Since inception, CAST has helped thousands of people via structured programmes and ongoing services.
Our latest impact report lays out our activities with charities, funders, sector leaders and the supporting infrastructure - and illustrates the impact that this has had, and highlights the opportunities for getting involved as we move forward.
Access a word version of the infographic here
Recent hightlights include
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AI self-serve course
Our free self-serve AI course consists of eight weekly emails, each containing a guided activity designed to help participants comfortably familiarise themselves with AI — and discover how it can make day-to-day work life easier.
Since the course launched (in January 2025), more than 7,300 unique users have accessed the sign-up page on the website - and over 2,700 people have engaged with the course.
In our ongoing feedback survey, 91% of survey respondents have described the course content as 'engaging and relevant’ - and, when asked how likely they were to continue applying what they'd learned, respondents returned an average result of 9 out of 10.
Find out more - and sign up for the AI self-serve course -
Library of AI experiments
Our 2026 survey revealed an appetite for insights into ways that organisations are using AI, with 81% of respondents keen to access case studies. To support this, we've developed a collection of AI experiments, shared by charities and funders.
Entries cover topics such as user research, AI policy creation, data analysis and transcription - with contributors sharing what worked well, what didn’t - and the advice they’d give to others.
The growing collection now spans more than 30 experiments, shared by over 20 organisations. The library has proven very popular, attracting more than 5,400 unique website visitors since launching in July 2025.
Find out more - and explore the AI experiments library -
Digital Leads Network
The Digital Leads Network (DLN) had its most active year to date between March 2025 and April 2026.
During that time, the DLN grew to comprise more than 500 members from nearly 400 UK charities and nonprofits, more than doubling the previous year’s membership intake.
A full programme of online meetups, peer groups and informal networking delivered over 300 participations, with members consistently rating sessions 4.3–5 out of 5.
Six AI Peer Group sessions brought together over 170 members to share experiments, navigate uncertainty and build confidence collectively.
Find out more - and discover how to join the Digital Leads Network
Theory of Change
As part of our monitoring, evaluation and learning work, we recently redeveloped our Theory of Change. This was a collective and collaborative exercise, involving the whole CAST team.
You can read more about the rationale and process for developing the Theory of Change in this blog on Medium.
Access a word version of the Theory of Change diagram above here