Additional reading: AI for charities – how civil society leaders can stay ahead of the curve
AI can help stretched teams save time, secure funding, and serve communities more effectively, but knowing where to begin isn’t always easy.
We speak to charity leaders all the time who are intrigued by the potential but feel overwhelmed by the practicalities. They’re not sure how to build a strategy. Some don’t know what tools are safe. Others feel under pressure to stay ahead but aren’t convinced they have the time or headspace to do so.
Whether your organisation is just beginning to explore AI or you’re looking to scale your efforts responsibly, we’ll walk you through the key AI challenges and how to approach them.
Build the right strategy
Many charities hesitate because they don’t have a formal AI strategy in place. This isn’t essential, but what you do need is a shared understanding across your team and trustees about why you’re exploring AI and how you’ll use it responsibly.
The foundations of a good AI approach are surprisingly straightforward. Begin with your mission, what challenges are you trying to solve. Then, clarify who’s involved in decision-making and where the guardrails are. This doesn’t mean automating everything or replacing staff. It means identifying where AI can help reduce effort, improve accuracy, or unlock insight.
When everyone’s on the same page, progress becomes much easier and less intimidating.
Support your team
There’s a common fear that bringing in AI means losing human touch. The most effective use of AI in charities today is in small, supportive ways.
AI can help draft emails, summarise long documents, or spot trends in supporter data. It can help organise meetings, create content outlines, or even produce first drafts of funding applications. It helps to free up your time so you can focus on what matters most.
By choosing the right use cases, ones that align with your goals and value, you can get real value from AI without sacrificing what makes your charity human.
Use AI in fundraising
One of the most exciting uses of AI in the nonprofit space is fundraising. From researching prospective funders to drafting personalised thank you notes, AI can dramatically speed up and sharpen your processes.
For example, it can suggest grant application structures based on your project summaries or pull together a donor impact summary from your data. AI helps to give you a stronger starting point.
AI can help with the heavy lifting, but the heart of your story still needs to come from your team.
Stay safe with data
One of the biggest concerns we hear about AI is around data safety. Charities have a responsibility to protect sensitive information, so being cautious isn’t a bad thing.
Firstly, be selective with what data you feed into AI tools. Public tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini shouldn’t be used with confidential personal data.
Instead, use anonymised summaries, generic project information or already public data when exploring ideas. And if you’re unsure, talk to your IT provider about secure, charity-specific options or tools that operate within closed systems.
Help your board feel confident
Another common sticking point is trustee overwhelm. Boards often worry they’re not equipped to approve AI projects, especially if the topic feels unfamiliar. But AI should simply be viewed as another tool that supports your charity’s mission.
The best way to bring trustees on board is through transparency and real-life examples. Show them how AI could help deliver services more effectively, increase income, or reduce risks. Make it clear that decisions will still involve human oversight, and that ethical use is key in your approach from the start.
Write an AI policy
Creating an AI policy means putting some sensible boundaries in place so your team feels confident and clear when it comes to using AI tools.
A good policy outlines what types of AI tools are approved, what kind of data can and can’t be used, and who’s responsible for oversight. It should also make space for learning, encouraging teams to experiment safely while sharing their insights.
Check out Qlic IT’s AI policy template.
Use AI ethically in storytelling
AI can be a helpful tool for shaping and polishing stories, but it should never replace the lived experience or voices of your community.
If you’re using AI to help draft a case study or a campaign message, make sure the content is rooted in real information. Charities thrive on authenticity. Let AI help you present your stories clearly and compellingly but always keep the human truth at the centre.
Conclusion
You don’t need to fear AI or rush to adopt every new tool that comes out. But ignoring it altogether means missing out on real opportunities to improve how your charity works.
At Qlic IT, we help charities embrace AI safely and effectively, ensuring they can take full advantage of cutting-edge technology while maintaining security, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
Book a free AI consultation with our charity IT experts.
