How artificial intelligence can help local groups

27th Oct 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s rapidly becoming an incredibly useful and accessible tool for everyone – even community groups and charities.

And that’s even if you have limited budgets and technical expertise.

Far from being complex and expensive, many AI tools are now free or very low cost, and incredibly user-friendly. They can help you save time, reach more people, and make a bigger impact. Here are ten simple ideas to get you started, with links to helpful resources.

(This article was generated by Google’s Gemini AI tool, but checked over by a human).

1. Supercharge your social media with AI content generators

Struggling to come up with fresh ideas for your social media posts? AI can be your brainstorming buddy! Tools can help you generate ideas, draft captions, and even suggest relevant hashtags.

How it helps: Saves time, keeps your social media active and engaging, helps you reach a wider audience.
Try: ChatGPT or Google Gemini for drafting posts and ideas. Just ask it to “write 3 social media posts for a local food bank appealing for donations” or “suggest engaging questions for a community garden Facebook page.”
Cost: Free for basic versions.

2. Design eye-catching visuals with AI image creators

Need a flyer for your upcoming event, or a new banner for your website? AI image generators can create stunning visuals even if you’re not a designer.

How it helps: Creates professional-looking marketing materials, saves money on graphic designers, makes your communications more appealing.
Try: Your AI assistant can create images based on your descriptions! For example, “Create an image of a vibrant community garden in full bloom.”
Cost: Many tools offer free tiers or trials.

3. Simplify volunteer recruitment with AI-powered job descriptions

Writing clear and appealing volunteer role descriptions can be time-consuming. AI can help you craft compelling text that attracts the right people.

How it helps: Attracts more suitable volunteers, saves time in drafting, ensures clarity in roles.
Try: Use ChatGPT or Google Gemini to help draft job descriptions. Give it details about the role and your organisation, and ask it to “write a friendly volunteer role description for a befriending service.”
Cost: Free.

4. Enhance grant applications and fundraising appeals

AI can help you refine your grant applications, make your fundraising appeals more persuasive, and even suggest new angles for your proposals.

How it helps: Improves the quality and impact of your written applications, potentially increasing success rates, saves time in writing and editing.
Try: Use Grammarly (free browser extension) for grammar and spelling checks, and ChatGPT to help structure your arguments or brainstorm compelling narratives.
Cost: Grammarly has a robust free version; ChatGPT is free for basic use.

5. Create engaging newsletters and blog posts

Regular communication keeps your community engaged. AI can assist in generating ideas, drafting content, and even personalizing newsletters.

How it helps: Keeps your supporters informed, saves time on content creation, helps maintain consistent communication.
Try: Canva’s Magic Write feature (integrated into their design tool) can help you draft blog posts and newsletter content.
Cost: Canva has a free version with Magic Write included.

6. Summarise long documents and research

Do you have lengthy reports or research papers that you need to digest quickly? AI can summarise key information, saving you valuable time.

How it helps: Quickly grasps essential information, saves time for busy staff and volunteers, helps in strategic planning.
Try: Many AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini can summarise text. Just paste your document (or a link to it) and ask for a summary.
Cost: Free.

7. Generate ideas for fundraising events and campaigns

Stuck for new fundraising ideas? AI can be a great creative partner, offering fresh perspectives and suggestions tailored to your cause.

How it helps: Sparks creativity, generates diverse ideas, helps in planning successful fundraising initiatives.
Try: Ask ChatGPT or Google Gemini to “suggest 10 low-cost fundraising ideas for a local youth charity in Central Scotland” or “brainstorm creative campaigns for a homeless shelter.”
Cost: Free.

8. Improve your website’s accessibility and SEO

Making your website easy to find and use is crucial. AI tools can help you identify areas for improvement in terms of search engine optimisation (SEO) and accessibility.

How it helps: Increases website visibility, makes your site more inclusive, helps more people find your services.
Try: Basic SEO insights can be gained from free tools like Google Search Console. For content, AI tools can help you write clear, descriptive alt-text for images (e.g., “A group of volunteers planting trees in a community park”) to improve accessibility.
Cost: Free for Google tools.

9. Create basic chatbots for FAQs

A simple chatbot on your website or social media can answer common questions instantly, freeing up your team to focus on more complex tasks.

How it helps: Provides instant answers to common queries, improves user experience, reduces workload for staff/volunteers.
Try: Platforms like Tidio offer free plans for basic chatbots that can answer frequently asked questions. They often have drag-and-drop interfaces making them easy to set up.
Cost: Free for basic features.

10. Translate communications for diverse communities

Central Scotland is a diverse region. AI translation tools can help you communicate effectively with non-English speakers, ensuring your message reaches everyone.

How it helps: Increases inclusivity, broadens your reach, helps break down language barriers.
Try: Google Translate is a powerful and free tool for translating text, documents, and even websites.
Cost: Free.

Don’t be intimidated by AI! Start small, experiment with one or two tools, and see the positive difference they can make to your incredible work. The future is here, and it’s ready to help your cause thrive!

Also check out:

AI can help community groups. Photo: AI generated by ImageFX by Google. #AI