New guidance for charities using Artificial Intelligence in fundraising

The Fundraising Regulator has published guidance for charities on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in fundraising to help them comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice. 

The guide covers a range of issues including accountability, trustee engagement and oversight, risk assessments and protecting the charity.

Organisations that are planning on using AI are advised to test it first and develop and agree an AI policy and to publish it on their website to maintain trust and transparency. They are also encouraged to make clear AI generated content so that donors don’t mistake it for real situations or people and where chatbots are used for fundraising. This policy should be reviewed regularly, and I would suggest it becomes a standard item on the agenda of trustee meetings.

One of the most important considerations for charities is if AI can access personal data and how that will be managed securely. It is important to understand how AI will interact with all IT systems to ensure that they cannot be compromised and that privacy protection remains in place.

In using AI for fundraising, charities are encouraged to be transparent at all times to uphold trust and to remain accountable. There also needs to be a process in place for human oversight, to check accuracy, fairness and legality of any content created by AI before it is used for fundraising purposes. There should also be measures in place to monitor and audit AI’s use where it is used without human oversight, for example chatbots, telephone bots or virtual assistants.

It is also recommended that all use and decisions around AI content are recorded in case there is a complaint or an investigation by the Fundraising Regulator.

Currently it is not recommended that information which isn’t in the public domain is used in publicly available or open access AI platforms and any content generated should be checked for accuracy and ensure it won’t leave the charity open to a legal challenge, for example under intellectual property law, contract law or data protection legislation in the future.

Whilst AI is set to transform many of the repetitive and time-consuming processes for charities and organisations alike, it should be approached with caution for wider uses across the organisation.

The full guidance can be found here. If you would like any assistance navigating these changes, please do not hesitate to get in touch.