Basic Prompting: The Key to Unlocking AI’s Full Potential
Welcome to Part 1 of our 3-part education series on making AI insanely useful for you.
If you've ever felt like AI gives you brilliant results one moment and pure robotic nonsense the next, you are not alone. The truth is, the power of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, MSCopilot, and others isn't just in the technology; it's in the prompt. The good news? Prompting is a skill you can learn.
After months of testing prompts for small businesses, personal use, donor outreach, grant proposals, training outlines, and board messaging across organizations here in Omaha, Council Bluffs, and throughout the Midwest, we’ve built a system that actually works. We call it: The 3-Level Prompting System.
In this series, we are diving into Level 1: Basic Prompts. (Stay tuned for Part 2: Smarter Prompts and Part 3: Advanced Prompting.)
Level 1: Just Ask — Basic Prompting
What It Is: A simple, one-line prompt. You don't have to overthink it. Just ask.
Use this when:
- You need quick inspiration
- You are short on time
- You are brainstorming ideas
- You are trying to get unstuck
Think of Level 1 like asking a smart intern for a rough draft.
Examples of Basic Prompts:
- List 5 creative volunteer appreciation ideas.
- Write a thank-you email for a $250 donor.
- Give 3 Instagram caption ideas for Giving Tuesday.
- What are 5 fundraiser themes for fall?
Prompt: "Write a thank-you note to the attendees of our charity golf tournament."
Result (Basic):
Dear [Name],
Thank you for attending our charity golf tournament. Your support means a lot to us and helps make a difference. We hope you had a great time and look forward to seeing you at future events.
Sincerely,
[Organization Name]
Not bad, but we could do even better? Consider modifying your Level 1 prompt to use a framework.
Why Prompt Frameworks Matter
Basic prompts are a great start, but they can only take you so far. Think of them like asking a intern to "write something." You will get something, sure—but will it be in the right voice? Will it match your goal? Will it connect with your audience?
That is where frameworks come in. A good framework gives structure to your prompt. It helps AI understand the whole picture: your role, goal, tone, and audience, and delivers output that is sharper, clearer, and more aligned with your needs.
There are many frameworks available (R-T-E, P-A-S, & F-A-S-T), each offering different strengths depending on your task or communication style. We have included a few of our favorites in the chart below.
But we did not stop there. We asked AI:
Prompt: "What Is Your Preferred Prompting Framework?"
Response:
If you're asking what I recommend based on best practices for most users, the answer is:
T-C-R-E-I is currently the most effective practical framework for everyday users and business applications.
Why T-C-R-E-I?
The T-C-R-E-I framework helps AI models like me produce more accurate, useful, and audience-specific outputs. It provides clear structure by defining the Task, setting the Context, offering References for tone or style, encouraging you to Evaluate the first results, and prompting you to Iterate for improvements. This structured collaboration leads to higher-quality, human-like responses that are more aligned with your goals and audience expectations.
AI's Favorite Prompting Framework: T-C-R-E-I
If you want better results, the T-C-R-E-I method is your new best friend.
Here’s what each step means—and how to use it effectively:
- T = Task
What do you want the AI to do? Be specific, and assign a role if needed.
Example: “Act like an HR manager. Draft a welcome email.”
- C = Context
Who is this for, and what’s the purpose? Provide background to help shape the tone and direction.
Example: “This is for a new team member starting next week. They’re remote and joining our support team.”
- R = References
Share a sample, tone guide, or internal guidelines to follow.
Example: “Use the tone and structure of our employee handbook intro.”
- E = Evaluate
Review the first draft carefully. Identify what’s missing or needs adjustment.
Example: “It’s too formal—please make it more welcoming and friendly.”
- I = Iterate
Ask the AI to revise and improve based on your feedback.
Example: “Now turn it into a bulleted version we can reuse for Slack.”
Example of T-R-C-E-I Prompts:
Lets revisit our previous prompt that we used to write a thank you to all the people who supports our charity golf tournament. If we reformat the prompt to include additional details to satisfy the T-R-C-E-I framework, we get an entirely different response.
