Putting AI to Work: Everyday Tasks Charities Can Start Automating
How to go from small experiments to everyday time-savers with AI.
If you’ve been exploring AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot — even just a little — you might now be wondering:
What can we actually do with this?
The answer: a lot more than you think.
You don’t need to wait for a strategy, a system, or a sign-off from your board to start using AI in small, useful ways right now. You just need to connect it to the real tasks you already do every day — the repetitive, time-consuming, admin-heavy work that drains your team’s time and energy.
This blog is about putting AI to work — using it to simplify your day, save time, and free up your people for what matters most.
You’re Ready to Do More Than Experiment
If you’ve read our earlier blogs, you’ll know the goal isn’t to become an expert or build something complex. It’s to find small wins that make a difference.
You’ve tried a few prompts. Played with a few tools. Now it’s time to integrate AI into real work.
6 Everyday Tasks Where AI Can Help
Let’s look at the kinds of jobs that show up again and again in small charities and social enterprises — and how AI can lighten the load.
1. Writing Supporter Communications
You can use AI to help draft:
Fundraising emails
Thank-you messages
Newsletter content
Event invitations
🛠 Try this with: ChatGPT or Copilot
💡 Prompt idea: “Write a warm thank-you email for supporters who donated during our March campaign, focusing on the impact of their support.”
2. Summarising Reports or Meetings
Whether it’s a project report, a board paper, or a call transcript, AI can:
Pull out key themes
Suggest next steps
Create summaries in plain English
🛠 Try this with: Claude or Copilot
💡 Prompt idea: “Summarise this report in 3 bullet points, using simple language for a non-expert audience.”
3. Drafting Funding Proposals and Applications
You still need to tailor and refine, but AI can:
Structure a first draft
Suggest language based on your impact reports
Make your case more concise or compelling
🛠 Try this with: ChatGPT or Gemini
💡 Prompt idea: “Draft a 300-word answer about our project’s impact using this raw data and quotes.”
4. Analysing Open-Text Survey Responses
Instead of reading through hundreds of comments manually, AI can:
Identify recurring themes
Highlight standout quotes
Spot potential issues
🛠 Try this with: Claude or ChatGPT
💡 Prompt idea: “What are the top 3 themes from these responses? Include one quote for each theme.”
5. Tidying Up Data or Spreadsheets
AI can:
Format inconsistent entries
Suggest categories or tags
Check for missing information
🛠 Try this with: Copilot or Gemini in Excel/Sheets
💡 Prompt idea (in a spreadsheet): “Categorise this list of partner organisations by theme based on their name and description.”
6. Creating Ideas or Content Drafts
Whether you need inspiration for events, blog titles, or social posts, AI can:
Generate options quickly
Match tone to your audience
Help you avoid the blank page
🛠 Try this with: ChatGPT or Gemini
💡 Prompt idea: “Give me 5 blog title ideas for an update on our youth mentoring programme.”
Keep It Small and Useful
You don’t need to transform everything. Just pick one task — something you or your team do every week — and test how AI can help.
Start with internal work (drafting, writing, summarising)
Use tools you already have access to (like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace)
Focus on time savings and improved clarity — not perfection
The goal is to lighten the load, not replace human judgement.
Bring Your Team Along
If you’re a leader, show your team how you’re using AI in your own work. It signals permission to try. It builds confidence.
A few ways to embed this into team culture:
Create an “AI Wins” channel on Slack or Teams
Run a short weekly check-in: “What did AI help you with this week?”
Encourage peer learning, not top-down instruction
You don’t need to be the expert. Just the enabler.
Start Now, Reflect Later
You don’t need to define an AI strategy before trying AI. In fact, experimentation is the best way to figure out what your strategy should be.
Start now. Reflect later. Learn what fits your team, your culture, your mission.
Your Next Step
You don’t need to learn everything.
You just need to log in, try something, and see what happens.
Choose one tool from the list above. Set aside 20 minutes. Pick one task you’d love to do faster or better. And give it a go.
Your organisation is already using AI. Now’s the time to use it on purpose.
Want help figuring out what to how best to experiment — or how to bring your team along? Join our early list for resources and guidance.