How can you do good, be more effective and save money?

Getting noticed

For about ten years, I have used a headline tester, which is free. The Headline Analyzer is quite an old form of AI. Here is the link if you are interested. I used the tool to develop the headline for this blog, and here are my attempts in order. I did not think the first one would be so poor, and nor did I know the last one would be so good. Still, I do know that when I have done testing using different headlines for emails, the higher-scoring words get the email opened more often.

"How AI could transform your charity or social enterprise?" 11.11%

"A practical guide to AI for any organisation that wants to change the world for the better" 23.53%

This score indicates that your headline has a total of 23.53% Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) Words. Your headline's score is based on a scale of 0-100%. To put this score in perspective, the English language contains approximately 20% EMV words. For comparison, most professional copywriters' headlines will typically have 30%-40% EMV Words in their headlines.

"Do you want to change the world for the better? Learn how AI can help" 26.67%

"How can you do good, be more effective and save money? The role of AI" 33.33%

And the one I used which attracted you to read this

"How can you do good, be more effective and save money?" 45.45%

Improving/speeding up your writing

I am also typing this into Grammarly, which I have also used for some years, initially for its review suggestions - without it, my sentences can get overly long, and my use of "This" becomes confusing, and it tells me off about all the time for This! What does this refer to, bad girl? Latterly, you can use it to "write with generative AI", which includes:

• Improve it (under rewrite, which will offer other options such as making it more persuasive )
• Identify any gaps (I have never used this and will now try as I produce this blog and highlight what it has added). This is listed under evaluate, which also includes:
  • Give me ideas for improvement
  • Pick out my main point

Bits of the generative AI I have never used are Ideate, which will generate ideas of questions and Write, which includes write a project progress report, ask a favour, write an engaging introductory email, a thank you note or tell a story. It contains ideas for school projects as well.

How much is AI being used in the VCSE sector?

When I inquired about Copilot, a feature in Microsoft 365, it gathered much of its information from a blog I subsequently explored. In summary, in 2023, 44% of small charities and 64% of large charities reported using or planning to use AI. Additionally, 47% of charity organisations in the UK are already using AI tools to reduce labour costs.

An example of an AI-developed solution

Generative AI can act as a super-effective assistant. With it, you can, in theory, automate tasks like content creation, drafting briefs, or generating impact reports and tasks like minute taking, allowing you to focus more on advancing your core mission while AI helps streamline repetitive tasks. However, while it can be trained and pick up your personality as an organisation, AI content is often very obvious because it is a bit like a shop-bought cake, much more bland than homemade.

I posed this question to Copilot and asked it to use Deep search.

"Visualise a charity helping old people using AI tools to help them"

It came up with this picture and words

Imagine a community centre bathed in warm light and vibrant colours—a safe haven where elderly individuals come together to feel supported, engaged, and connected. At the heart of this space, a charity—let's call it "Golden Horizons"—uses an integrated suite of AI tools designed specifically for older adults.

In one corner, seniors interact with friendly voice-activated assistants that gently remind them when it's time to take their medications or attend a scheduled doctor's appointment. These devices, designed with simple interfaces and large, clear displays, provide an accessible entry point into the digital world. Nearby, a dedicated AI chatbot, programmed with empathy and conversational nuance, chats with those who crave social interaction, easing the weight of loneliness with stories, jokes, and even gentle puzzles that keep their minds active.

Off to the side, advanced wearable sensors continuously monitor vital signs and detect unusual patterns—like a sudden fall or a significant change in heart rate. These tools instantly notify on-call caregivers, ensuring that help is never far away. This interconnected system not only addresses immediate health concerns but also builds a data-driven profile for each person, allowing the charity to tailor care plans and community programs more effectively.

Beyond health and safety, Golden Horizons leverages AI to empower its members through digital literacy classes. Interactive, AI-driven tutorials and personalised guidance enable seniors to master email, video calling, and even social media, bridging the gap between generations and fostering connections with distant family members. In this digital age, AI is not just a tool—it's a gateway to unlocking newfound independence, creativity, and confidence.

This vision of a charity helping older people illustrates a harmonious blend of technology and compassion. The AI tools are thoughtfully integrated—not to replace human touch, but to enhance it, ensuring that every individual feels seen, heard, and cared for.

There's so much more to explore about this intersection of technology and social good. For instance, we could delve into specific challenges of implementing AI in elder care, or examine real-life case studies of organisations innovating in this space.

What aspect interests you the most? (Copilot asks at the end of its answer)

I then asked:

Can you provide examples of charities using AI for elderly care?

Certainly! Here are some examples of charities leveraging AI for elderly care:

1. Whzan Guardian: This AI-powered technology uses sensors placed around the home to monitor elderly individuals living independently. It detects deviations in behavior or changes in the living space, helping prevent falls and reducing emergency callouts.
2. Senior Talk: A chatbot tailored for elderly individuals living autonomously. It allows loved ones to customise the chatbot's persona based on age, gender, hobbies, and interests, ensuring meaningful and engaging interactions.

