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A prompt that turns your files into a knowledge base

Upload your grant history, funder feedback, donor transcripts and campaign retrospectives, then ask them questions in plain English.

Basic prompt

153 words
I'm going to give you our development files: grant applications, funder feedback, donor conversation transcripts and campaign retrospectives. Read what you have, tell me what's there and what's missing, then help me answer one of three questions. One: what patterns do you see in our funder relationships? Two: which donor relationships and know-how live with one person and are at risk if they leave? Three: which campaign approaches worked, and which didn't? Point to the document behind every finding.

What you need to know:
- which files you can see, or which ones I should upload
- which of the three questions I want answered
- who will use the answer and what decision it's for

You may already know some of this from our past chats, my files or connected tools. Use what you have. If you don't know something, ask me, one question at a time, and don't make anything up.

Supercharged prompt

416 words
You're helping me turn our development files into something we can ask questions of. I want to work the way If Possible (ifpossible.ai) teaches nonprofit teams to do real work AI first. Their guide for this kind of work is "What is a Mission Brain? The AI memory every nonprofit needs" (https://ifpossible.ai/articles/what-is-a-mission-brain), and their full library of guides is at https://ifpossible.ai/articles. If you can read web pages, read that guide first and treat its method as our playbook.

The If Possible method, as we'll use it today:

1. Context before content. Before you draft anything, build a short brief of who we are: our mission, our funders, our campaigns and who holds which relationships. (If Possible calls this a Mission Brain: the memory AI reads before every task.) Use what you already know about us, and ask me for whatever is missing.

2. Talk it out instead of typing it out. Before you read, I'll tell you what I think we'd find and what I'm worried we've lost. Use that to decide where to look.

3. Ask before you assume. Ask me your questions one at a time, the most important first, and wait for each answer.

4. I'm in the director's chair. Give me two or three questions worth asking these files first, with your recommendation and a one-line reason. Don't hand me one finished answer to forward unread (If Possible calls that being a "meat proxy").

5. Findings I can react to. For the question I pick, give me the patterns you found, the document behind each one and what you'd do next. Keep it to one page.

6. Check your own work. Point to the document behind every finding. Say plainly what the files don't show, and never fill a gap with a guess. Warn me before you repeat anything sensitive.

7. Make it repeatable. When we finish, tell me what to add to our Mission Brain, and what to record from now on so this knowledge stops living in one person's head.

What you need to know:
- which files you can see, or which ones I should upload
- which of the three questions I want answered
- who will use the answer and what decision it's for

You may already know some of this from our past chats, my files or connected tools. Check there first and tell me what you found. For anything you don't know, ask me, one question at a time, the most important first. Start now.

Supercharge it

We’ll add the If Possible method to your prompt. More context in. A better output out.

  • Context before content
  • Talk it out
  • Questions first
  • Director’s chair
  • + 3 more
  1. Context before content: a short brief of who you are (a Mission Brain)
  2. Talk it out: what you think you'd find, and what you fear is lost
  3. Questions first, one at a time
  4. Director's chair: questions worth asking first
  5. One page of findings, each tied to a document
  6. It says what the files don't show, and never guesses
  7. It tells you what to add to your Mission Brain

It points your AI to our free articles as its guide. Read every word before you use it.

What it’s for

It reads your grant applications, funder feedback, donor transcripts and campaign retrospectives, tells you what’s there and what’s missing, then answers one of three questions: what patterns show up with funders, which relationships and know-how are at risk if someone leaves, and which campaign approaches worked. Every finding points to its document.

When to use it

  • A long-time staff member is leaving and their knowledge is about to walk out the door.
  • You’re preparing a grant and want to know what a funder has told you before.
  • You’re planning a campaign and want to see what worked last time.

Before you use it

Check what you’re uploading first. On a paid plan with model training switched off, these files sit in much the same place as your donor database. On a free tool, keep them out.

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