Kellie E. Smith
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Articles by Kellie E. Smith
How to build a mentally healthy workplace
Poor mental health is one of the most pressing challenges facing the UK workforce today. According to the Mental Health Foundation’s latest research, more than one in five workers (22%) in the UK experience poor mental health at work. That’s 7.2 million people. We found that the number of workers struggling with their mental health has increased significantly. The number has risen by two-thirds (66%) over the past 15 years, an increase of 2.9 million people since 2009.
Annual fundraising strategy: a three-step guide for charities
We explore how charities can plan an effective fundraising strategy for the coming year, with a new guide from fundraising experts iRaiser As the end of the year approaches, charities across Europe find themselves at a strategic crossroads. Digital fundraising managers and non-profit leaders face the dual challenge of preparing next year’s fundraising strategy while delivering immediate end-of-year revenue targets simultaneously.
Podcast: Interview with Nick Gardham, CEO, Community Organisers
ao link Laura Stanley Content Manager CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Artificial IntelligenceCyber securityLeadershipMarketingSector Perspectives Laura Stanley Content Manager CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Laura Stanley Should we trust AI agents?Sponsored Article Charity Digital Academy Our courses aim, in just three hours, to enhance soft skills and hard skills, boost your knowledge of finance and artificial intelligence, and supercharge your digital capabilities.
Charity Digital welcomes Imran Sanaullah MBE as CEO
Imran Sanaullah MBE has joined Charity Digital as Chief Executive in its 25th year, bringing with him a wealth of experience leading the charity sector Charity Digital is delighted to announce Imran Sanaullah MBE has joined as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), succeeding Maria Timon Samra, who has served as Interim CEO for the past 20 months.
Three questions to help you be intentional about digital projects
There is always something else your charity could be doing. Whether it’s a new social platform to join, a new technology to test, or another audience to reach, there are always new opportunities demanding to be seized. And with artificial intelligence (AI) bringing with it an entirely new list of tools charities are being told they should understand, adopt, or prepare for, it is easy to feel frankly overwhelmed by opportunity, than sustained by it.
Podcast: Interview with Hannah Cunliffe, Direction, National Historic Ships UK
Welcome to the latest in our series of interviews with charity leaders and digital experts in the sector,looking at how they work with digital and what digital tools they most value. In this episode, we spoke to Hannah Cunliffe, Director at National Historic Ships UK. National Historic Ships is a fascinating organisation, offering support and guidance to registered historic vessels around the UK and raising the profile of maritime heritage projects and the various challenges they face.
Podcast: Interview with Hannah Cunliffe, Director, National Historic Ships UK
Welcome to the latest in our series of interviews with charity leaders and digital experts in the sector,looking at how they work with digital and what digital tools they most value. In this episode, we spoke to Hannah Cunliffe, Director at National Historic Ships UK. National Historic Ships is a fascinating organisation, offering support and guidance to registered historic vessels around the UK and raising the profile of maritime heritage projects and the various challenges they face.
An introduction to social return on investment
As a charity, knowing your social return on investment (SROI) is one way to help you understand whether the money and resources you spend are being used effectively to achieve your mission. It goes beyond showing how much money you’ve raised or how many people have taken part in a programme. Instead, it helps you to explain what’s changed as a result of your work, and the value of those changes.
How to conduct a cyber security drill
Charities imagine it’ll never happen to them, until it happens to them. Cyber-attacks are prevalent in our sector because charities often have plenty of sensitive data, outdated systems, limited resources, and a need to redirect funds to service users. Our good work leaves us vulnerable. But charities can improve cyber security with simple steps, without breaking the bank. They can employ strong passwords, frequently update devices, and offer regular cyber security training to their teams.
How to plan digital projects
We explore how totransform ideas into realityto make a bigger difference with digital The information in this article is a preview of the guidance included in the Charity Digital Strategy Accelerator for Scotland (CDSA for Scotland). The CDSA for Scotland is a free and interactive course that guides you through the journey of creating a digital strategy that is impactful, realistic, and forward-thinking.
How to raise more funds with data-driven digital marketing
Digital marketing is anything you do to promote your charity online. That could be anything from sharing your impact through supporter emails, posting helpful information for your service users on social media, or updating the donations page on your website. From a fundraising perspective, digital marketing allows you to meet your supporters (and potential donors) wherever they already spend their time online. And every marketing communication, brings an opportunity to raise more funds.
Podcast: Do charities need a digital strategy?
With limited time, and rising service demand, it can be difficult for charities to stop and take stock of where we’re actually at with digital as a sector. Fortunately, every year the Charity Digital Skills report gives us a vital insight into how charities are progressing with technology, how they are using it to support their mission, and what opportunities they’re looking to grasp in the next twelve months.
