AI in the Third Sector: Opportunities, Risks, and the Path Forward

On 18 June 2025, our inspire* members joined an exclusive webinar exploring AI in the Third Sector, looking into the future, benefits and downfalls. While AI can feel intimidating, the session emphasised that when used thoughtfully, AI can be a great tool of efficiency.

With recent surveys showing that over half of charities are currently using AI, the conversation was both timely and practical. Here are some articles to references:

• Charity Digital Skills Report 2025: https://charitydigitalskills.co.uk/report/detailed-findings/artificial-intelligence/

• Access Group Employee Survey 2025: https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/01/28/employee-survey-highlights-charities-as-least-likely-to-be-using-ai-in-the-workplace/

• Charity Excellence AI Benchmarking Survey 2024: https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk/charity-ai-benchmarking-survey/
  

Our expert panellists, Lucy Jaffe (Global Industry Consultant), Binu Paul (Operating Partner at gunnercooke), and Damien Ribbans (Operations Director at Noise Solution), brought a wealth of perspectives spanning finance, operations, technology, and social innovation.

The panellists shared some real-world ways AI is already helping charities. Routine admin task: like summarising notes or drafting documents, can be automated, giving staff more time to focus on the work that really matters. AI is also making fundraising and bid writing more efficient, helping organisations generate insights on their social impact, and even providing real-time feedback to improve services. Communications and stakeholder engagement are benefiting too, with AI tools helping charities tailor messages and respond quickly to supporters and beneficiaries.

But the panel was clear: AI isn’t a magic fix. There are real risks to watch out for. If AI is trained on poor data, it can reinforce inequalities. Governance and privacy are critical, especially when dealing with sensitive client information. And no matter what, human judgment and lived experience have to stay at the heart of decision-making, AI should support people, not replace them.

For charities curious about AI but unsure where to start, the advice was simple: start small. Try low-risk tasks like summarising documents or drafting content, focus on areas where AI genuinely solves a problem, and give staff space to learn and experiment safely. Building confidence is just as important as the technology itself.

The discussion made one thing clear: ignoring AI isn’t an option. While adoption should be thoughtful and ethical, charities that explore AI now will be better placed to innovate, strengthen operations, and ultimately amplify their impact.

This Big Meet Up gave members the chance to reflect on how the sector can bridge the current gap in adoption and move towards using AI with confidence and purpose.

Do you want to explore the full conversation? The replay is available exclusively to inspire* members. Join Inspire today to catch up on this session and access future Big Meet Ups.