July 23, 2026
AI is transforming how people discover charities.
AI is transforming how people discover charities, creating new opportunities for organisations of every size to reach supporters, beneficiaries and partners.
The way people search for information is changing faster than at any point since the advent of Google. Increasingly, people are turning to AI-powered search tools to ask questions, seek recommendations and discover organisations that can help them. For charities, this represents far more than a technological shift. It is a profound opportunity to reach new supporters, volunteers, beneficiaries and partners in entirely new ways.
Recent research has revealed something particularly encouraging for the voluntary sector: an organisation’s size and the number of keywords it ranks for in traditional search engines no longer determine its visibility within AI-generated search results. In other words, bigger does not necessarily mean better.
For many charities, this should be welcome news.
Historically, larger organisations with substantial marketing budgets have often dominated online search. Smaller charities, despite delivering exceptional impact, have frequently struggled to compete against national brands with dedicated digital teams and significant advertising spend.
AI search has the potential to level that playing field.
Rather than simply rewarding organisations with the greatest volume of content, AI increasingly prioritises authority, relevance, clarity and trustworthiness. It seeks to answer people’s questions directly, drawing upon sources that demonstrate genuine expertise and credibility.
This is where charities have a natural advantage.
Every day, charities generate knowledge that changes lives. They publish research, deliver frontline services, campaign for change, support vulnerable communities and develop expertise that commercial organisations often cannot replicate. Much of this insight has traditionally remained buried within annual reports, policy papers and specialist guidance.
Now, that knowledge has the opportunity to become far more discoverable.
The challenge for the sector is to harness this opportunity while ensuring innovation remains ethical, trustworthy and environmentally sustainable.
The challenge is ensuring it is presented in ways that AI systems can easily understand. Clear writing, authoritative evidence, well-structured websites, accessible content and regularly updated information are becoming increasingly important. Organisations that invest in digital quality today are likely to benefit from greater visibility tomorrow.
However, as charities embrace AI, they should also recognise the environmental implications of this technological revolution. Training and operating large AI models requires significant computing power, consuming considerable amounts of electricity and water in data centres around the world. For organisations whose missions often include environmental sustainability, responsible stewardship and social justice, this presents an important ethical consideration.
The answer is not to reject AI, but to use it wisely. Charities can adopt AI where it demonstrably improves efficiency, enhances accessibility and increases impact, while avoiding unnecessary or wasteful use. Equally, technology companies have a responsibility to continue investing in more energy-efficient infrastructure, renewable energy and lower-carbon computing. Innovation and sustainability must advance together rather than compete with one another.
Better AI visibility is about far more than marketing. It means more people finding support when they need it most. It means potential donors discovering causes they may never have encountered. It means policymakers, journalists and corporate partners accessing trusted expertise more easily. Ultimately, it means greater impact.
Digital transformation should therefore become a strategic priority discussed in boardrooms and embraced across the whole organisation. Charities have always adapted to changing circumstances while remaining true to their purpose. AI search represents the next chapter in that journey.
The organisations that succeed will be those that embrace AI thoughtfully, using it to amplify human expertise rather than replace it, while remaining mindful of its environmental footprint. In an increasingly AI-driven world, trust, authority, authenticity and responsible innovation will become every bit as valuable as search rankings themselves. If the charity sector can harness AI ethically and sustainably, this technological revolution could become one of the greatest opportunities it has seen in a generation.
Contact Us
For an informal and confidential discussion, please contact our Founder & CEO, Philip Nelson, via email at philip.nelson@thehiringdept.com.
Philip has over twenty years of experience in executive search and currently serves as the Chair of the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation, a trustee of Coram Beanstalk, and he is the Green Party’s spokesperson on Heritage & Leisure.
