Digital Technology Adoption in the UK Charity Sector: 2024 Project Report

<p dir="ltr">Digital technologies, from smartphones to the Internet of Things, have significantly changed lives, organisations, and societies. The UK, a leader in developing future technologies like artificial intelligence, aims to boost its technology ecosystem, which is central to its economic growth as highlighted in the HM Treasury Autumn Statement 2023.</p><p dir="ltr">The UK's digital sector, with a gross value added growth of 19% since February 2020, outpaces the overall UK economy's 2.3% growth. By 2022, the sector contributed approximately £158 billion, accounting for 7% of the UK's gross value added as of September 2023. Digital technology has also notably impacted the charity sector, enhancing fundraising, marketing, service delivery, and operations, especially accelerated by COVID-19. Yet, over half of UK charities are still in the early stages of digital adoption, and 73% feel unprepared for AI, despite recognising its potential.</p><p dir="ltr">This study explores the opportunities and challenges of digital adoption in the UK charity sector, aiming to understand the facilitators and barriers and offer recommendations for its future digital development.</p>