Real people, real stories
A charity appeal asks people to give because something real is happening to real people. A generated face presented as a beneficiary breaks that contract, even when the story behind it is true, and it is the kind of discovery that travels fast. At least one major human-rights organisation has withdrawn AI-generated images of a real crisis after criticism. The workable rule: real people appear only as themselves, with informed consent and the right to withdraw it. Generated imagery can illustrate ideas, services or composite scenarios when clearly labelled as illustration, and composite case studies should say so, with names changed and consent from the people whose experiences they draw on.
Dignity is a design rule
Sector guidance on images and messages, such as the Dóchas guide used by Irish development organisations, has long pushed charities away from pity-driven pictures that strip people of agency. Image models trained on decades of that imagery reproduce it readily: the lone child in dust, the passive recipient, the white helper. Treat dignity as a brief requirement, written into the brand hub, not a matter of taste. Show people as active, named where they choose to be, in their own context, and avoid visual stereotypes of whole regions or conditions. Have someone from the community the work represents review the imagery, because they will see what a head-office team misses.
Donor trust, disclosure and fundraising rules
Fundraising is regulated as well as ethical. In the UK, the Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice, in a new principles-based version since 1 November 2025, requires fundraising to be legal, open, honest and respectful, and the Charity Commission's guidance CC20 sets out trustees' responsibilities. Money given to a named appeal is generally restricted to that purpose, so an appeal image must match where the money goes. Impact figures such as what a gift buys must be accurate and current, never rounded up by a copy draft. Label generated imagery plainly in appeals and reports; a donor who discovers it unprompted will reasonably ask what else was invented.
Many languages on a small budget
Charities often serve and fundraise across more languages than a global brand, with a fraction of the budget: diaspora donors, field programmes, refugee communities, partners in several regions. Translation budgets used to decide who was reached. The studio localises copy into 30 languages with approved wording enforced, and dubs video with timing preserved, so an appeal, a service leaflet or an annual report can go out in several languages at once. Keep a native speaker from the community in the loop for anything sensitive, such as health, legal or safeguarding information, and produce accessible formats, including Easy Read, at the same time.
Updated 25 September 2026 · General information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the current text with your legal team before relying on it.