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Plan how to split a messy donor name column
- For Nonprofit staff
- You practice Setting limits and rules
- Time about 5 minutes
About this exercise
Your mailing house needs donor names split into First name and Last name columns in normal capitals, like Ana Lee. Ask for exactly 5 numbered cleanup steps, each one plain sentence: keep the original column, drop titles like Dr. and Mr., flip "Last, First" names, and flag couples and organizations for a person to check instead of splitting them. Plain text, under 140 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Editing the original column. The AI rewrites names in place, so you can't check its work. Try: Add: "Keep the original column; work in new ones."
- Leaving formats unstated. The AI misses titles and Last, First names. Try: Add: "Drop titles, flip Last, First, fix capitals."
- Splitting couples and groups. The AI turns Hillside Rotary Club into first name Hillside, last name Club. Try: Add: "Flag couples and organizations for a person to check."
- Long or formatted output. AI writes nested formulas and bold headings. Try: Add: "Exactly 5 numbered steps, each one plain sentence."
What a strong prompt includes
- Keeps the original
- Lists the fixes
- Flags couples and groups
- Sets the number of steps
- Asks for plain text
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