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As many nonprofits establish their first AI policy, the conversation quickly shifts from policy creation to enforcement. And as they take steps further into AI deployment, the key challenge is to walk the governance tightrope while making space for innovation. Against the backdrop of limited capacity and rapid technological change, how can nonprofits balance risks associated with AI with allowing teams space to innovate and experiment?
Our next Data Intelligence Network session will explore this topic in our annual virtual collaboration with our UK counterparts of the Fundraising Leadership Assembly. Join to hear from a panel of peers navigating these challenges while trying to achieve balance between humanity and automation, between efficiency and affinity.
Together we will explore case studies of AI in action, alongside a balanced discussion on AI blending opportunity and risk mitigation, from leadership to operational level and back up again.
Speakers
Speaker Bios
Jane Trenaman, MD The HX Consultancy
In 2023, Jane Trenaman founded The HX Consultancy specialising in leadership, fundraising, insight and experience – the culmination of a 25-year career with customer insight and social impact at its heart. She has worked in and for nonprofits, large and small, at different stages in maturity, in diverse parts of the sector. Jane currently chairs Fundraising Director & Insights Networks in the UK and Ireland and has served on boards and advisory committees for Christian Aid Ireland, Samaritans Ireland, and the National Opera House. She is a non-executive director with Common Purpose Ireland.
Claire Concannon, Executive Director CUH Charity
Claire Concannon is Executive Director of CUH Charity and has spent more than 15 years working in the charity sector. She has led major CRM implementations, including Salesforce and Raiser’s Edge, and is passionate about using technology to improve efficiency, enhance supporter experience, and strengthen organisational effectiveness.
While not an AI specialist, Claire is an active practitioner exploring how artificial intelligence can be deployed safely and effectively within a resource-constrained charity environment, balancing innovation with governance and risk management. Having recently completed the Google AI Professional Certificate, she is focused on translating emerging technologies into practical value for CUH Charity and the wider nonprofit sector.
Matthew Green, Chief Information Officer, Barnardos UK
Matthew is an accomplished Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) Executive with three decades of experience leading large-scale transformations across the charitable, public, and higher education sectors. He currently serves as the Director of DDaT at Barnardo’s, where he leads a unified directorate across service, research, and technology infrastructure. Matthew is responsible for the organisation’s DDaT strategy, including a mission-aligned AI model designed to enhance frontline service delivery for children and young people. His previous leadership roles include serving as Executive Director of DDaT at the PDSA and Chief Technology Officer at The National Lottery Community Fund, where he specialised in unifying data cultures and modernising technical architecture.
Alan Thornton, Founder & AI Speaker ai-compliance.app
With 15+ years driving high‑impact operations and strategic initiatives, Alan partners with organisations worldwide - across Europe, Asia, and North America. His hands-on experience inside companies where growth consistently outpaced infrastructure allowed him to specialise turning operational chaos into clarity, particularly in the areas of AI governance and regulatory compliance.
As the founder of tipcan solutions and part of the AI & Partners network, Alan works with SMEs, scale-ups, multinationals and public sector organisations to navigate the EU AI Act and emerging global AI regulations. Helping over 3,800 teams move from uncertainty to practical, audit-ready compliance.
I combine operational leadership with deep expertise in AI risk management, quality systems (Six Sigma Green Belt) and leadership under pressure. I’m also a Stanford-certified Machine Learning practitioner.
Fraser Simpson, Associate Director, Strategy, Wellcome Trust
Fraser works at the intersection of strategy, governance, and enterprise decision-making in complex global organisations. His focus is on how institutions make high-stakes decisions - aligning purpose, performance, and people so organisations can move at pace without losing judgment or trust.
He has carried enterprise-level responsibility for strategy, culture, and organisational direction, working closely with Boards and CEOs on trade-offs, transformation, and delivery under pressure. His background spans legal, ethics, and strategy leadership, and I am recognised internationally for work on ethical culture and integrity - but my core work is shaping how organisations prioritise, decide, and act when stakes are high and choices are not straightforward.
He is often brought into moments where clarity, judgment, and alignment matter most - whether setting strategic direction, navigating risk, or leading through change. He is a regular speaker on ethical leadership, decision-making under pressure, and Speak Up cultures, and contribute to cross-sector networks on governance and organisational effectiveness. He is motivated by helping mission-driven organisations deliver lasting impact at scale - particularly where decisions are complex, consequences are real, and judgment matters.
Connie https://www.acteoncommunication.com/our-work/meet-connie-your-conscience/
At Wellcome we’re refreshing our staff Code of Ethics and we’re innovating how we can more effectively engage with our staff and shift mindsets through making an emotional connection with ethics and integrity. Innovation in ethics and integrity doesn’t have to be just about tech… At its core, it is about creatively empowering human beings to ‘do the right thing’ in moments that matter. And that can be through more traditional means: human communications, language, engagement and emotion.
We’re excited about having created Connie, who will joins us this week as the newest member of our ethics team! Connie, as a puppet representation of our individual consciences, will bring our Code of Ethics to life, pose and support staff in answering important questions and dilemmas, and spark courageous conversations - empowering our staff to be thoughtful in doing the right thing in moments that matter.
Connie has a profile on our intranet, an email address for ethics queries, and will send out monthly ethical dilemmas ('Connie’s Ethics Gym') to encourage our colleagues to learn by doing and to exercise their ethical muscles! We have also developed iConnie - a new chatbot on Teams - to help signpost relevant policies. Connie will be providing all staff with an ‘easy read’ version of the Code of Ethics, succinctly setting out the key questions we should all ask ourselves in moments that matter – with a Braille copy available.
Puppets can transcend social boundaries, be both playful and serious, and listen, speak and be humane without the baggage of actually being human. Innovating involves bravery and taking risks. We’re living our values and we’re looking forward to seeing how this approach works!
You will receive the Zoom lnk to join the meeting 24 hours before the event
