{"id":4655,"date":"2026-04-15T08:31:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/?p=4655"},"modified":"2026-04-15T08:32:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:32:29","slug":"ai-and-charities-why-the-third-sector-is-starting-to-pay-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/ai-and-charities-why-the-third-sector-is-starting-to-pay-attention\/","title":{"rendered":"AI and charities: why the third sector is starting to pay attention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>An interview with Jose Martinez, AI strategist for nonprofits, and a look at where the charity sector really stands on AI adoption in 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The non-profit sector has never been known for moving fast on technology. While businesses raced to adopt cloud tools, CRMs, and automation over the past decade, many nonprofits were still wrestling with basic digital skills, tight budgets, and a healthy scepticism about anything that felt like a distraction from the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But AI is different. And it is forcing even the most cautious organisations to pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));}.kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id4655_b3c62f-5a alignnone wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top\">\n<style>.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column4655_89c458-26{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column4655_89c458-26 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column4655_89c458-26\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1-819x1024.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1-819x1024.avif 819w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1-240x300.avif 240w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1-768x960.avif 768w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1.avif 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column4655_20d3bf-96\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p>We recently sat down with Jose Martinez, the founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/goodagents.network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GoodAgents<\/a>, a consultancy that helps UK charities and social enterprises navigate AI adoption. Jose has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector and made the pivot from digital strategy consulting to AI in 2024. His perspective is refreshingly grounded: less about hype, more about what actually works for organisations with limited budgets, limited technical skills, and very real concerns about data safety.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_numbers_tell_a_clear_story\"><\/span><strong>The numbers tell a clear story<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The pace of AI adoption in UK charities has been striking. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.civilsociety.co.uk\/news\/substantial-growth-in-ai-adoption-as-three-quarters-of-charities-now-use-it.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charity Digital Skills Report 2025<\/a>, 76% of UK charities now use some form of AI tool, up from 61% the year before. The proportion of charities developing an AI policy tripled in the same period, from 16% to 48%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But those headline numbers hide an uncomfortable reality. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nptechforgood.com\/101-best-practices\/ai-marketing-fundraising-statistics-for-nonprofits\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report<\/a> from Virtuous and Fundraising.AI found that while 92% of nonprofits use AI in some form, only 7% reported major improvements in organisational capability. The main reason? 81% of staff use AI individually rather than through shared workflows. In other words, people are experimenting on their own, but organisations have not yet figured out how to make it systematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jose sees this firsthand. &#8220;We start from a very low base,&#8221; he told us. &#8220;Even &#8216;What is Copilot? I have seen the button, but I have never clicked on it.&#8217; That kind of thing. The first thing we need to solve is even very basic knowledge, very basic training and capability.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1024x492.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1024x492.avif 1024w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-300x144.avif 300w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-768x369.avif 768w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-1536x737.avif 1536w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image.avif 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Data_safety_is_the_first_stumbling_block\"><\/span><strong>Data safety is the first stumbling block<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the defining features of the charity sector, compared to the private sector, is the weight placed on data safety and governance. Charities handle sensitive information about vulnerable people, donors, and beneficiaries. The reputational and legal risks of getting data wrong are enormous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jose is unequivocal about this. &#8220;The biggest difference between my sector and others is, first, a lack of investment and money. But also, it is mostly focused on safety and security. Data safety is like the first stumbling block.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is borne out by the wider data. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/charitydigital.org.uk\/topics\/three-ways-charities-can-learn-more-about-ai-in-2026-12444\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TechSoup&#8217;s State of AI in Nonprofits report<\/a>, 70% of nonprofit professionals are concerned about data privacy and security when it comes to AI, while 63% worry about accuracy and 57% about bias. Yet only around half of charities have an AI policy, and many of those are still at the early draft stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/charitycommission.blog.gov.uk\/2024\/04\/02\/charities-and-artificial-intelligence\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">UK&#8217;s Charity Commission published guidance in 2024<\/a> reminding trustees that they remain responsible for decisions, and that AI outputs should not be relied upon uncritically. It is sensible, measured advice, but it also reflects how early the sector still is in building the governance frameworks to match the pace of adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For organisations in the Microsoft ecosystem, which covers a large proportion of UK charities, the integration of Copilot with existing Microsoft 365 tools offers a degree of built-in safety that makes adoption easier. Jose works primarily within this stack for that exact reason. &#8220;Either you are a Microsoft organisation and therefore a Copilot organisation, or you are not and you are willing to take other tools. I separate by technology because that is also a route of separation in my sector.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_training_to_doing\"><\/span><strong>From training to doing<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most interesting shifts Jose described is the evolution of what charities actually need from AI support. The instinct, for consultants and for the organisations themselves, has been to start with training: workshops, webinars, how-to guides. And there is no shortage of free resources available. <a href=\"https:\/\/charitydigital.org.uk\/topics\/three-ways-charities-can-learn-more-about-ai-in-2026-12444\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TechSoup<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ciof.org.uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chartered Institute of Fundraising<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/charitydigital.org.uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charity Digital<\/a>, and others all offer courses and materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Jose found that the market for training alone has become crowded, with a huge amount of high-quality content now available for free. The real challenge, he realised, is that training on its own does not always get organisations over the line. &#8220;A fundraiser in my sector is interested in raising funds. Great, you teach me how this works. Fantastic. But if you tell me exactly what I have to do and how I have to do it, even better.