CAST - Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology

🔟 CAST's Top Ten at Ten: AI experimentation

In the latest instalment of our 'Top Ten' series, Ellen Smyth outlines ten ways in which charities & funders are experimenting with AI — and shares a link to our AI Experiment Library, which contains 30 experiments from 17 organisations 👉 buff.ly/BuHD4iR

🚀 New free AI course!

If you feel you're advancing with AI and you'd like to support your organisation to do the same, then our new course is for you!

You'll receive a weekly email for 8 weeks, full of tips, tools and templates that build to help you support your org step by step 👉 buff.ly/1KSivpU

🗂️ New library of AI experiments!

Check out our growing collection of 25 AI experiments, shared by 17 orgs. Topics include user research, AI policy creation, data analysis & transcription - with contributors sharing what worked well, what didn’t - & the advice they’d give to others 👉 buff.ly/GFZP45O

😆😆😆 He did! He was in a co-working space when the photo was taken, so he didn't have it with him!

CAST's team - six women and five men - holding up CAST anniversary mugs

🎉Competition: WIN a CAST anniversary mug!

We’ve got ten exclusive CAST mugs to give away! The mugs - which feature a tenth anniversary version of CAST’s ‘all hands’ logo - are designed to keep your drinks piping hot or refreshingly cold throughout meetings.

Enter by 1st September 👉 buff.ly/DtOGYBO

🆕 Newsletter out today! Featuring:

🗂️ New AI experiment library
🕯️ FREE expert digital advice
🚀 New free AI course
❓ Ask us anything! CAST AI Q&A
🎉 WIN a CAST anniversary mug!
🧰 New Guide: Staff chatbot
📅 Join us at Charity Digital’s AI Summit
👀 Free website reviews

And lots more 👉 buff.ly/R79TG7N

Home Lighting a path to better digital. One free hour of expert digital advice for charities.

❓ Got a burning question about digital? Get free advice from Digital Candle!

Digital Candle offers #charities free one-to-one advice with one of 500+ volunteer #digital experts.

Enter your query at the site, and you'll be matched with an expert for an hour of free advice 👉 www.digitalcandle.org.uk

❓ Are you a #grantseeker / #fundraiser?
❓ Do you have a view on the UK #grantmaker/s you've sought funding from?
❓ Could you share your views anonymously to help funders & peers?

If so, please head to GrantAdvisorUK & start reviewing! Or simply check out the 550+ existing reviews 👉 buff.ly/3esmUuk

Home Lighting a path to better digital. One free hour of expert digital advice for charities.

❓ Got a burning question about digital? Get free advice from Digital Candle!

Digital Candle offers #charities free one-to-one advice with one of 500+ volunteer #digital experts.

Enter your query at the site, and you'll be matched with an expert for an hour of free advice 👉 www.digitalcandle.org.uk

🎉 Celebrating our 10th anniversary, with some recent feedback!

We're delighted to be able to share these comments from participants and partners - covering our recent programmes, platforms, courses, peer groups, workshops and other resources.

Learn more about our impact 👉 buff.ly/FLcs5vG

An image showing the 11 people in the CAST team (six women and five men) holding up their CAST 10th anniversary mugs.

🎉 Check out our annual 'mugshot' - CAST is 10!

This photo shows the 11 people in our team, but the network connected to CAST radiates out far further - and we're grateful to every person & org we've had the pleasure of working with over this past decade!

Find out about our impact 👉 buff.ly/FLcs5vG

We're delighted to once again be part of Charity Digital's AI Summit! From AI novice to AI whizz, there's something for everyone: sessions will arm attendees with practical skills, explore the ethics & risks of AI - & much more!

2nd October, in-person; London. More info & tickets 👉 buff.ly/EcSWAZm

👀 AI Experimentation Canvas: free to download!

Our AI Experimentation Canvas helps you explore AI safely & methodically. It provides clear boundaries & guidelines for testing AI applications, while considering potential impacts on both your work & beneficiaries. Download for free 👉 buff.ly/RjTBsdt

We asked: What has been the most valuable takeaway from the AI course? Here’s just a selection of the responses we’ve received so far: That I'm not too old to improve my understanding of something so huge!; Tools and suggestions for getting started with AI and making it a tool I use regularly; Understanding the range of things AI can do and how to ask it to do things; I was really interested to read/hear about the ethical challenges AI brings with it

💬 Here's what our AI course participants are saying...

Having launched our free self-serve AI course earlier this year, we're now starting to see feedback coming through from participants - & we're delighted to be able to share these responses!

Try the free AI course for yourself 👉 buff.ly/4gfaOEF

👀 CAST’s AI survey: the highs, the lows - & the support available.

