Library › Data AI › Nonprofit staff
Write a 3-sentence donor retention readout for the board
Practice: Keeping the AI to your sources. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
The board wants three numbers on this year's donors: retention rate, new donors, and average gift. Write exactly 3 sentences, one per number, each showing its math. Apply the database cleanup note, leave out the unconfirmed grant, plain text, under 70 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Skipping the cleanup note. The AI uses the raw export, so retention reads 45% and new donors 120. Try: Add: "Apply the cleanup: 20 'new' donors are repeat donors."
- Counting the maybe-grant. The AI folds the possible $50,000 into giving and inflates the average. Try: Add: "Leave out the unconfirmed grant."
- Getting a full report. The AI writes paragraphs with headings and extra stats. Try: Say: "Exactly 3 sentences, one per number, each with its math."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each sentence: "each sentence under 18 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a board email. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Applies the cleanup note
- Leaves out the grant
- Sets the sentence count
- Asks to show the math
- Asks for plain text
Related exercises
- Accept a job offer and confirm the exact terms (Writing AI · Job seekers)
- Answer a 'where is my order' email with the real new date (Writing AI · Customer support teams)
- Answer a big discount ask with two priced options (Writing AI · Sales and customer success)
- Answer a buyer's HOA questions from the bylaws (Research AI · Real estate agents)
- Answer a charge nurse application question with evidence (Writing AI · Nurses and healthcare workers)