Free AI Tools and Guides Every UK Charity Should Know About
If you’ve been hearing about AI and wondering if it could help your charity, you're not alone. While it might sound technical, there are many AI tools charity teams can use to make tasks like writing content, designing graphics, and saving time on admin easier. The best part? You don’t need a big budget or tech background to give these AI tools a go.
There are some brilliant free tools and guides available to help you get started, including Give as you Live’s AI Hub in your Marketing Toolkit. In this blog, we’ve rounded up our top picks so you can explore what works for your charity.
Contents:
- What is AI, and why are charities using it?
- 3 AI tools your charity should consider
- Useful AI guides for charities
- Give as you Live's free AI Hub
- AI Prompts to try
- Make the most of Give as you Live
What is AI, and why are charities using it?
Put simply, artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that can help you complete tasks faster or more creatively, like writing, planning, analysing or designing.
For charities, that could mean:
• Drafting supporter emails or social posts
• Coming up with ideas for a new campaign
• Summarising a report or funding application
• Automating small admin jobs
You don’t need to be technical to try it - just open to experimenting with the right tools. For more information, be sure to check out our free practical guide to AI.
3 AI tools your charity should consider
These free or discounted digital tools for charities can help you explore AI safely and productively, even if you're just getting started.
1. Canva
Great for: Social media, posters, newsletters, email graphics.
Eligible charities can unlock Canva’s premium features for free, including their AI-powered Magic Write tool. It can help you generate headlines, captions, and text for all sorts of fundraising content - without starting from scratch.
2. ChatGPT
Great for: Writing emails, campaign ideas, and supporter messaging.
ChatGPT is a tool that can generate copy, suggest campaign themes, and help brainstorm ideas. Nonprofits can get up to 50% off premium plans, giving you access to more powerful features and faster responses.
3. HubSpot
Great for: Donor management, email campaigns, supporter journeys.
HubSpot’s CRM includes automation, AI marketing tools, and analytics, and charities can save 40% on all products. It’s ideal for managing supporter relationships and boosting your digital comms.
Useful AI Guides for Charities
Whether you're brand new to AI or looking to expand how you use it in your charity comms, fundraising or admin, these resources are packed with practical advice, examples, and easy-to-follow support.
🔗 Charity Digital: AI Resources
Case studies, guides, and tools tailored to the third sector.
🔗 CharityComms: AI Hub
A brilliant roundup of articles, expert insights, and ethical AI discussions.
🔗 Give as you Live: Useful Links & Resources
A free collection of training links, tools, and articles to help your charity explore AI confidently.
Our free AI Hub, built for charities like yours
We’ve created our own AI Hub - a free space inside your charity account packed with everything you need to explore AI with confidence.
Inside the Hub, you’ll find:
- A simple guide to using AI in your charity
- Real prompt examples you can copy and tweak
- A jargon-free glossary of common AI terms
- Links to free AI training and articles
- A guide to avoiding bias and using AI ethically
Whether you’re curious or confident, either way, it’s a great place to learn, explore, and use AI for good.
Prompt to get started
AI tools like ChatGPT work best when you give them clear, creative prompts. Here are two simple examples to try:
- “Write a friendly supporter email asking for volunteers for a fundraising event in August.”
- “Suggest five catchy slogans for a local food bank donation appeal.”
Explore more example prompts in our Practical AI guide, available inside our AI Hub.
Make the most of Give as you Live
Whether you're already signed up or just getting started with digital fundraising, here are a few tips to help you get the most from your account, including more ways to access our AI hub and free resources.
Download the Tap to Donate App
Collect donations in person at events, in the office, or on the go - no kit required. Available for you and your supporters to use, for free.
Subscribe to our Fortnightly Resources
Get fresh marketing resources, handy guides and webinar invites sent straight to your inbox. Subscribe for updates!
Browse your Charity Toolkit
From social posts to ready-made fundraising assets - spend 5 minutes exploring your toolkit and discover time-saving resources.
Customise your Donate Button
Add a branded donate button to your website to take one-off or repeat donations, all tracked and secure.
AI can help any UK charity work smarter – from writing content to managing comms and saving time on admin. With the right AI guides and tools, it’s easier than ever to get started. That’s why we’ve built the Give as you Live AI Hub – packed with resources, tips, and real examples to help your charity explore AI with confidence.
New to Give as you Live?
Since 2010, we’ve helped raised £40 million for UK charities. Our platform is completely free to use, and gives you access to:
Give as you Live Online: Earn free donations when your supporters shop online at over 6,000 retailers.
Give as you Live Donate: Take direct donations, create Campaign Pages, and collect in-person donations with our Tap to Donate app.
Give as you Live Instore: Supporters raise funds while shopping in supermarkets or high street stores via our e-gifts and vouchers.
Offers, donation rates and participating stores are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change. Please visit the Give as you Live Online website for the most up to date information.
Ready to get started?
Start shopping today - just choose a charity, enter a few details and you can be raising in minutes.