AI assistants are transforming the way people find information and make decisions, and this is now having a tangible impact on how non-profit organisations are found – and supported. A recent development, the launch of the AI Visibility Assessment by Fundraise Up, highlights a crucial shift: the era of ‘Agentic Giving’ has arrived. This initiative offers foundations and charities a free tool to see how AI assistants currently understand and present them.
What this means for non-profits and the public sector is significant. Research indicates that organic search traffic to non-profit websites has fallen by approximately 35%, while AI-referred traffic has increased by as much as 1000%. Donors are asking AI assistants which organisations address their chosen causes, and increasingly receiving a direct answer without ever visiting a website. This represents a fundamental shift from “links to answers”.
From Website Visits to AI Understanding
Where traditional search engines returned links for the user to evaluate themselves, an AI assistant synthesises information from various sources: your own website, review pages, online directories, media coverage, and other locations. The result is a ready-made answer. If these sources are unclear, inconsistent, or outdated, you risk your organisation being inaccurately represented or even omitted entirely from AI responses.
For ANBI institutions (Public Benefit Organisations) and government bodies, where reliability and transparency are crucial, this is particularly important. AI systems, such as Google’s AI Overviews, are continuously evolving to prioritise reliable and authoritative information, especially concerning sensitive topics (YMYL - Your Money or Your Life). This includes financial, legal, and public health information, which often forms the core of non-profit and public service provision. Even internal systems like Microsoft Copilot now offer administrators the ability to classify specific SharePoint sites as ‘authoritative’ to improve information reliability.
What Does This Mean for You?
Your visibility and trust in the AI era no longer depend solely on your position in search results, but on how well AI systems can understand, verify, and present your story.
- Audit your digital footprint: Ensure consistent, up-to-date, and verifiable information about your mission, programmes, and impact across all relevant platforms (website, directories, press releases).
- Optimise for understanding, not just ranking: Make your content “AI-readable”. This means clear language, distinct structures, and the use of structured data (schema markup) to make your organisation, contact details, and core activities explicit for AI models.
- Focus on authority and evidence: Ensure your reputation and credibility are widely supported by independent, external sources. AI models look for “Consensus Corroboration” – how independent sources back your claims.
It is essential that you proactively prepare for this new reality, so that AI assistants can not only find your organisation, but also present it correctly, comprehensively, and with confidence to potential donors and citizens.
Source: PR Newswire (via Fundraise Up)