How to make AI more environmentally friendly
Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered an exciting prospect for the charity sector – offering transformative efficiencies and cost savings in areas like impact reporting, grant applications, and through the automation of financial operations and administrative processes. However, success in the charity sector is underpinned by strict ethical conditions, with higher expectations around transparency, responsible decision-making, and public trust.
Webinar: Smarter volunteer reimbursement – what charities are getting wrong
Volunteers are the backbone of every charity, but many are still covering costs out of pocket and waiting weeks to be reimbursed. Finance teams already face myriad pressures, buried in spreadsheets and chasing missing receipts. Leadership teams don’t know the extent of the issue until their year-end reports reveal the gaps.
How to oversee AI outputs
Charities need oversight of AI to avoid using bias, inaccuracy, and harm in their work. This article explains some of the key areas that organisations should check to make sure AI usage and outputs are appropriate In the last year, more charities have been using artificial intelligence (AI), according to the Charity Digital Skills Report 2026. So, it’s more important than ever that organisations have processes in place to manage their use of AI.
Evolve and Reconnect
Membership Events News Entrepreneurship Centre of Learning Join Women in Business with our partner Tarasis Enterprises in a relaxed and supportive space for women to pause, reflect and reconnect! Join us for a calming and inspiring morning designed for any woman ready to pause, reflect and consider what’s next-whether you’re in business, returning to work or simply exploring a new direction.
Top insights from the Charity Digital Skills Report 2026
‘The Charity Digital Skills Report’ is the annual barometer of all things digital in the charity sector. With a record 807 charities taking part in the research in 2026, this year’s report has perhaps found more transformation in the sector than ever before in the nine years since its inception. The 2026 report reveals a changed sector driven by the greater adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) – but it also finds that charities need more support and funding to manage this change.
The Leadership Series: Shaping strategy that delivers
On Thursday 12 November 2026, Charity Digital invites you to the first of our Leadership Series events: ‘Building strategy that delivers’. Leadership is essential for building and delivering a successful charity strategy. It integrates day-to-day operations into the bigger picture and brings everyone along with your vision – but to achieve this, leadership needs to extend beyond the executive tier, across all levels of your organisation.
Webinar: How to create a digital strategy
A digital strategy can help you foresee the digital tools and skills that will be needed ahead of time, understand your role in the wider world, and be empowered to take the digital actions best suited to your charity. These are just some of the many reasons why nearly half of charities (44%) say that developing a strategy for tech, digital, data, or AI is important to them in 2026. But currently, less than a third (28%) of charities have a digital strategy in place.
Take our Conscious AI survey
Help us to understand the charity sector’s hopes and fears about AIand shape our guidance aroundresponsible use ofthe technology Four in five charities are using artificial intelligence (AI), according to the 2026 Charity Digital Skills report. Yetmore than a third express distrust in AI tools, amid concerns around data privacy, quality, and the potential for bias and discrimination.
How and why to invest in wellbeing
Recent UK data shows that around 828,000 employees experience work-related stress, depression, or anxiety each year. This statistic shows that employers need to develop and implement wellbeing initiatives in the workplace to support their staff. This article explores why wellbeing is important for both people and organisations and how charity leaders can look after their colleagues.
Podcast: What is AI burnout?
Laura Stanley Content Manager CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Lisa Chomette Head Of Strategic Growth, Partnerships CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Josie Sparling Senior Content Writer and Editor CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Cyber securityLeadershipMarketingSector Perspectives Laura Stanley Content Manager CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Lisa Chomette Head Of Strategic Growth, Partnerships CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST Josie Sparling Senior Content Writer and Editor CHARITY DIGITAL TRUST
A guide to charity advocacy campaigns
An advocacy campaign can be hugely powerful. It can drive changes to law, policies, or community attitudes, meaning you can help people on a far larger scale than supporting individuals. Campaigns might involve raising awareness, lobbying for better funding, or pushing for changes in legislation. And all that can lead to significant systemic change. Take, for example: The British Red Cross who advocated for Application Registration Cards to be included as a valid form of ID on the NHS app.
Why you should become a Digital Champion
Find out about the importance of digital inclusion in 2026, and how becoming aDigitalChampioncould make a difference in bridging the digital divide For those using digital products regularly, the digitisation of essential products and services like healthcare, banking and education may offer convenience and flexibility, but for those who lack digital skills or access to technology, this shift is likely to have the opposite effect.