We take a comprehensive look at the needs & behaviours revealed by the data - plus the themes that emerged from individuals’ responses to open questions.

Delve into all the detail - and the free support available 👉 buff.ly/vXfGKrX

The Charity Digital Skills Report - Charity Digital Skills Report The Charity Digital Skills Report is the annual barometer of charities’ digital skills, attitudes and behaviours.

The 2025 Charity Digital Skills Report is here! This year's research reveals critical insights about digital skills gaps, AI adoption, and funding challenges facing UK charities. Essential reading for charity leaders, funders, and digital professionals. charitydigitalskills.co.uk #CharityDigiReport

📢 We’re delighted to be part of @digitalgoodnet.bsky.social's research internships scheme, which funds placements for #PhD students.

We’re keen that any applicants for internships at CAST have an interest in the use of #AI across the social sector.

Apply by 4pm on Weds 30th July 👉 buff.ly/fOQ6RBV

💡 Learn Design Thinking: a five-week, self-serve course.

Discover how design thinking can help your org quickly respond and adapt to the needs of the people you support.

The free course consists of five weekly emails, each packed with advice and a host of additional resources 👉 buff.ly/4igrmhJ

👋 The Digital Leads Network is open for membership!

This growing community of more than 300 nonprofit digital leads is dedicated to peer learning and sharing across the sector.

Members gain access to meetups and an AI peer group.

Membership is free; fill out the form at our site 👉 buff.ly/4agzkCk

❓ What would you like to know about CAST’s work on AI?

We’re currently working on an article detailing CAST’s work on AI - and we’d love to invite your questions.

Please comment here, or email sonya@wearecast.org.uk, and we’ll share the resulting article across all our comms channels next month.

🚀 New free AI course!

If you feel you're advancing with AI and you'd like to support your organisation to do the same, then our new course is for you!

You'll receive a weekly email for 8 weeks, full of tips, tools and templates that build to help you support your org step by step 👉 buff.ly/1KSivpU

🔟 CAST's Top Ten at Ten: Funder+ tips

This summer, to mark the tenth anniversary of CAST, we’re bringing you a series of ‘Top Ten at Ten’ pieces. In the latest instalment, our Head of Digital Learning & Transformation Joyce Borgs shares ten tips for successful Funder+ programmes 👉 buff.ly/dcPgNlh

🆕 Showcasing Youth Sector Innovation Incubator products: Brilliance

Developed by UK S Futures CIC, Shropshire Youth Support Trust, Rotherham United Community Trust & Super Being Labs, in conjunction with young people, Brilliance helps young people reflect on what they’ve achieved 👉 buff.ly/Iis6sBb

🆕 Showcasing Youth Sector Innovation Incubator products: Real Chat AI

Developed by Beats Bus Records, The Politics Project, Warrington Youth Zone and Neontribe, in conjunction with young people, Real Chat AI supports young people to learn how to use generative AI.

Access it here 👉 buff.ly/ZMApZBk

👀 We're working with a number of other organisations on the Open Youth Infrastructure project, which aims to help develop open and collective infrastructure for the youth sector.

To hear what the project has achieved over the past six months, please join next week's free event 👉 buff.ly/tRoOhmG

🚀 New free AI course!

If you feel you're advancing with AI and you'd like to support your organisation to do the same, then our new course is for you!

You'll receive a weekly email for 8 weeks, full of tips, tools and templates that build to help you support your org step by step 👉 buff.ly/1KSivpU

🆕 Showcasing Youth Sector Innovation Incubator products: Youth Voice

Developed by Allstar, Fotonow CIC, Groundwork North East and Yalla in conjunction with young people, Youth Voice gathers young people’s needs so youth workers can design appropriate activities.

Access it here 👉 buff.ly/tXmFUwq

📢 Calling all youth sector orgs!

The Open Youth Infrastructure team have put together a survey designed to explore how open working, shared data & cross-sector collaboration can transform youth services.

If you work for a youth sector org, please complete the survey by 30th June 👉 buff.ly/9havYK6

🆕 Introducing three new digital tools!

In a new blog, we unveil the products developed by cohorts on the Youth Sector Innovation Incubator programme: Youth Voice, Real Chat AI, and Brilliance.

Take a look at the blog for links to all three products, as well as the Project Hub 👉 buff.ly/i4Gzvyr

✨ We're so delighted to be amongst the host of amazing organisations shortlisted for @charitytimes.bsky.social's 2025 #CharityTimesAwards!

This year marks CAST's tenth anniversary; you can find out more about our work and impact here 👉 buff.ly/PtZYeYr