# National Lottery Community Fund to share key learnings from using AI at free webinar

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/01/24/national-lottery-community-fund-to-share-key-learnings-from-using-ai-at-free-webinar/
- Published: 2025-01-24T11:50:23+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The National Lottery Community Fund has published its 10 AI Principles for how
it will use AI, and has said that it will also share its learnings from using AI
with the sector – including through an upcoming free webinar.**

Its [10 AI Principles](http://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/media/documents/AI-principles.pdf)
include always ensuring that a human is in the loop, that the Fund remains accountable
for all the work it does using AI, and that its use of AI is inclusive and avoids
discrimination, transparent, and is beneficial for all. They also including sharing
its learnings, with a [free online event](https://ow.ly/ePt450ULLX3) scheduled for
11 March to do so.

## Advertisement

Sarah Watson, Head of Innovation at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

> “AI is set to be a gamechanger for charities and community groups, helping them
> to free up time to focus on supporting communities, and to think about bigger 
> questions such as how we address the challenges facing society today. It has transformative
> potential for us as a funder and could free up time for us to focus on work that
> is uniquely human, such as listening to communities and our grant holders. Equity
> and fairness are at the heart of everything we do, and we believe that if deployed
> in the right way, AI can be a powerful force for good.
>  
> “We know that many other funders, community groups and organisations are thinking
> these issues through, so we encourage people to join us at our free online event
> on 11 March for an honest conversation about how we’ve developed our AI principles
> with experts Tim Cook, Founder of AI Confident, and Dan Sutch, Director of CAST,
> and to share learning and best practice across the sector.”

#### Guidance for using AI in funding applications

National Lottery Community Fund has also published [guidance on using AI for funding applications](https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/thinking-of-applying-for-funding/using-artificial-intelligence-tools-in-funding-applications).
In this guidance, the National Lottery Community Fund says that AI can be useful
tool, particularly as a starting point with funding applications, and offers tips
for using it well, and for ensuring applications meet the Fund’s criteria.

It also urges organisations to use it with caution, warning that AI tools can produce
generic content or include buzzwords that don’t capture an organisation’s unique
perspective or its community’s voice. It highlights too the possibility of inaccuracies,
the need to be careful around what data an organisation inputs, and AI’s environmental
impact. As such, it says: _“Use AI mindfully, only use AI where it will clearly 
help you apply or significantly improve the quality of your application.”_

 * **[AI and fundraising: some thoughts](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/03/09/ai-and-fundraising-some-thoughts/)**(
   9 March 2026)
 * **[JustGiving launches Hope, the “UK’s first AI Fundraising Coach”](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/05/08/justgiving-launches-hope-the-uks-first-ai-fundraising-coach/)**(
   8 May 2026)
 * **[Regulator tells AI advisers and suppliers to reflect its guidance too](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/09/10/regulator-tells-ai-advisers-and-suppliers-to-reflect-its-guidance-too/)**(
   10 September 2026)