How to fundraise on social media
It’s hard for charities to imagine life before social media. It’s become an effective way to reach supporters, raise awareness for your cause, and create vocal advocates. It’s also a great place to ask for donations. While it is a relatively new fundraising channel (accounting for five per cent of online donations in 2025), 37% of charities said they expect social media fundraisers drive income growth in 2026.
How to master match funding
Match funding allows charities or their fundraisers to double their donations, helping them reach their target quicker. It incentivises the public to give, knowing that whatever they donate will be matched. For corporates, it can help to increase employee engagement and boost their brand and public relations. For funders it’s an opportunity to leverage their own capital to inspire a community or grassroots response to a local charity. Match funding is a win-win for everybody. What is match funding?
A guide to automating your charity's finances
Finance departments have a vital role to play in shaping their charity’s long-term strategy. Yet many finance teams and leaders find themselves spending the majority of their time on processing work, with one month-end close rolling straight into the next, leaving little room for the analysis and advice that trustees and leadership need. This guide explores how automation can help change that - freeing up capacity, strengthening governance and providing real-time financial insight.
Podcast: Interview with Alice Kershaw, Head of Digital Transformation, The Wildlife Trusts
Welcome to the new podcast from Charity Digital: The Charity Digital Agenda! Every month we’ll be interviewing charity professionals and digital experts to find out what technology they value and what they have learned in their digital work. In this episode, Laura (Charity Digital’s Content Manager) is joined by Alice Kershaw, Head of Digital Transformation at The Wildlife Trusts.
A charity guide to “soft opt-in" marketing
We explore the 2026 changes to UK data legislation which help charities contact existing donors and potential supporters more easily Collecting, managing, and using data effectively for marketing has become relatively straightforward since the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018. GDPR encompasses measures put in place to ensure that the collection and use of data is responsible, ethical, and transparent, making privacy and data protection a priority.
AI image guidelines for charities
Amid the myriad risks of AI-generated content, we share guidance developed to help charities make responsible decisions about AI imagery More than three quarters of charities believe that authentic content helpsorganisationsstand out and build trust,according to a new report. Yet despite this,16.4% of charities are using images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) anyway, according tothe‘AI-generated imagery in the charity sector’report, from charity filmmakersSaltways.
How to assess whether an AI tool is right for your charity
There are some key areas to consider when deciding if an AI tool is the right one. Here are some practical and ethical considerations when assessing whether an AI tool is good enough for the job you need it to do. Make a procurement checklist of current needs Just because a tool does something impressive doesn’t mean to say that you actually need it. Create a checklist of the specific issues or sticking points you want an AI tool to address. What are the problems you want it to solve?
How to make a case for new technology
Weshare howcharities can makea convincing case toaccess transformative technologythat can delivertheirstrategy Investing innew technologyis a challenge for charities.The biggest barriers to digital progress that charities face aresqueezedorganisationalfinances and findingfunds to invest in infrastructure, systems, and tools, according to the 2025 Charity Digital Skills report.
How does football raise money for charity?
Football is the best-loved sport in the UK and boasts a rich fundraising history dating back to the 1800s. We explore the close ties between charities and football, and how football can boost fundraising today It is an understatement to say that football iswell-lovedin the UK. In fact, footballisby far themost popular sport in the UK, witharound34 million peoplewatching live footballmatches and Match of the Day highlights on TV during the 2024/2025 season.
The data you need to understand your donors
We share what data you need to create better supporter experiences and how data accessibility is the key to driving donations Data and fundraising go hand in hand. Working together, data can boostfundraising considerably,eliminatingfriction in the donation experience andreaching donors at the time they are ready to give. However, the charity sector has historically struggled with data analysis.
Artificial intelligence: How to make fair decisions
All charity professionals have to make decisions about the way their organisations are run. If you’re a charity leader, senior manager, or trustee, the decisions will hold a lot of weight and have far-reaching impact. For example, you may need to make decisions about where funds are spent, who the charity employs, and who benefits from the organisation’s services. In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing number of charities embracing artificial intelligence (AI).
How to measure your digital success
The information in this article is a preview of the guidance included in the Charity Digital Strategy Accelerator for Scotland (CDSA for Scotland). The CDSA for Scotland is a free and interactive course that guides you through the journey of creating a digital strategy that is impactful, realistic, and forward-thinking.
How to make the most of Small Charity Week 2026
sector, butresearchhas shownthat these charities receive only 17% of the sector’s total income. This income gapentre for Social Justice’s‘Underfunded and Overlooked’ reportfinding that income for the small charity sector has declinedby £4.6 billion, compared with an overall £4.5 billion increase for larger charitable organisations.
