Creator / originator

Youth PWR Charity is on a mission to change the narrative for young people from underserved communities. Through creative training, industry exposure and hands-on opportunities, we equip young people with the skills, confidence and connections to build thriving futures.

We worked on this fundraising campaign with Gather Campaigns, who are face-to-face (F2F) fundraising and outreach specialists.

Background

Youth PWR is a small emerging charity, established in 2019 by me, Dee Onigbanjo. 

Inspired by my personal experiences with youth violence and barriers to entering the media industry, I founded Youth PWR to educate and empower young people, helping them develop skills, build confidence, and stay safe from violence.

Since launching, Youth PWR has supported over 1,000 young people, with nearly 70 per cent of them securing employment or establishing themselves as freelancers within six months of completing one of our programmes. From upskilling projects and creative media to mentorship and career-readiness training, we tackle social issues like youth unemployment, youth crime/ violence, and lack of representation head-on – through culture-forward and community-rooted solutions. 

Summary / objectives

Youth PWR wanted to launch a cost-effective F2F fundraising campaign which would increase awareness of our cause and our work, while raising vital income that could help us reach even more beneficiaries and create a bigger impact.

Gather Campaigns came up with the solution of running an initial three-week pilot campaign at an affordable level for us – with an aim to generate one-off donations. The primary objectives were to:

• secure 450 individual one-off donations
• achieve an average donation value of £20
• raise £10,000 before fees and Gift Aid
• maximise direct marketing opt-ins for future engagement

The campaign launched in December 2023, with the three-week test period costing the charity £500. 

Given Youth PWR’s primary engagement with young people in and around London, our F2F fundraising efforts were concentrated in the capital and the Home Counties at private sites – including Cannon Street and Holborn Stations, plus shops like Sainsbury’s, Pret A Manger, and Marks and Spencer (M&S).

Special characteristics

Unlike most F2F campaigns, which prioritise securing regular givers, this initiative focused solely on one-off donations. This unique approach allowed Youth PWR to:

• approach a broader audience, including younger supporters
• secure immediate donations that would have otherwise been difficult to obtain
• operate on a modest budget with a sustainable return on investment (ROI)

Due to the success of the initial test, the campaign continued, self-funding for an additional seven months, running until August 2024. We had approximately eight fundraisers working daily across multiple locations.

Results

The campaign far exceeded its original targets:

• 690 one-off donations during the test phase, surpassing the target by 53 per cent
• average donation value was £27.50 before Gift Aid
• marketing opt-ins reached 55 per cent
• the test phase alone raised £18,987, with an ROI of over 2:1

Over the full eight-month period:

• 12,042 donations were secured
• average donation value pre-Gift Aid was £34.46 (£41.05 with Gift Aid)
• 82 per cent of donations included Gift Aid
• total donations before fees and Gift Aid amounted to £427,421 (£507,042 including Gift Aid)
• ROI remained at 2:1, with future growth expected through subsequent telephone engagement

Influence / impact

Beyond our financial success, the campaign achieved:

• 375,000 public engagements, leading to 186,000 conversations
• recruitment of four volunteers who were inspired by their interactions with fundraisers
• increased awareness and advocacy for Youth PWR’s mission

The campaign also served as a long-term capacity-building initiative. A key goal of ours was to collect marketing opt-ins which could enable future fundraising opportunities. Of the 12,402 donors, 60 per cent consented to future contact, leading to the launch of a subsequent telemarketing regular giving campaign.

Additionally, the campaign’s success enabled Youth PWR to expand our initiatives, including:

• Launching a media boot camp for young people, with 12 participants, three of whom have since secured full-time jobs in creative industries.
• Developing an anti-knife crime campaign, which launched in February 2025, and is expected to educate 240 young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Merits

This campaign was groundbreaking for Youth PWR because it introduced an innovative and scalable F2F model for our small charity. Plus, the test phase provided a risk-free entry into F2F fundraising for us. 

Other merits include that the campaign was self-funding, enabling a flexible and extended duration for our efforts. Plus, by taking advantage of QR (quick response) code payment technology with Stripe, we were able to streamline the donation process – ensuring security and ease for our new supporters.

Final notes

The campaign exceeded our expectations, allowing us to achieve far more than we ever anticipated. It catapulted our initiatives and capacity to deliver on our mission, enhancing our programmes and models to support more young people. 

One programme even went on to win an award. The ripple effect was immense — not only in terms of what we delivered but also in raising awareness, gaining champions for our work, and attracting more volunteers. We’ve employed more staff, increased our capacity, and become a stronger, more sustainable organisation.

Dominic Will, at our F2F agency, Gather Campaigns said:

‘Youth PWR’s F2F fundraising campaign demonstrates that even a small, relatively unknown charity can achieve remarkable success with a well-planned and innovative approach. By leveraging an unconventional F2F strategy, Youth PWR reached new supporters, secured critical funding, and laid the foundation for long-term growth and impact.’

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