# Claude Projects — Setup Kit Everything Claude needs to turn a Project into a system you keep coming back to. Modeled on the real Riverdale Golf Tournament project that helped raise $20,000+. --- ## What is a Claude Project? Think of your house. Kitchen for cooking. Bedroom for sleeping. Every room has one purpose. **A Claude Project is a room built for one goal** — your files, your context, and your instructions all live inside it. When you walk in, Claude is already up to speed. Regular chat = explaining yourself to a new doctor every visit. Projects = a doctor who has your file, knows your history, and gets straight to why you're there. --- ## The Three Things That Aren't the Same Get these three straight and Claude stops feeling like a chatbot. 1. **Claude Memory** — who you are, how you think, how you like to work. Carries across every chat and every project. (If you haven't set this up yet, do the Claude Memory Setup first.) 2. **Project Instructions** — the governance for THIS room. Role, goal, rules of engagement inside this one project. 3. **Project Memory** — what Claude remembers from the conversations you have inside this project over time. Builds automatically as you work. --- ## Step 1 — Create the Project In Claude's left sidebar, click the **Projects** folder icon (right under Chat). Hit **New Project**. Name it after the thing you're actually doing — not "work stuff." Star the ones you use daily. Archive old ones to keep it clean. --- ## Step 2 — Write Instructions (the job description) Paste this template into the Project's Instructions field and fill in the blanks. Keep it specific. ``` ROLE You are my [specialist role — e.g., "fundraising coordinator", "content producer", "financial analyst"] for [project name]. GOAL The single outcome I need from this project is: [one sentence — e.g., "raise $20,000 for the Riverdale golf tournament by Aug 15 through corporate sponsorships and silent auction donations."] CONTEXT - Who this is for: [audience] - Timeline / deadline: [date] - Constraints: [budget, tone, brand rules, legal, do-not-contact, etc.] - What "done" looks like: [concrete deliverable] WHAT LIVES IN THIS PROJECT (uploaded files) - [File 1] — [what it is and how to use it] - [File 2] — [what it is and how to use it] - [File 3] — [what it is and how to use it] WHAT I WANT YOU TO PRODUCE - Prioritized action lists (highest ROI first) - Draft outreach in my voice, ready to review - Follow-up scripts for anyone who doesn't respond in [X days] - Progress summaries whenever I ask for a status check RULES - Never contact anyone on the do-not-contact list. - Always pull dates, prices, and details from my uploaded files — do not invent numbers. - If you're missing information to complete a task, ASK before guessing. - Match my tone: [direct / warm / professional / casual — pick one]. - End every draft with a one-line "what I'd change" note so I can review fast. ``` --- ## Step 3 — Upload the Right Files Every file is context Claude reads on every prompt. Keep it tight — 3 to 6 sharp files beats 30 loose ones. Use this checklist as a starting point (swap for your use case): - [ ] **Credibility doc** — anything that proves who you are (determination letter, LLC docs, resume, one-pager). - [ ] **Do-not-contact / exclusion list** — people already asked, already gave, already said no, or off-limits for any reason. - [ ] **Offer / product info** — what you're selling, pitching, or asking for. Packages, pricing, benefits, deadlines. - [ ] **Event / project details** — dates, format, logistics, must-haves. - [ ] **Voice sample** — 1–2 emails or messages YOU wrote so Claude matches your tone. --- ## Step 4 — First Prompts to Run After Instructions + Files are in place, run these prompts one at a time inside the project. Each one pulls from every file automatically. ### 4a. Prioritized outreach list ``` Using the sponsor information and the do-not-contact list I uploaded, build me a prioritized outreach list. Rank by likelihood to say yes and dollar potential. Give me a table: Name, Contact, Priority (High/Med/Low), Best angle to open with, Suggested ask amount. ``` ### 4b. Full outreach script pack ``` Write the full outreach script pack for this project: 1. Corporate sponsor pitch (email + 60-second call script) 2. Hole sponsor ask (short email) 3. Silent auction donation request (email) 4. Follow-up #1 (5 days later, warm nudge) 5. Follow-up #2 (10 days later, last touch) Pull all product details, prices, and dates from my uploaded files. Match the tone of the voice sample I uploaded. End each one with a one-line "what I'd change" note. ``` ### 4c. Weekly status check ``` Status check. Based on what I've told you this week inside this project, give me: - What's done - What's outstanding and who owns it - The single highest-leverage next action I should take today Keep it under 200 words. ``` ### 4d. Ask-me-first mode ``` Before you draft anything new, list the 3 pieces of information you'd need from me to make it excellent. Wait for my answers before you write. ``` --- ## Step 5 — Keep the Room Clean - Update files when the underlying info changes (new prices, new deadline, someone new on the do-not-contact list). - Delete stale files. Old context = wrong output. - If you notice Claude repeating a mistake, add ONE line to Instructions to correct it. Don't re-explain it in every chat. - When the project is done, archive it. Don't reuse an old room for a new goal — start a new project. --- ## Why This Works You stop starting from zero. Claude walks into a room where the goal, the rules, and the reference material are already on the table. You spend your time reviewing and shipping — not re-briefing. That's the difference between using Claude as a chatbot and using it as a system. --- *Built by Chad Sheppard · chadesheppard.com · Free to use and remix.*