Ashley Zhang

Thesis

Thesis

• Supervisor: Jon Hook and Marta Herrero

Organising Participation in Digital Philanthropy: AI-Assisted Nonprofit Communication Workflows within Platforms

This thesis explores how acts of giving and public participation are not only spontaneous expressions of goodwill but are also shaped, organised, and sustained through digital communication systems.

Storytelling has long played an important role in philanthropy. NPOs rely on stories to explain social issues, build trust, connect distant experiences, and encourage public engagement. Today, these storytelling practices increasingly take place within digital environments shaped by social media platforms and AI-assisted interactive tools.

While many NPOs work under significant practical constraints, often needing to maintain continuous communication with limited staff, time, and media resources. In this context, AI-assisted workflows and platform-based communication systems are becoming part of the everyday work of nonprofit storytelling, helping NPOs coordinate content production and public engagement across multiple platforms.

Combining platform analysis, workflow-oriented inquiry, and interviews with nonprofit practitioners, the research examines how NPOs adapt communication practices within evolving digital ecosystems. Using China as the primary research context, alongside comparative references to the UK and US, to explore how different platform environments shape the communication of charitable causes.

Biography

Biography

I hold a Master’s degree in Creative Media from City University of Hong Kong. Before York, I worked as a research assistant at the AI Deal Studio at Southern University of Science and Technology, collaborating with Huawei Canada.

I also have industry experience in interdisciplinary projects involving participatory design and human-computer interaction, working as a user researcher and innovation specialist for companies including China Mobile, vivo and Midea.

In parallel, as a program assistant at OCAT Gallery, we host a series of public events with the PolyU design school, and I also created media content for several NPOs. Outside of work, I am passionate about skiing and photography.

Now, my research is based at the Centre for Digital Innovation in Philanthropy and Fundraising, where we support the philanthropy and nonprofit sector in developing responsible AI-based fundraising capabilities.

Research Interests

Human-Computer Interaction;
User Experience Design;
Participatory AI;
Storytelling Practice;
Affective Visualisation;
Philanthropy and Prosocial Behaviour.

External research activity

2025 – Conference participation – Technology for Good: Driving Social Impact, NUS Business School (in collaboration with Tencent)

2026 – Workshop paper – “Infrastructures of Participation in Digital Philanthropy.” – CHI 2026 Workshop on Restoring Human Authenticity in AI-MC, ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems