79% of UK charities now use AI in some way. Only 7% review its use and risks at board meetings.

79% of UK charities now use AI in some way. Only 7% review its use and risks at board meetings.

That gap is where trustees are exposed. Staff and volunteers are drafting bids, minutes and newsletters with free chatbots, and AI is switched on inside software charities already pay for. Most boards haven’t discussed it, and 62% of charities with income under £1m have no AI policy at all.

None of the three charity regulators has issued AI guidance for trustees. The duties you already have still apply, along with data protection law and, if you fundraise, the Fundraising Regulator’s AI guidance from last December.

At The Committee Room, where we help small UK charities with plain-English governance, we’re writing a short, practical book for small charity boards on the decisions that are theirs to make: where AI is allowed, what data must never go into it, what to tell donors and funders, how to protect payments from cloned-voice scams, and what to write down. It covers Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you’d like a copy of the 12-question board checklist when it’s ready, comment below or send us a message.