AI is moving fast across the charity sector but are leadership teams and boards keeping pace?

In this mini episode of Leaders With Purpose, Zoe Amar shares key insights from the latest Charity Digital Skills Report and her work with charity leaders and trustees across the UK. While many charities are making real progress with digital and AI adoption, Zoe highlights a growing gap between innovation on the ground and confidence at board and CEO level.

This episode explores what the data is really telling us about AI readiness in charities, why leadership capability matters more than ever, and how boards can engage with AI without needing to become technical experts.

You’ll hear about: • Why over three quarters of charities are now using AI and what that progress is built on • The leadership and governance skills gap holding some organisations back • How boards and leaders can approach AI as a strategic and organisational challenge, not a technical one • Creating a culture of curiosity, learning, and safe experimentation • Agility over fixed AI roadmaps in a fast-moving and uncertain landscape

This is a snapshot of a much deeper conversation about leadership, vulnerability, governance, and responsible AI adoption in complex and sensitive contexts.

Listen to the full episode of Leaders With Purpose for the complete conversation with Zoe Amar, where we go deeper into leadership culture, ethics, service design, and what it really takes to lead well in the age of AI.

Subscribe for more conversations on purpose-driven leadership, technology, and the future of the charity sector, and hit the notification bell to get notified whenever a new episode comes out. Connect with us:

Zoe Amar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeamar/

Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/

Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/

manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

Welcome to our first episode of 2026!

In this special episode of Leaders with Purpose, our hosts are joined by Zoe Amar - AI and digital transformation expert in the charity sector, founder of Zoe Amar Digital, and co-chair of the Charity AI Task Force.

Zoe shares her deeply human leadership journey, from early career pivots and moments of self-doubt to shaping how charities could approach AI, digital skills and responsible innovation today.

Together, they explore what it really means to lead through uncertainty, especially when the pace of digital change feels relentless.

This conversation goes far beyond technology. We talk about vulnerability in leadership, representation and belonging, and why curiosity, service design and ethical decision-making matter more than ever as AI reshapes organisations.

You’ll hear: → Why AI adoption is a leadership challenge, not a technical one → How leaders can build confidence while sitting with uncertainty → The future of governance, rethinking trusteeship and the skills needed for a successful future → What the Charity Digital Skills Report reveals about readiness, risk and opportunity → The case for service design, user needs and inclusion at the heart of innovation → And much more!

This episode is essential listening for charity leaders, trustees, policymakers and anyone grappling with how to lead responsibly in a rapidly changing and AI world. Listen now and join the conversation!

If this episode resonates, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with someone who’s thinking deeply about leadership, purpose and the future of work.

Connect with us: Zoe Amar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeamar/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

If you’re looking to sharpen your leadership skills, we have a treat for you. We’ve collated a highlight reel of the best actionable advice from our recent Leader with Purpose guests (and some you haven't see yet, too) But we’re just getting started... We’ve got a massive lineup of speakers in the pipeline for the new year, including leaders from The Sweaty Betty Foundation, Legacy Futures, Tate and Designability.

Connect with this episode's guests: Daniela Flores: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-flores-mprca-a12869/ Dr David Hunt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-david-hunt/ Louise Lane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lane-2765222a/ Martine Parnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martineparnell/ Claire Routley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-routley-9a8b737/ Zoe Amar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeamar/ Lou Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/