Use Claude Projects for persistent charity contexts

The problem

Every time you start a new conversation with Claude, you're starting from scratch. You re-upload the same documents, re-explain your charity's context, and re-establish the same background knowledge. For ongoing work like grant writing, policy review, or impact reporting, this repetition wastes time and means Claude never builds up a proper understanding of your organisation.

The solution

Use Claude Projects to create persistent workspaces for different areas of your charity's work. Each Project can contain uploaded documents (strategy plans, policies, past reports), custom instructions, and maintains its context across conversations. Create a 'Fundraising' Project with your funder database and application templates, an 'Impact Reporting' Project with your theory of change and past reports, and so on.

What you get

A set of organised Claude Projects, each containing the relevant documents and instructions for a specific area of your work. When you start a new conversation within a Project, Claude already knows your context, has access to your documents, and follows your established instructions. You can share Projects with colleagues so everyone works with the same organisational knowledge.

Before you start

• Claude Pro or Team subscription (Projects is a paid feature - free tier can only view shared Projects, not create them)
• Documents you want Claude to reference (PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets)
• Clarity on what areas of work would benefit from persistent context
• GDPR consideration: Documents uploaded to Projects are stored by Anthropic (US-based). Pseudonymise any beneficiary case studies or remove PII before uploading to ensure compliance with your data protection policy.

When to use this

• You regularly work on the same topic and need Claude to remember context
• You have reference documents Claude should always have access to
• Multiple team members need to work with the same organisational knowledge
• You're tired of re-explaining your charity's context in every conversation

When not to use this

• You're doing one-off tasks that don't need persistent context
• The documents contain highly sensitive data you shouldn't upload to external services
• You need Claude to work with very large documents (check size limits)

Steps

1. 1

   Identify your key work areas

   List the recurring areas where you use AI: fundraising, communications, HR, impact measurement, service delivery. Each of these could be a separate Project. Start with 2-3 that you work on most frequently.

2. 2

   Create your first Project

   In Claude.ai, click 'Projects' in the sidebar, then 'New Project'. Give it a clear name like 'Grant Applications' or 'Trustee Board Support'. Add a brief description of what this Project is for.

3. 3

   Upload reference documents

   Add the documents Claude should always have access to in this Project. For a Fundraising Project: your case for support, past successful applications, funder research. For Impact: your theory of change, outcomes framework, past annual reports. Keep it focused - don't upload everything.

4. 4

   Write custom instructions

   In Project Settings, add custom instructions that apply to all conversations in this Project. Include your house style, specific requirements, and any context Claude needs. These instructions are prepended to every conversation.

5. 5

   Test with a real task

   Start a new conversation in your Project and try a real task. Check that Claude references your uploaded documents and follows your custom instructions. Adjust the instructions based on what works.

6. 6

   Share with colleagues (Team/Enterprise)

   On Team or Enterprise plans, you can share Projects with colleagues. This means everyone works with the same documents and instructions, ensuring consistency across the team.

7. 7

   Maintain and update

   Projects need maintenance. When your strategy changes, update the documents. When you learn what instructions work better, refine them. Archive old documents that are no longer relevant.

Example code

# Project: Grant Applications

## Documents to upload:
- Case_for_support_2024.pdf (our main pitch document)
- Theory_of_change.pdf (outcomes framework)
- Successful_application_example.docx (what good looks like)
- Funder_research_spreadsheet.xlsx (our target funders)
- Latest_annual_report.pdf (evidence of impact)
- Budget_template.xlsx (standard costing structure)

## Custom instructions:

You are helping our charity write grant applications to UK trusts and foundations.

### About us:
[Name] is a homelessness charity working in [region]. We provide:
- Emergency accommodation
- Support services
- Employment programmes

Our annual income is approximately £3m. Charity number: 1234567.

### When writing applications:
1. Always check the uploaded funder research to understand their priorities
2. Use specific numbers from our annual report for evidence
3. Follow our standard budget template structure
4. Reference our theory of change when describing outcomes
5. Match the tone of our successful application example

### House style:
- Professional but warm
- Evidence-led (always cite specific numbers)
- Outcomes-focused (what changed, not just what we did)
- Concise (respect funder's time)

### Before submitting any draft:
- Check word/character limits
- Verify all statistics are from current documents
- Ensure budget adds up correctly

# Project: Board & Trustee Support

## Documents to upload:
- Governance_handbook.pdf
- Strategic_plan_2024-2027.pdf
- Risk_register.xlsx
- Recent_board_papers/ (folder of past papers)
- Articles_of_association.pdf
- Trustee_role_descriptions.pdf

## Custom instructions:

You are helping prepare materials for our charity's Board of Trustees.

### Context:
Our Board meets quarterly. Trustees are volunteers with limited time.
They need clear, concise information to make good decisions.

### When preparing board papers:
1. Executive summary first (max 200 words)
2. Clear recommendation or decision required
3. Risk implications explicitly stated
4. Financial impact quantified
5. Strategic alignment referenced

### Tone:
- Formal but accessible (avoid jargon)
- Balanced (present risks honestly)
- Respectful of trustees' time

### Format:
- Use our standard board paper template
- Include page numbers
- Bold key decisions/recommendations
- Keep to 2-3 pages maximum unless complex

### When reviewing papers:
- Check alignment with strategic plan
- Verify financial figures
- Flag any governance implications
- Suggest clearer wording where needed

Tools

Resources

Part of this pathway