When charities start using AI

AI is starting to show up in charities in ways that are easy to miss. Not as headline-grabbing innovation, but as something quietly supporting day-to-day work. In fact, recent findings from the Charity Digital Skills Report 2025 suggest that 88% of charities are now using AI daily, up from 61% just two years ago.

In practice, that often means supporting the less visible work that takes up significant time inside organisations. Writing grant applications, summarising long documents, transcribing meetings, supporting fundraising activity, or helping small teams manage growing administrative workloads.

For charities operating with limited staff, tight budgets, or volunteer support, even relatively small efficiencies can make a noticeable difference.

There are also more targeted uses beginning to emerge. Some charities are using AI to analyse large datasets, helping identify trends linked to homelessness, healthcare, poverty, or community needs. Others are using it to better understand supporter behaviour by spotting patterns in donations, engagement, and communication. In some cases, this can help charities improve fundraising activity and tailor outreach more effectively.

But charities operate in a very different environment to many commercial organisations. They are often working with vulnerable people, sensitive information, and high-trust relationships. That means questions around accuracy, bias, and transparency become more important, particularly if AI systems begin influencing how support is prioritised or recommendations are made.

There is also a difference in resources. Larger charities may have the time and expertise to test tools, create policies, and build internal guidance around AI use. Smaller organisations may rely more heavily on off-the-shelf systems without the same level of oversight or technical understanding.

That does not stop adoption, but it may create different types of risk and inconsistency across the sector.

What is interesting is that AI is largely being used to support existing charity work rather than replace the relationships, context, and judgement behind it. Empathy, trust, safeguarding, and human judgement still remain central to the work charities do.

Because as AI becomes more embedded within charities, the challenge may not simply be how to use these systems efficiently, but how to balance efficiency with the responsibility that comes with supporting real people and communities.