While we often hear of the threats that Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses to people’s jobs1 and human creativity, as well as concerns over how it is regulated, this advanced technology has in fact become a force for good. Many industries have embraced the wide range of opportunities created by AI to further progress their digital transformation journey, and the charity sector has become a front runner in utilising the technology to instil positive change.
AI has had an impressive impact on charities, and not-for-profit organisations, with its role only set to become more prevalent. Last year’s Charity Digital Skills report found that 35% of charities were already using AI for certain tasks. What’s more, a further 26% had plans to do so in the future2. This rise in the rate of adoption has been made possible by an ever-growing range of solutions, with AI giving charities the power to complete tasks that once took many hours to fulfil.
Modernising everyday actions through automation has become synonymous with AI across many industries, and that is also the case in the charity sector. New solutions allow staff to focus on managing how charities market themselves, develop key strategies to improve their presence, and reduce time spent on more laborious tasks like data entry. In addition, AI technology has been adopted in ways that directly help not-for-profit organisations’ target audiences, such as people with disabilities.
While adopting AI solutions does pose some challenges, especially for smaller organisations, maximising the value of charitable donations towards the core purpose of the charity is a primary focus. AI has proven already to be a great efficiency creator in achieving this goal and once a charity utilises this technology , there is no temptation to revert to how things were done before.
Making the most of limited resources
It is no secret that there is an expectation on charities and not-for-profit organisations to maximise their incomings to benefit the people they set out to help in the first place. For these organisations to run effectively, they are encouraged to embrace processes and technologies that drive efficiencies. AI makes this possible in ways that boost outreach to new and existing donors, as well as improving the day-to-day running of a charity.
This is particularly important at a time when charities are receiving less donations and paying more for their physical presence due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. A recent survey found that two-thirds of UK causes have annual fundraising income of less than £20,0003.
When fully embraced, AI solutions can, for example, help a charity or not-for-profit organisation find possible donors and benefactors. Once contact has been made and a relationship has begun, AI can analyse the success of fundraising campaigns to ensure new and existing donors receive the best messaging that matches their interests.AI offers the potential to create more inclusive and accessible campaigns, as well as widened knowledge sharing, to ensure even global audiences are now at the fingertips of charities, helping them maximise the impact from the donations they receive.
New potential also lies in solutions that aid in impactful marketing, video and audio generation in multiple languages, for engagement and support. These are now options that were previously not possible within the budgets of most charitable organisations. Charities now have an opportunity to involve diverse perspectives in the development, and deployment of, AI solutions to ensure that they meet the needs every community they serve. AI offers the potential to reduce barriers to entry for smaller organisations by delivering scalable solutions that can grow with them.
AI in action
AI not only has the power to improve processes in not-for-profit organisations. It can also make a huge difference to people’s experiences. As charities and not-for-profits look for new ways to support their audiences and visitors, there are now many use cases that show how effective AI can be in delivering tangible benefits.
Generative AI, for example, has been vital in developing innovative solutions, and forward-thinking organisations have welcomed this evolving technology to help organisations be more inclusive for people with specific accessibility needs. The National Museum of Computing, for instance, developed a new application – ‘TNMOC Mate’ – to support neurodivergent visitors, as well as those for whom English isn’t their first language, and children. With ambitions to be ‘the most accessible museum in the world’, the museum is keen to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy its exhibits. The solution transforms the original exhibit descriptions into easy-to-understand text, which can either be read or listened to through tailored audio narration in a preferred language. This helps those who may find the busy environment of a museum overwhelming enjoy exhibits in a more personalised manner.
Meanwhile, Dyslexia Association Ireland has recently adopted a Generative AI model to power a solution that helps people living with dyslexia, and other learning disabilities, read their favourite content. This recently launched application allows users to read in ways that meet their needs. They can manage the speed at which they read, access a pointer to guide them and ask the application to read text aloud.
Encephalitis International is also exploring AI to expand its global outreach to help keep people informed about this potentially life-threatening condition. With the potential of an AI tool, patients and individuals who need critical information on encephalitis could access accurate, up-to-date material in their own language, matching not just linguistic requirements but differing complexity levels too. This tool could also reduce costs for the charity as there is less need for staff interactions and support meetings for people living with condition, while still offering them a comprehensive suite of resources.
The path to successful AI adoption
It cannot be denied that adopting such technology can be a little seem daunting for smaller charities and not-for-profits. Embracing such high-scale digital advancement does entail a process of patience, learning and transformation. Investing the time to identify the most beneficial AI solutions and taking things one step at a time ensures that initiating this change happens successfully. Success stories usually come from organisations that know what they want to achieve from the outset.
AI cannot replace the people that make charities such inspiring organisations, as they are the heart and soul of these organisations, we believe it can give them a chance to be even more impactful though. After all, it is often a human touch that helps create engagement with people. What’s more, implementing solutions that help those with specialist support requirements, as mentioned above, could not have been achieved without a human understanding of their needs. Yet advanced technology does have the power to help not-for-profits improve efficiencies and people’s experience, so every donation they receive can go towards creating a positive impact.
Brad Mallard
Brad Mallard is the Chief Technology Officer at Version 1. Brad leads a talented team of CTOs, consultants, and world class engineers that provide cutting-edge solutions and services to over a hundred clients across regulated sectors in the US, UK and Ireland primarily.
