Why four good ingredients beat 100 prompt templates

OpenAI recently released a collection of Prompt Packs: ready-to-use prompt ideas for roles like HR, sales, IT, and management.
👉 Browse OpenAI’s Prompt Packs

They’re practical and easy to explore, especially if you want inspiration on how to use AI across different parts of your organisation. You’ll find examples like “draft a sales email” or “create a team onboarding checklist.”

But here’s the truth: you don’t need 100 templates to get great results. What really matters is how you frame your prompt.

When I work with not-for-profit teams, I suggest using four simple ingredients that consistently lift quality and relevance:

✅ Role: who should the AI act as? (e.g. policy advisor, volunteer coordinator, communications officer)
✅ Context: what’s specific to your organisation, audience, or data?
✅ Examples: show a sample or reference of the tone or format you want
✅ Challenge: don’t take the first output, ask the AI how it could be improved

When these are clear, your prompt becomes yours, not generic. Even a basic instruction can outperform a long pre-written template.

For NFP leaders, Prompt Packs are a great launchpad to explore what’s possible, especially when time or resources are tight. Try adapting one for your next board summary, grant application, or donor update; then layer in your Challenge, Role, Context, and Examples.

Good prompts aren’t about memorising scripts. They’re about being intentional, curious, and specific.