Digital and Technology Conference 2026

As AI continues to evolve, charities are moving from experimentation to real, measurable performance gains—while also dealing with new risks and responsibilities. This opening plenary will provide a sector-wide update on how AI is reshaping charity operations in 2026, from automating routine processes to transforming donor engagement, reporting, and accessibility. We’ll explore the practical realities of implementation, from AI governance to performance management.

Matt Haworth, Co-founder, Reason Digital

Ben Cohen, Director, Good Innovation

Dan Sutch, Director, CAST

This session will explore how organisations can evolve from manual spreadsheets to integrated, real-time dashboards that bring together CRM, finance, and operational data for clearer, faster insights. We’ll look at practical steps for modernising data processes, from collecting and interpreting program outcomes to using cloud finance tools to improve forecasting, reporting, and audit readiness.

AI and automation are transforming core processes, and this session will explore how these technologies are reshaping workflows, redefining roles, and creating both opportunities and challenges for finance professionals. We'll discuss the skills gaps emerging in the sector and strategies for workforce redesign to ensure teams are future-ready.

This practical session will guide attendees through the key steps to get procurement right, from writing clear tenders and specifications to evaluating vendors and conducting thorough due diligence. Speakers will share real-world examples from recent procurement journeys to help you choose the right vendor for your needs.

Keith Collins, Principal Consultant, Adapta Consulting

In this session, we will share an inside look at our own digital transformation journey, including what went well and our lessons learned. You'll hear how we are modernising our finance and CRM systems, the challenges faced along the way, and the practical steps taken to ensure a smooth transition.

This session brings together the latest insights from the Charity Digital Skills Report with emerging trends in AI leadership. We’ll unpack the widening digital divide and examine what inclusive, effective digital strategies look like today. Building on this, the session will explore the evolving role of leaders in guiding AI adoption to give you practical guidance on developing digital capability and leading AI-powered transformation.

Zoe Amar, Founder and Director, Zoe Amar Digital

There is a wealth of insight locked inside most charity accounting systems, yet producing management accounts, statutory accounts, and lead schedules often remains time-consuming and manual. In this practical session, Neil will introduce a streamlined methodology that brings accounting data directly into Excel, tags transactions with meaningful information, and integrates them with detailed budgets to create a single, powerful reporting dataset. Attendees will see how this approach can automatically generate camera-ready management accounts, statutory accounts, and lead schedules, eliminate rounding errors, and allow instant investigation of budget variances—without the need for any programming skills. 

Neil Goulder, Director of Finance, Artichoke Trust

How do nonprofits bridge the gap between data and insight?

For nonprofits, data isn’t just numbers—it’s the foundation for delivering programs, proving impact, and earning donor trust. Yet, unlocking the true potential of data scattered across spreadsheets, legacy systems, and field applications remains one of the sector’s biggest challenges. Fragmentation limits visibility, slows reporting, and makes it harder to demonstrate ROI to funders.

We walkthrough how organisations are using ERP to manage data – from grants to project delivery, achieve real-time visibility and control, improve financial reporting and model plans for the future.

Unit 4

Digital projects promise transformation, but too often charities face delays, cost overruns, or outcomes that fall short of expectations. This session will unpack the most common reasons why finance, CRM, and digital systems projects go wrong. We’ll explore practical steps for getting implementation right from the start and share real-world examples of what works, what doesn’t, and how organisations can recover when things go off track.

Avik Chandra, Associate Director, Grant Thornton UK LLP

Deepak Madan, Associate Director, Grant Thornton UK LLP

Paul Rao, Partner, Grant Thornton UK LLP

This closing plenary will provide a timely and essential update on what the updated SORP means for charities navigating an increasingly digital and sustainability-focused reporting landscape. The session will unpack how new requirements around ESG, sustainability disclosures, and digital reporting will reshape charity accounts, and how technology can help integrate financial and non-financial data into clearer, more meaningful reporting for regulators and stakeholders.