Younger audiences are already riled up for change – the challenge is meeting them where they are, inspiring them with your values, and helping them take meaningful action.
The next generation is ready – are you?
The next generation of supporters isn’t on the horizon – they’re already here. Gen Z are driving online movements, raising awareness for causes they care about, and taking action because of what they see on social media.
They’re also generous.
Gen Z and Millennials are twice as likely to donate to education, human rights and refugee-related causes as the national average.
But reaching them requires new thinking. Many charities are still using Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and attraction tools – like handraisers – that worked really well five years ago. There is still room for these channels, but over the years, costs to acquire new supporters have climbed and results have diminished.
If you want to inspire younger audiences to take action, it’s time to evolve how your organisation connects with them – with creativity, testing, and your values at the heart of your digital strategy.
“It’s more important than ever to invest in innovation and testing and learning to stay ahead of trends.”
Autumn Chard, Senior Digital Marketing Specialist at Amnesty International UK
Why charities need to think differently about next-gen supporters
Across the charity sector, digital teams are feeling the same pressures: engagement tools that once cut through now struggle to make an impact.
And Meta costs are rising fast – between 2021 and 2024, cost per lead increased by 30% – while younger audiences are building their own online spaces on platforms like TikTok and WhatsApp.
These shifts don’t mean we have to start from scratch. They mean it’s time to rethink how we reach people. We need to move away from over-reliance on Meta and towards platforms that reflect how the next generation connects, learns and takes action.
As we explored in our recent campaign with Amnesty International UK, the charities that succeed with younger audiences are those that meet them where they are, inspire them and make it easy for them to take that first step.
“We can’t stand still and continue to play by the old acquisition rulebook. If we’re going to meet the huge global challenges we’re tackling, we need to bring the next generation with us as activists, donors, and supporters.”
Jess Hodge, Partner Strategy Lead at Forward Action
Meeting supporters where they are
When Amnesty wanted to expand their supporter base, their goal was simple: reach and inspire a younger audience – and test new ways of doing it. Together, we focused on TikTok.
Why TikTok? Because that’s where younger people are.
60% of TikTok users are aged 16–34, and the average UK user spends nearly a day and a half each month on the platform.
Rather than relying on traditional ads, the campaign used creative, values-led content designed to spark curiosity, hope and empathy.
This wasn’t about jumping on trends – it was about finding fun, accessible ways to bring people closer to Amnesty’s mission. The result was a challenge that invited people to take action through short videos that encouraged sign-ups and sharing.
Turning engagement into long-term impact
“The goal isn’t simply to be on social – it’s to get people off social and onto your contactable list, into your movement.”
Jess Hodge, Partner Strategy Lead at Forward Action
Reach is great, but it’s only the first step. The impact really comes from turning engagement into lasting support.
Each TikTok ad led to an interactive challenge page where users could take part, sign up, and start a journey that continued beyond social media (try it for yourself here!). Supporters were invited to join Amnesty’s list via email and WhatsApp, opening up channels for inspiring ongoing engagement and driving real-world impact.
And while social media was the hook, it wasn’t the end goal.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – email is not dead!
Email remains a powerful way to stay connected – 81% of Gen Z check their inbox at least once a day.
Once people opted in, they were offered ways to stay involved: sharing content, donating, or joining further campaigns.
The results showed what’s possible when you meet audiences where they are and help them take action. In just a few weeks of testing:
- We reached 1.3 million people
- 39% were Gen Z
- Almost ALL were were new to Amnesty (98%)
- We achieved a 6x cheaper TikTok cost per lead than the sector benchmark (£6 vs £39)
TikTok audiences were ready to act.
The audience from TikTok had a higher click-to-donate rate than other platforms and helped Amnesty build a pipeline of new, younger supporters for the future.
What every organisation can learn from this
At Forward Action we work with a huge range of progressive organisations, from international charities like Amnesty International UK with bigger budgets, to small orgs with much less to invest.
The truth is, you don’t need a huge budget to start building your next generation of supporters.
What matters most is testing, learning, and applying digital mobilisation principles:
- Lead with values. People are drawn to causes that reflect their beliefs. Be clear about what your organisation stands for, why it matters and how it overlaps with your target audience.
- Use emotion and storytelling. Tap into curiosity, anger and hope – emotions that drive people to act.
- Reframe risk as learning. Testing new channels or content isn’t a gamble – it’s how you discover what resonates. And it’s essential.
- Move people off social. Going viral alone won’t build a movement for change. Inspiring people to take meaningful actions does.
We call this approach turning ideas into action. It’s about creativity backed by strategy, and experimentation backed by data.
The future is already here – it’s time to act
Younger audiences are already showing up for the causes they care about. The question is whether your organisation is showing up for them.
By combining creative storytelling with smart testing and audience insight, your charity can build lasting relationships with the next generation of supporters – and turn moments of online inspiration into movements for change.
Now is the time to test, learn, and mobilise.
Want to explore how Forward Action can help you reach and mobilise your next generation of supporters? We’d love to chat! Email hello@forwardaction.uk to speak with our team.