Write a budget request for a new or expanded public program
A budget decision package with the need, costed options, performance measures, and consequences of not funding, ready for budget office review.
The prompt
Help me write a budget request (decision package) for my agency.
Program or initiative: [NAME and short description]
Budget cycle and format: [e.g. "biennial state budget", "annual city budget", "supplemental request"; any required template headings]
Problem or need: [DATA showing demand, backlog, risk, or mandate]
Mandate or authority: [statute, court order, federal requirement, council direction, or none]
Cost estimate: [positions/FTEs, personnel, operating, one-time vs. ongoing, by year]
Funding source proposed: [general fund, fees, grant, federal match]
Expected results: [OUTPUTS and outcomes]
Draft the request with:
1. Summary of the request and total cost (one paragraph).
2. Problem statement with evidence.
3. Proposed solution and how it works.
4. Options considered: at least three, including a lower-cost option and status quo, each with cost and trade-offs.
5. Cost table: Item | Year 1 | Year 2 | Ongoing | Fund source | Assumption.
6. Performance measures: baseline, target, and how we will report.
7. Consequences of not funding.
8. Equity and service-delivery impacts on affected residents.
9. Risks and dependencies (hiring timelines, IT, procurement).
Then review it the way a budget analyst would: list the 5 hardest questions and where the request is weak.
Rules: use only numbers I provide and show calculations; mark missing figures [ADD]; separate one-time from ongoing costs; do not overstate outcomes.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Finance & Accounting prompts
What to fill in
- NAME and short description
- DATA showing demand, backlog, risk, or mandate
- general fund, fees, grant, federal match
- OUTPUTS and outcomes
- ADD
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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