Draft a presentation outline
Turn your key messages into a clear and structured presentation outline.
Steps
1. Describe the task
A presentation outline gives you a scaffold, providing the right flow of ideas, before you worry about the actual words on the slides. AI can help you build that scaffold quickly, once it understands what you're trying to say and who you're saying it to.
This works well for team briefings, funder updates, conference sessions, AGMs, and board presentations. The key is to give the AI a clear sense of your purpose and audience before it starts creating anything. The more it knows about why you're presenting and what you want people to think, feel, or do during the presentation and / or afterwards, the more useful the outline will be.
You don't need a full draft or polished notes. A few bullet points about your topic and a clear sense of your audience is enough to get started. Treat this as a thinking-out-loud conversation - you can shape and redirect as you go.
Copy and paste this prompt into the chat box, then send it as is - there's nothing to edit first. The AI will respond with questions rather than a draft. That's by design as it needs context before it can produce something useful. Answer as if you're briefing a colleague, and if you're unsure of an answer, just say so - working it out together is part of the process.
Using Worthwhile Chat?
This prompt is ready-made: just select it in your chat box and it will self-populate.
Act as a communications professional with experience in the UK charity sector.
Help me build a clear, structured outline for a presentation. The outline should include a title, a suggested opening, 4–6 main sections with brief descriptions, a closing and call to action, and any suggested slides or visuals where these would help.
Start by asking me questions about my audience, the purpose of the presentation, and the key messages I want the audience to take away; the length and format it needs to be; my organisation and the context for this presentation; and if I have any drafts or notes to paste in or upload. Then draft the outline.
As you draft, watch out for and avoid: jargon or insider language that a non-specialist audience might not follow; assumptions about what the audience already knows; and any framing that talks about the people we support in a stereotyping or disempowering way.
2. Provide context
When the AI asks if you have any drafts or notes, you can upload documents or paste in information to help it understand your work more deeply. The richer the context, the more tailored your outline will be. Don’t worry about having everything neatly packaged. Rough notes, a previous presentation, or a few bullet points about what you want to cover are all useful. Share what you have.
Additional context to add depth and detail
You've already covered the essential points in your answers, but feel free to add any context that helps to add depth, such as:
- A previous presentation or report on a similar topic, to help match your tone and structure
- Data or statistics you’d like to include - e.g. outcomes, reach, survey results
- Stories or case studies - real examples that bring your work to life
- Quotes from beneficiaries, partners or supporters
- Any slides or notes from a previous version of this presentation
- Brand or comms guidelines - to help the AI match your organisation’s voice
Before you upload files: check for sensitive data
Review your documents for personal or sensitive information about beneficiaries. Anonymise names and identifying details before uploading. Even though Worthwhile Chat is privacy-first, good data practice starts with you. If you're using other AI tools, check their data settings too — many train on your data by default. How much you share depends on your existing privacy and data policies, and how much control you have over the tools you use.
If you’re unsure, ask yourself: “If this document were seen by someone outside our organisation, could anyone be identified or harmed?” If yes, anonymise first.
I’ve uploaded our last annual report and our branding guidelines. Please use these to shape the outline, and flag any sections where you’d suggest I include a story or piece of data.
3. Review the output
The AI will produce an outline with a suggested flow, section headings, and brief notes on what each part should cover. It may also ask you clarifying questions - for example, whether a section should come before or after another, or what a particular term means. This is normal and helpful. Your answers improve the outline.
Before you start building slides or writing a script, read through the outline carefully.
Ask yourself:
- Does this flow make sense for this audience? Would someone unfamiliar with our work follow it?
- Does the opening grab attention and set up the presentation well?
- Are the key messages coming through clearly, or do they get buried?
- Is the structure appropriate for the format? (A 10-minute funder update needs a very different shape from a 45-minute conference session.)
- Does the outline feel like us: our voice, our values, our priorities?
- Are the people we support described in a way they’d be comfortable with?
- Does anything feel like a generic ‘charity presentation’ rather than something specific to our work?
- Is there a clear call to action or takeaway at the end?
If something feels off, don’t start over. Just tell the AI what’s not working. Refining through conversation is faster than starting from scratch.
4. Follow up prompts
Getting the right outline will take more than one exchange. Think of the AI as a collaborator you’re working through ideas with - not a machine that produces a finished product on the first go.
Refine first
Here are some suggested prompts to help you refine:
Structure:
- “The section on [topic] should come earlier - it’s the most important thing for this audience.”
- “Merge the third and fourth sections - they’re covering similar ground.”
- “We need a stronger opening - can you suggest two or three different ways to start?”
- “Add a section on [topic] - I forgot to mention it but it’s central to what we do.”
Length:
- “This is for a 10-minute slot - cut it down to the essentials.”
- “Expand the notes on [section] - I want more detail on what to cover there.”
- “Can you suggest which sections could include a story or case study?”
Tone:
- “The language feels too formal - this is an internal team briefing, not a funder pitch.”
- “The call to action isn’t strong enough - I want the audience to feel they can do something concrete.”
Representation:
- “Reframe [section] so it focuses on what people have achieved, not what they’ve been through.”
Add what only you know
Once you have a solid outline, fill in what the AI can’t know:
- Specific stories or examples that only your team could tell
- Real data or statistics from your programmes
- Recent developments, news, or milestones
- Acknowledgements of partners, funders, or key people
- Your organisation’s personality, humour, and voice
5. Tips and good practice
Know your audience before you start
The most useful thing you can give the AI is a clear picture of who you’re presenting to and what you want them to do or feel differently about afterwards. A trustee board needs strategic insight and reassurance. A funder wants evidence of impact and value for money. Conference delegates are often looking for practical takeaways they can use. The same content tells a very different story depending on who’s in the room, so tell the AI who that is.
Start with the ending
Before drafting anything, be clear about your call to action: what do you want the audience to do, think or feel when you finish? If you know the ending, the AI can work backwards to build a structure that leads there naturally. Tell it your closing message up front.
Always check facts before presenting
If you’ve shared data or statistics, check them against your original sources before the presentation. The AI may misread a figure or interpret data in a way that doesn’t quite reflect reality. Any numbers you put on a slide or say out loud should be verified by you.
Get a human to review the content before you present
Never deliver a presentation based on AI-generated content without a human review first. Ask a colleague to read the outline: do they recognise the organisation in it? Does anything feel inaccurate, out of character, or likely to land badly with this audience? A fresh pair of eyes catches things you might miss, especially when you’ve been close to the content.
Be transparent about AI use
You may want to note that AI tools were used in preparing your presentation materials. More organisations are being open about this, and it’s in line with Worthwhile AI values.