Real example of AI in elderly care

More research into Whzan Guardian resulted in this great example:

You can find all the details here on the Department of Health and Social Care website.

Whzan Guardian, a UK-developed technology, is a monitoring system that uses 4D mapping technology to track people's movement around the house and detect falls through sensors placed around the home.

Pilots in several care homes across England resulted in a 66% reduction in falls and around a 97.5% reduction in ambulances called or required post fall, reducing pressure on the NHS and protecting vulnerable residents. It is going to be rolled out further.

The technology will deliver savings for taxpayers, as falls cost the NHS around £2 billion every year. The Vayyar technology that would be deployed alongside the Guardian Kit from Whzan has been installed across 2 ICB areas in and has been reviewed over 8-month pilots. The system saved the local authorities and NHS in each area £29,945 and £272,850 respectively.

Other examples of AI being used for good

• NSPCC Childline: Focused on young people, the AI chatbot used by NSPCC demonstrates how AI can enhance helpline services. Used to triage helpline calls, this chatbot engages with young people while they wait to speak to a counsellor, ensuring they feel supported and providing relevant information. Similar technology could be adapted for other groups, such as the elderly, providing instant support and triaging calls.
• Charity Excellence: An AI chatbot designed to assist with governance and policy issues. It answers FAQs, drafts policies, and provides solutions to common challenges faced by charities. As charities explore AI, they must also consider ethical implications, such as algorithmic bias and data privacy. Charity Excellence is developing a framework to guide charities in adopting AI responsibly and ethically.
• Parkinson's UK: Partnered with Dataro to apply machine learning techniques to their direct mail fundraising campaigns. This resulted in a 14% response rate compared to 8% for traditional methods. Dataro uses predictive AI to optimise fundraising by analysing donor data and predicting which donors are most likely to give. It helps charities target their outreach more effectively, improving donor retention and campaign efficiency.
• Prostate Cancer UK used AI to analyse donor data, significantly improving the effectiveness of their Christmas appeal. By employing predictive analytics, they achieved a higher response rate and increased net revenue , showcasing the potential of AI to enhance fundraising strategies.
• charity: water: Launched a chatbot called 'Walk with Yeshi' to raise awareness about the water crisis in Ethiopia. This interactive experience enabled users to engage with the story in real-time, merging AI technology with storytelling to captivate donors.
• The Children’s Society: Experimented with Microsoft Translator to facilitate communication with non-English speaking refugees, enhancing their support services
• Apimondia, the charity for beekeepers, has successfully used stylised AI-generated images to depict the danger to bees from climate change
• Caddy by Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford (CASORT): is an AI-powered assistant that draws information from GOV.UK and Citizens Advice's own website, and propriety knowledge base, to help advisors find information more quickly. They are also piloting an AI solution that will help automate case notes, which is so far saving up to 50% of write-up time
• RNIB: provides a paid service that converts documents—such as bank statements, exam papers, mortgage applications, and prescriptions—into accessible formats for individuals with sight loss. They have developed an AI-based solution called Mailings to streamline and scale this process. The charity estimates that the conversion time has decreased from as much as two weeks to approximately three hours thanks to the AI solution. This significant time reduction allows them to take on more clients and generate additional revenue.

Examples of tools you might find useful as a charity or social enterprise

• Handwritten: an AI tool that uses writing robots to produce authentic, handwritten cards that don't look mass-produced. It lets charities maintain a personal touch in their communications as they grow larger. Donors are more likely to stay engaged when they feel personally valued, and receiving a physical note rather than a generic email can leave a lasting impression
• Evolve 3: This tool simplifies the grant application process by using generative AI to draft funding applications, saving time and effort for small charities.
• Craiyon or Microsoft's Copilot: Previously visually interesting content for websites and documents relied on in-house photography, royalty free images or stock photography. Now, you can simply visit tools like Craiyon or Microsoft's Copilot built into your Microsoft Edge browser and write a description of what you want. You can refine it as you go
• DeepL: Excels in accurate language translation.
• Soundraw: Helps users create royalty-free music tailored to their needs, perfect for content creators
• Gamma.app simplifies the creation of presentations, documents, and even interactive websites. It was developed to bridge the gap between complex design tools and user-friendly interfaces, enabling users to generate professional content effortlessly. This makes it easier for charities to share their mission, impact, and updates with stakeholders through polished, interactive formats, without needing the normal IT skills and letting staff focus on their core activities. To get started, Gamma only needs a simple prompt such as "Create a pitch deck on 10 activities that help those who are neurodivergent adults from a mix of cultural backgrounds." You will then get a content outline for each slide and use your style of words and choose imagery. Not only does Gamma generate an online version of the slides, you can export to PDF or Powerpoint. The free version is limited to creating 10 slides. If you need to produce longer presentations, pricing starts at £6 per month.

Conclusion

While AI can help save money by increasing productivity and efficiency and automating tasks, I hope 2025 will be the year more charities explore AI as an income stream. I would love to work with anyone to come up with ideas.

I am sure that funders will be attracted to bids that include the development of AI that will offer long-term benefits to organisations.

Want more ideas on innovation and using technology:

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