More than three-quarters of UK charities are using artificial intelligence, with almost two-fifths intending to expand their use of the technology this year, a new study has found.

A survey of 150 charity leaders, commissioned by the online donation platform JustGiving and conducted by the market research company Censuswide, found the most common use of AI among charities was to evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising activity, with 39 per cent of respondents using it for this purpose.

The same percentage said they plan to further introduce AI to support fundraising activity evaluation.

Other common use of AI among charities was to monitor sentiment and attitudes, with 37 per cent of respondents using it for this purpose.

A similar 35 per cent of respondents were using AI for data analysis and to find insights to support fundraising strategies, while 31 per cent were using it to improve donor communication.

Nearly half of the sample, 45 per cent, said the biggest fundraising opportunity for charities was to boost donations through further integration of AI.

More than a quarter of respondents said they already used AI widely across their organisations and 21 per cent said they planned to continue using AI in a limited way.

Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at JustGiving, said: “What’s particularly interesting about these findings is how charities are leading the charge in embracing the opportunities that AI presents.

“It’s evident that a significant majority of charities are already leveraging AI across a wide range of activities.

“What’s more, many charities are actively looking to expand its use in the coming year. It will be interesting to see how that impacts the future of fundraising and charitable giving.”

The survey was completed online between 17 and 27 January as part of the fundraising platform’s research for its 35 Years of Giving report.