Regular Giving Campaign & Donor Acquisition
Background
YHA (Youth Hostels Association) has been helping people discover adventure, build confidence and connect with the outdoors for almost a century. As it approached its 95th anniversary, the charity wanted to strengthen its regular giving programme with a campaign that celebrated its heritage while encouraging long-term supporter commitment.
The Challenge
YHA wanted a regular giving campaign that offered supporters more choice and a stronger connection to the impact of their donation.
Rather than asking for a general monthly gift, the campaign needed to allow donors to decide exactly where their support would make a difference, whether that was maintaining hostels, funding the Breaks programme, supporting the No Child Left Behind appeal or contributing to areas of greatest need. The charity also wanted to celebrate its 95-year history without letting the anniversary overshadow the fundraising message.
The Creative Strategy
The strongest regular giving propositions are built around emotional connection rather than financial transactions.
Following audience and proposition development, the concept "95 Years of Heritage, Adventure & Community"emerged as the most compelling direction. It celebrated YHA's rich history while reminding supporters that every generation has helped make life-changing experiences possible.
The creative centred on inspiring photography of Britain's landscapes, combined with warm, relatable messaging that reflected the memories and experiences many supporters associate with YHA. Rather than focusing solely on fundraising, the campaign invited people to become part of YHA's continuing story.
From there, we developed a fully integrated campaign across direct mail, digital, email and social media, supported by a welcome journey for new regular donors and a promotional film used across paid media and YouTube. Every touchpoint was designed to reinforce the value of monthly giving while making the supporter journey feel personal and rewarding.
Impact
The campaign provided YHA with a distinctive regular giving proposition that balanced heritage, storytelling and supporter choice within a single fundraising platform.
The charity welcomed the strategic direction and creative approach, recognising how naturally it aligned with the wider brand while strengthening its long-term fundraising ambitions. The work also established a flexible foundation for future donor acquisition and supporter engagement.