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Reply to a donor without giving tax advice

  • For Small business owners
  • You practice Getting the tone right
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

You run donor care at Harbor Animal Rescue. Reply to Anita in plain text, under 80 words. First line exactly "Dear Anita," and last line exactly "Harbor Animal Rescue Donor Team". Say when her receipt arrives, and do not say whether the gift is tax-deductible. Point her to a tax professional.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Saying it's deductible. The internal note pushes the AI to say yes. Try: Say: "Do not say whether it is deductible. Suggest a tax professional."
  • Vague timing. The AI says 'soon'. Try: Say: "Within 5 business days."
  • Generic greeting and sign-off. The AI writes 'Hi Anita' and a personal name. Try: Give both lines exactly.
  • Getting markdown back. AI adds bold and headings by default, which show up as stray symbols where this is pasted. Try: Say "plain text, no bold, no headings, no asterisks".
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and usually runs long, so a vague "keep it short" lands well over the limit. Try: Cap each part instead of the total, for example "each line under 15 words".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for plain text
  • Sets a length limit
  • Bans tax claims
  • Gives the timing

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