The Charity AI Update 2027

Interested in sponsoring this event? Please email [email protected] for more information.

Artificial Intelligence continues to change rapidly, and charities are moving beyond simply experimenting with AI towards finding practical ways to use it across their organisations. 

But as AI becomes part of everyday work, new challenges are emerging. How can you get better results from the tools you’re already using? Where can AI save time and improve the way you work? What should you automate? How do you manage risk? And how can charities make sure their use of AI remains responsible, proportionate and aligned with their values?

The Charity AI Update 2027 is a focused half-day online event designed to bring you up to speed with what’s changed and help you make better use of AI in your charity. 

Throughout the morning, you’ll hear practical examples from charities using AI, see tools and approaches in action and explore the governance and responsible AI considerations you need to be aware of. 

Whether you’re building your confidence or already using AI regularly, there is a stream for you: 

• AI foundations – for those newer to AI or still building confidence and looking for practical ways to use it effectively. 
• AI in practice – for those already using AI who want to go further, explore automation and strengthen their organisation’s approach. 

You’ll leave with practical ideas, examples and next steps that you can take back to your charity. 

Who should attend? 

This event is for anyone working in the charity sector who wants to understand what’s changing in AI and how to use it practically and responsibly. 

It will be especially relevant to: 

• CEOs and Directors 
• IT and digital teams 
• Marketing teams 
• Fundraising teams 
• Operations and service delivery teams 
• AI working groups 
• Trustees 
• Anyone using or exploring AI as part of their role

What’s included in the price?  

• Attendance to the online conference, keynote sessions and session talks 
• Access to all presentations and handouts  
• AI glossary sheet 

Agenda

09.30:  Welcome  

Join us for introductions and housekeeping rules. 

09.40:  What changed in AI in 2026 and what charities need to know for 2027 

AI continues to develop at pace, but not every new tool, feature or headline will matter to your charity. In this opening session, we’ll look at the developments that charities really need to understand as we move into 2027. 

We will also review the biggest AI developments from the past 12 months, how charities are using AI differently and new and emerging tools and capabilities. 

10.15:  Breakout sessions 

AI foundations 

Getting better results from AI 

Perhaps you’ve experimented with ChatGPT, Copilot or another AI tool but aren’t always sure how to get useful results. Or maybe you’ve started using AI but want to build your confidence and understand how to use it more effectively. 

In this practical session, we’ll explore: 

• How to choose the right AI tool for the task 
• How to give AI better instructions and context 
• Simple ways to improve poor AI outputs 
• How to check accuracy and spot potential problems 
• What information you should and shouldn’t share with AI tools 
• Practical examples of everyday charity tasks where AI can help 

AI in practice 

Beyond AI chat: Getting AI to work across your tools 

AI is moving beyond standalone conversations. Connected AI can increasingly work across the tools, information and systems you already use, helping you complete more complex tasks without constantly switching between them. 

In this practical session, we’ll follow a charity task from start to finish using either ChatGPT Work, Claude Cowork or Copilot Cowork to show what connected AI can look like in practice. You’ll see how AI can find and bring together information from different sources, work across your tools and help you take action – all from one conversation. 

You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of connected AI, how it differs from everyday AI chat and where it could be useful in your charity. 

This session is best suited to those already using AI tools and looking to explore the next stage of what AI can do. 

11.00:  Break 

11.15:  Charity AI journeys: What does it really look like? 

There is no single way to introduce AI into a charity. What works for one organisation may look very different for another depending on its size, resources, needs and ambitions. 

In this case study session, we’ll hear from charities at different stages of their AI journey. They’ll share what they’ve tried, what’s worked, what hasn’t and what they’ve learned along the way. You’ll hear honest examples of what implementing AI really looks like and ideas you can adapt for your own organisation. 

12.00:  Breakout sessions 

AI foundations 

Responsible AI in everyday work: What you need to know 

Using AI responsibly doesn’t need to mean becoming an expert in technology, law or ethics. But everyone using AI needs to understand some basic principles. This practical, beginner-friendly session will explore: 

• What information is safe to share with AI tools 
• Using personal and sensitive data appropriately 
• How to check AI-generated information 
• Understanding bias and potential discrimination 
• Copyright and intellectual property considerations 
• When you should be transparent about using AI 
• Environmental considerations 
• Simple steps you can take to use AI safely and responsibly 

AI in practice 

From data to impact: Using AI to understand and demonstrate the difference you make 

Understanding and demonstrating impact is essential for charities, but making sense of all the evidence you collect can take significant time and resource. In this session, we’ll explore how AI can help you analyse monitoring data, feedback and other evidence to identify patterns, understand outcomes and build a clearer picture of the difference your work is making. We’ll also look at how AI can support impact reporting and storytelling, while considering accuracy, sensitive information and where human judgement remains essential. 

This session is best suited to those already using AI tools and looking to explore more advanced ways of using AI for analysis, evaluation and impact. 

12.45:  Who’s in control? Managing AI across your charity 

As AI becomes more connected to the tools and information we use every day, staying in control is becoming more important. AI can increasingly access information, work across systems and take actions on our behalf – but what should it be allowed to do, and when should a human step in? 

In this session, we’ll explore practical and proportionate AI oversight, including permissions and access, what AI should be allowed to read, change or send, and where human approval remains essential. We’ll also consider accountability and transparency, alongside useful lessons from the EU AI Act and what charities can take from its principles as good practice. 

13.15:  Five things to do next 

In this short closing session, we’ll bring together the key learning from the event and focus on five practical actions you can take next. 

13.25:  Event closes

Ticket prices

Early bird: deadline Monday 30 November 2026 

• Band A: £75  
• Band B: £85 
• Band C: £105 

Regular price bands from Tuesday 1 December 2026 

• Band A: £95 
• Band B: £105 
• Band C: £125