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This insight has pushed Jose towards a model that is much more focused on practical, ready-to-use resources: prompt libraries, pre-built Copilot agents, workflow templates. Things that an organisation can download and start using immediately, rather than needing to translate general training into their specific context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;What I am trying to build is a set of resources that would let organisations not just learn, but just go. The model is the appropriate skills, not just prompts but whatever technology you are selling, and the time to implement those skills.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_individual_not_the_organisation\"><\/span><strong>The individual, not the organisation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most striking point Jose made was about framing. Too much of the conversation about AI adoption in any sector, charities included, is pitched at the organisational level: strategy, governance, transformation roadmaps. Jose argues that this misses the point for most of the people who would actually benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;AI is not about the organisation. It is not about the team. It is about the individual. How is AI going to help you personally in your job?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When he approaches a new engagement, he tries to identify the specific roles and tasks where AI can deliver the most immediate return. For a fundraiser, that might mean automating the research phase of identifying corporate donors. For a communications manager, it might mean generating first drafts of appeals or annual reports. The entry point is always a concrete, personal problem, not an abstract strategic conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach also addresses one of the sector&#8217;s biggest barriers to progress. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.civilsociety.co.uk\/news\/substantial-growth-in-ai-adoption-as-three-quarters-of-charities-now-use-it.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charity Digital Skills Report<\/a> found that a lack of technical expertise or someone to lead on digital was one of the top barriers to digital progress for charities. When you do not have a Chief Digital Officer or an AI lead, the path forward has to start with individuals finding practical value, not with top-down transformation programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_bespoke_to_repeatable\"><\/span><strong>From bespoke to repeatable<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest questions for anyone doing AI implementation in the non-profit sector is scalability. Every organisation feels unique, and in many ways they are. But Jose has found that underneath the surface, the operational pain points are often remarkably similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I try to map a process and split it into sub-processes, and then solve those individually,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;In my world, somebody going after a corporate funder needs to research the funder, create an idea, create a proposal, make the proposal look good. Each of those steps can be supported by AI. And once you have built that for one organisation, you can bring it to others with the same problem.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where the model gets interesting. Charities of the same type, whether they are housing associations, food banks, hospices, or grant-making foundations, often face very similar workflows. A solution built and proven for one can, with relatively small adjustments, be deployed for others. It turns a bespoke consulting engagement into something closer to a repeatable product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jose works with a technical partner for the more complex implementation work, particularly around Microsoft Copilot and agent development, while he leads on strategy, governance, and training. &#8220;I always say we tag-team each other. I am not a technologist. I understand technology. But I thrive more on the strategy, governance, training, and early agent development. Complex agent development and implementation, that is where my partner takes over.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This kind of partnership model may prove essential as the sector scales up its AI ambitions. Few charities will have the budget or need for a full-time AI specialist. But a combination of strategic guidance and targeted technical implementation, delivered by people who understand the sector&#8217;s specific constraints, could fill the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_the_sector_goes_from_here\"><\/span><strong>Where the sector goes from here<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The gap between AI adoption and AI maturity in the charity sector is wide. Most organisations are somewhere between &#8220;some staff are using ChatGPT&#8221; and &#8220;we are starting to think about this strategically.&#8221; Very few have reached the point of deploying custom agents or embedding AI into core workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the trajectory is clear. The combination of tightening budgets, growing workloads, and increasingly capable (and increasingly affordable) AI tools is creating real pressure. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charityexcellence.co.uk\/the-future-of-charity-ai\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charity Excellence Framework&#8217;s analysis<\/a> suggests that AI deployment for fundraising will be the most widespread early use case, and that the full benefit of AI in the sector will take two to five years to materialise, because it depends as much on changing ways of working as on implementing the technology itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Jose, the priority is practical. Build things people can actually use. Start with the individual, not the organisation chart. And acknowledge that in a sector driven by mission, trust, and human relationships, AI is only valuable if it frees up time for the work that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If you are able to target one specific problem, and you approach it from the perspective of &#8216;how is this going to help you personally in your job,&#8217; that is when it starts to work.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2-1024x1024.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4689\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:350px;height:350px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2-1024x1024.avif 1024w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2-300x300.avif 300w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2-150x150.avif 150w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2-768x768.avif 768w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2-1536x1536.avif 1536w, https:\/\/agentaya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-2.avif 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Jose Martinez is the founder of <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/goodagents.network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>GoodAgents<\/em><\/a><em>, which provides AI strategy, training, and automation services for UK nonprofits. You can find him on <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jose-martinez-digital\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>LinkedIn<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article is part of our series <a href=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/case-study\/\" data-type=\"category\" data-id=\"79\">exploring how AI is being adopted <\/a>across different industries and sectors. If you are working on AI adoption in your organisation and want to share your experience, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/contact-us\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"137\"><em>get in touch<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An interview with Jose Martinez, AI strategist for nonprofits, and a look at where the charity sector really stands on&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-study"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4655"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4691,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4655\/revisions\/4691"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agentaya.com\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}