Digital Agency for Third Sector
Digital Agency for Third Sector
An AI strategy is a comprehensive plan which defines how AI will be used within an organisation, how results will be measured, the operating principles, and the governance framework. It’s an essential piece of work to ensure that you can maximise the benefits of using AI while minimising the risks. Without a strategy an organisation’s use of AI may become fragmented and disconnected, with inconsistent use of data and the growth of risk.
There’s no set format for an AI strategy, as each organisation’s needs and capabilities will differ. There are however some fundamentals that need to be addressed.
What are the organisation’s main objectives and where can AI be most effectively be applied.? It’s important to avoid just throwing AI at anything and everything.
What is the introduction of AI expected to achieve in each case? Objectives need to be clearly defined. How will the outcomes be assessed and measured?
Is the necessary technology, IT infrastructure, and data, in place to support the planned use of AI? What training is required to bring relevant staff up to speed?
How will sensitive data be protected when used by AI? Which data can and cannot be used? How will data use be governed, and by whom?
Define roles, responsibilities, policies and procedures to ensure risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, accountability and transparency, with trustees, management, staff, and donors.
Define roles, responsibilities, policies and procedures which will protect everyone from bias and harm, as well as ensuring that AI use remains within the organisation’s ethical guidelines.
AI Strategy vs AI Policy (you’ll need both)
An AI strategy is the high-level plan which lays out how an organisation will use Artificial Intelligence to meet its objectives. Equally important however is your AI Policy. This details the rules, regulations, and guidelines to ensure the secure, responsible, and ethical use of AI within an organisation. For many charities having a published AI Policy is a regulatory requirement. Your AI policy may limit the options for your strategy as it might explicitly prohibit the use of certain data, or the use of specific AI tools. If you don’t already have an AI policy we can help with that too.
Start with Vision and Alignment
The strategy should begin with a clear vision for how AI supports your charity’s broader mission. Rather than treating AI as a separate initiative, it should map directly onto existing strategic priorities, asking where AI can genuinely drive value, not where it can be bolted on.
Map Your Organisation’s Functions
A useful early exercise is identifying core functions: service delivery, fundraising, communications, back-office operations, data and impact measurement, governance and safeguarding, and volunteer management. In each case consider where AI could create efficiencies or improvements, and where it might introduce risk. You should also establish where you are using AI already. It’s worth noting that AI might be embedded in some of the tools you currently use, such as CRM systems and donor analytics.
Establish what data you have available for AI use
It’s vital that you have a clear understanding of what data your organisation currently collects. Is the data high quality, well structured, clean, and accurate? With data you should always emphasise quality over quantity. Is the data readily accessible? Will your AI policy permit the use of this data in AI tools?
Involve Your Team
Gathering feedback from staff is important. This will help you understand current AI use, identify practical roadblocks, and build buy-in. The strategy should encourage innovation rather than stifle it, while still providing clear guardrails.
Prioritise the Right Use Cases
Not all potential applications are worth pursuing. Evaluate ideas against mission value, feasibility, and potential impact. Don’t try to transform everything at once. Starting with small, safe, low-cost experiments is a more sustainable approach.
Take Risks Seriously
Charities face specific risks that need proper consideration: safeguarding concerns (deepfakes, impersonation, misinformation), bias and fairness issues that could disadvantage the people you serve, data privacy and security, digital exclusion, reputational risk, and the impact on staff confidence and wellbeing.
Measure Progress
Define clear metrics for each AI initiative so you can track what’s working, adjust what isn’t, and demonstrate value to trustees and funders over time.
An AI strategy will need to evolve over time
We work with charities to assist them in creating a comprehensive AI strategy, tailored to their organisation.
Without a strategy, AI use in your organisation is potentially fragmented, unplanned, unmeasured, and poorly governed. That creates several risks:
Ungoverned AI adoption (“shadow AI”).
Your staff may use AI anyway – but without oversight. This creates serious risks related to data privacy, inconsistent outputs, and regulatory breaches.
Wasted resources.
Without strategic direction AI use becomes fragmented and uncoordinated. The return on investment is hard to measure and your organisation may not see the productivity gains that AI can deliver.
Talent and capability gaps.
Without a strategy, you won’t have a plan to reskill existing staff or build the internal capability needed to use AI responsibly and effectively long-term.
Reputational damage or regulatory failures.
Biased algorithms, data privacy failures, or impersonal automated communications will erode the trust essential for fundraising. Regulators will hold charities accountable.
Every charity is different. We work with you to develop a comprehensive AI strategy. That means:
A series of conversations and investigations to understand your organisation, mission goals, AI policy, staff and volunteers, current AI use, and data environment. We will help you identify high priority opportunities for the use of AI.
A draft strategy written in plain language. No boilerplate, no generic frameworks; a draft tailored to your organisation and your mission.
A review against your AI policy, the Fundraising Regulator’s current guidance and the Charity Digital Skills Report’s recommendations for responsible AI adoption.
A version suitable for adoption by management and trustees.
Tell us where you are. We’ll tell you what you need. No obligation, no pitch.
Just a useful 30 minutes.