Prompt:
Task: Write a warm and professional thank-you note.
Context: It is for participants who attended our annual charity golf tournament, which raises funds for local children's programs.
Requirements: The note should be personalized, mention the impact their participation had, and encourage future involvement.
Examples: Mention that their support helped us raise over $50,000 and will fund three new after-school programs.
Improvements: Use an enthusiastic but genuine tone, avoid sounding generic, and close with an invitation to next year's event.
Response:
Dear [Name],
Thank you for joining us at our Annual Charity Golf Tournament! Because of your incredible support, we raised over $50,000—enough to launch three new after-school programs that will directly benefit local children in our community.
We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did and felt the impact of your contribution. Together, we are making a real difference.
We would love to see you back next year as we continue building brighter futures. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved!
With sincere appreciation,
[Organization Name]
Why This Works
The T-C-R-E-I framework dramatically improves your AI results by providing essential structure and clarity. Here's how each step contributes:
- Task assigns a role (event coordinator) to set the perspective and ensure the right voice is used.
- Context gives the purpose, audience, and emotional goal to guide the tone and content focus.
- References clarify the desired tone, style, or examples for AI to mirror.
- Evaluate tells the AI what to prioritize or improve in the first draft, keeping quality high.
- Iterate sets the expectation that the first version is a starting point, encouraging refinement and collaboration.
The T-C-R-E-I framework This is the most balanced and flexible framework we have seen—especially for organizations tackling real-world challenges like:
Write professional emails
Quick drafts for intros, follow-ups, thank-you notes, and reminders.
Summarize articles or long text
Turn reports, blogs, or meeting notes into digestible summaries.
Generate social media captions
Engaging posts for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or X.
Brainstorm ideas
Fundraising themes, blog titles, event names, and creative projects.
Create FAQs
Answer common customer, client, or donor questions quickly.
Draft website copy
Headlines, hero sections, CTAs, and product blurbs.
Rewrite content for clarity
Polish wordy or confusing paragraphs into readable content.
Generate subject lines or headlines
Catchy lines for emails, ads, or social media posts.
Create conversation starters
Ideas for workshops, meetings, or networking events.
Format documents
Organize notes into structured outlines, memos, or templates.
Compare Prompting Frameworks
There are many frameworks available, each with strengths suited for different types of work. Here's a side-by-side comparison of some of the best frameworks we’ve tested with teams across Omaha, Council Bluffs, and the Midwest:
| Framework |
Letters Defined |
Best Use Case |
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
| T-C-R-E-I |
Task, Context, References, Evaluate, Iterate |
Collaborative, high-quality content (grants, emails, campaigns) |
Versatile, iterative, collaborative, high-context |
Takes more time and detail to set up |
| R-T-E |
Role, Task, Expectation |
Quick, structured tasks (summaries, emails) |
Simple, repeatable, beginner-friendly |
Can be too generic without refinement |
| P-A-S |
Problem, Agitation, Solution |
Persuasive messaging (appeals, landing pages) |
Emotional connection and persuasion-focused |
Not ideal for factual or long-form work |
| F-A-S-T |
Frame, Ask, Structure, Tailor |
Speedy drafts (social posts, checklists) |
Fast generation of lightweight content |
Often needs further editing |
Final Thoughts
Basic prompts are the gateway to getting work done with AI. And in the hands of small businesses, nonprofits, and teams across Omaha, Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Kansas City, and the Midwest, this level of prompting is already saving hours each week and sparking better ideas.
The key? Keep it simple. Then elevate it with structure using proven frameworks like T-C-R-E-I.
When you are ready to level up, Part 2 will introduce you to Level 2: Smart Prompting techniques that make AI responses sharper, more human, and way more useful.
Want a printable version of this framework? Download our Prompting Cheat Sheet.
Visit One80Labs.com to explore how we help small businesses and nonprofits across the Midwest implement AI that saves time, reduces burnout, and fuels mission-driven success.