practice Exercise

Take something you write regularly at your organization — a donor update, a volunteer brief, a grant section — and try rewriting your prompt using CRAFT. Compare the results.

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