If you work in the not-for-profit world, you’ll know the constant challenge: how do you make limited resources go further while still delivering meaningful impact? At TechSmart 2025, leaders from charities, membership organisations, associations and unions came together to share how they’re adopting technology to do just that – finding smarter, more efficient ways of working while keeping people at the heart of digital transformation.
A day of inspiration (and practical takeaways)
The agenda was bursting with ideas and insight. Keynotes and seminars covered everything from the power of data and the importance of strategy, to building trust, merging and scaling, and making email campaigns work harder. Sessions dug into the importance of understanding your audience, personalisation and growth catalysts, and even the idea of becoming an agentic enterprise.
The human side of digital transformation
The atmosphere was one of refreshing honesty, and senior leaders didn’t hold back. They spoke openly about the challenges of digital transformation: how it can build trust (or erode it), and how it inevitably shines a spotlight on an organisation’s culture. The message was clear: NFPs can’t afford to work in isolation. Learning from peers, borrowing what works, and adapting it to fit your own context is key to staying relevant and resilient.
AI: hype, hope and hard truths*
Of course, AI was high on the agenda. Delegates explored its potential to create efficiencies and plug resource and budget gaps. But there was also a note of caution: before unleashing AI, simplify the complex systems you already have, or risk creating more chaos. The closing call-to-action was bold: see AI not as a threat, but as an opportunity to reengineer the way organisations work.
A real highlight came from our own Chief Product Officer, James Bavington, who hosted a lively panel on “How to be Found in the New Age of AI Discovery.” Joined by Katie Abbott (COO , David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation), Ste Wiggins (Website Manager, The Air Ambulance Service) and Juan Mejia (Global Marketing Director, AP News), the discussion brought real-world examples to life.
The panel explored how their organisations are already adapting to stay visible – whether that’s securing a place in AI Overviews, shaping how ChatGPT describes them, using AI-powered creative tools to deliver cost-effective campaigns (like this species-saving one), or launching websites designed with AI discovery (and donor journeys) in mind. The room was buzzing with questions – so many that we ran out of time to answer them all.
Takeaway for NFP leaders
TechSmart 2025 wasn’t just about what’s going to be possible in the future, it was about what’s happening right now. What’s clear is that technology – when paired with people, creativity and shared learning – is the key to helping not-for-profits achieve more with less.
If you’d like to explore any of these areas further, we’d love to talk
*This subtitle was generated using ChatGPT