Why local charities are so important
Localcharitiesare the lifeblood of the charity sector and are important to society. This Small Charity Week,we’recelebrating the amazing work they do There are currently223,479registered charities inthe United Kingdom andNorthernIrelandunder the Charity Commission.Of those in England and Wales, around 65% are small charities with an annual income ofless than£50,000. According tothe most recent findingsby Small Charities Data, over threequarters of small charities operate locally.
Podcast: What’s new in cyber security in 2026?
ao link My Account Cyber EssentialsCyber securityLeadershipMarketingSector Perspectives Charity Digital Academy Our courses aim, in just three hours, to enhance soft skills and hard skills, boost your knowledge of finance and artificial intelligence, and supercharge your digital capabilities. Check out some of the incredible options by clicking here.
Financial Literacy Demystified
Many charities face challenges when it comes to building financial confidence, as well as maintaining sustainability and compliance. That’s why we’ve created a dedicated event focused entirely on charity finance, designed to simplify complex topics and provide clear, practical guidance. The event will cover key areas including governance and compliance, internal and external reporting, futureproofing and sustainability, as well as cash flow and budgeting, among others.
Is it a risk not to use AI?
AI is commonplace in the charity sector – with 88% of charities using AI tools in their day-to-day work. With the surge in usage of AI – and the much-reported benefits – is it actually a risk not to use AI? Here are three risks that charity teams might have on their minds. Risk 1: Missing out on productivity gains Understandably, many charities might feel they’re missing out on productivity gains by not using AI.
Is AI training on your content?
There are bots crawling all over the internet. They’ve been doing it for a long time — since the early days of search engines like Google. Bots crawl websites, index the content, and report back to search engines. When someone pops a search term or question into the search engine, the response is informed by what the bots have found. Web crawlers or “spiders” have been welcomed by web developers in the past because they help drive traffic to clients’ sites.
How volunteering supports personal wellbeing
In recent years, our culture has placed a lot more value on personal wellbeing. There is increasing recognition and awareness that looking after our wellbeing is important for our mental and physical health. It affects everything: from our attitude to how we view life and manage stress, to how we maintain relationships. The Mental Health Foundation says that wellbeing is a “much broader concept than moment-to-moment happiness”.
What if everyone stopped volunteering?
We take a glimpseinto a“dystopian”future with no morevolunteers Volunteers are a vital part of society,oftenofferinghelpto those who fall through the cracks in government support. Across health, justice,social care, the environment,and education,thousands of people acrossthe countryprovidehelpfor free,daily,andwhere it ismostneeded. But can you imagine a world without volunteers? What would societylook like?
Gaming for Good: How to safeguard fundraisers
The steps for charities to protect the safety and mental health of their gaming and streaming fundraisers Gamersare a vital community forcharities,offeringfun and interesting ways toraise awareness and funds. They regularly stagelive streamingeventsand run awareness campaigns,either in aid of their favourite good cause or through formal arrangements on behalf of charities asanofficialpartner.
The four types of digital culture
Digital strategies are helping charities across the UK achieve more with digital. But to deliver a successful digital strategy, charities need to build a strong digital culture: one that is capable of making the most of digital technologies for their cause. The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) is a classic tool developed by University of Michigan business professors Kim S. Cameron and Robert E. Quinn to help define and codify corporate cultures.
How to estimate the resources needed for digital projects
We look at how to identify the resources you need to carry out a digital project, so you can deliver it on time and to budget Whenyou’replanning a newdigitalproject,it’simportant toplan what resources you need so you can managethe projecteffectively. Thismeans making sure the projectrunsto schedule and working withinan allocatedbudget.
Artificial intelligence: Understanding intellectual property and ownership
AI makes it all too easy to use someone else’s ideas, images or words, without even knowing you’re doing it. Here we outline some of the key concepts around intellectual property and ways you can make sure your charity makes the most appropriate ethical choices around using AI. What is intellectual property? Intellectual property refers to something that’s been created or invented.
Can technological change be stopped?
Advancements in technology – specifically the use of AI – have moved at lightning speed. It’s little wonder that many of us feel we can’t keep up with the pace of change. And with the spotlight firmly on the negative impact of AI, there are growing concerns about its role in society. The direction of technological change can be stopped and steered in a new direction.
How to collaborate with other charities
Charity collaboration can happen at many different levels, from whole organisations working together through to two colleagues teaming up to work on a project. Collaboration can bring huge benefits. That includes saving money, pooling resources, increasing reach, and preventing work from being duplicated. And bringing together people with different perspectives can inspire creativity, build knowledge and drive new ideas.
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