How to build engaged supporter bases through lead generation campaigns

Why combining paid and owned channels creates better results

Paid campaigns deliver immediate results while email marketing offers something different but equally valuable - the ability to nurture relationships and create multiple opportunities to engage with supporters over time. A supporter on a charity’s email list can receive urgent appeals, impact updates, event invitations and regular giving asks. Each touchpoint builds familiarity and trust.

The smartest approach combines both paid and email. Using paid campaigns to reach new audiences and drive immediate action and email to deepen relationships with people who've already shown interest in the cause. Lead generation campaigns become the bridge between the two.

This integrated approach also gives charities more flexibility when platform dynamics shift. Algorithm changes might affect your paid campaign performance but email lists keep delivering. Rising ad costs might mean organisations need to be more selective with paid activity but existing supporters acquired through previous lead gen campaigns cost nothing to reach.

What is a lead generation campaign?

A lead generation campaign is designed to collect contact details from people who show interest in a charity’s cause. Instead of a direct response campaign that may ask for a donation straight away, this is a lower barrier to entry and a simpler ask.

Lead generation campaigns focus on cost per lead and the quality of those leads, rather than cost per acquisition metrics traditionally seen in conversion campaigns. The campaigns sit in the top of the marketing funnel aimed at targeting supporters who want to learn more about the cause. They might not be ready to donate, but they’re interested in getting to know more about the cause.

It then becomes the job of email marketing to introduce these supporters to the charity - sharing the mission, impact stories and building the trust needed so that when they do donate, they’re more likely to give again because the relationship has been invested in.

This approach works particularly well for charities who have encountered the health and wellness restrictions, making direct fundraising campaigns trickier to run.

How Street Child built their supporter base

Street Child is an education charity working in low resource environments and emergencies. Email marketing is a historically strong channel for the charity, frequently driving donations and regular giving sign ups so we recommended launching a handraiser campaign aimed at engaging new supporters and encouraging them to become regular donors over the medium to long term as they learned more about the charity. The goal wasn't immediate donations, but rather building a warm audience of people who wanted to stay connected.

The campaign ran with a budget of £1,500 over a six week period across Meta platforms. We tested two creative approaches using the same images of children in their educational settings. The first set featured a specific child's name, while the second used the phrase "every child." Both asked a simple question: "We believe [child's name/every child] has the right to education? Do you agree?"

The creative with the child's name performed slightly better, generating 489 leads compared to 428 for the "every child" variant. More importantly, it achieved a lower cost per lead at £1.40 versus £1.61. The personalisation helped the campaign resonate more strongly, showing how specific stories about individual children can be more compelling than generic messaging.

Across both creative approaches, the campaign delivered 917 new supporters to Street Child's database at an overall cost per lead of £1.50 - a strong result for a campaign with no value exchange beyond information about the charity’s work.

Demographic data also showed the campaign reached the right audience, with most leads coming from the 65+ age group. Previous campaigns had shown this audience to be more likely to become regular givers, so the handraiser campaign was effectively filling the top of the funnel with high-potential supporters.

The real value of these leads will become clear over time. The campaign set out to boost Street Child's email marketing list with new supporters who are keen to know more about the charity. The overall aim is to convert this audience into donors once they're warm to the charity and bought into the mission. We recommended running similar campaigns periodically to ensure the top of the funnel stays topped up with new supporters.

Best practices for lead generation campaigns

Getting lead generation campaigns right takes some thought. Here's what we've learned from running these campaigns for charity clients:

Start with realistic expectations. A cost per lead between £1.50 and £3.00 is reasonable for most charity campaigns without a strong value exchange. If you're offering something tangible in return (a guide, exclusive content, event invitation), you might achieve lower costs. But don't chase cheap leads at the expense of quality.

Test your creative approach. Personalisation works really well, whether that's featuring someone the charity has helped or making the issue feel immediate and real. Generic messaging about a cause rarely performs as well as specific stories. Test different approaches, but make sure each ad has a clear focus.

Think carefully about your value exchange. What can be offered in return for someone's email address? For some supporters, learning more about your work is enough. But results could be stronger by offering something specific for example, updates on a particular campaign, behind-the-scenes stories or practical resources related to the cause.

Choose your platform based on your audience. Meta lead forms work well for charities because the sign-up process is seamless. Pre-filled forms mean people can submit their details in seconds, but lead quality can be lower because it's so easy. Google lead form extensions can work well if people are actively searching for a cause. Dedicated landing pages give more control and space to tell a story, but the extra step could cause friction and mean fewer people complete the form.

Don't forget about integration. It’s important that leads flow into your CRM or email platform quickly to keep up momentum. We've used tools like Zapier and Microsoft Power Automate to connect Meta lead forms with charity databases and ensure a seamless supporter journey.

Respect GDPR and soft opt-in rules. Make sure all lead gen forms are clear about what supporters are signing up for. The soft opt-in rules allow you to market related products or services (like fundraising appeals) if someone's signed up for information about the cause. But the person needs to have a clear expectation about what emails they'll receive.

What happens after the campaign

What happens after the lead gen campaign determines its long-term success. Having a clear lead nurture journey ready before the campaign launches is important. The journey doesn’t need to be complicated, but it should be intentional and build on the relationship between the charity and the supporter, making them feel connected to the mission before asking for anything.

How quickly a charity moves to fundraising asks depends entirely on the cause and supporter. Some charities find that supporters are ready to donate within a few weeks if the welcome journey is compelling and results (opens, clicks and onward engagements) are strong. Others need to take a slower approach, nurturing leads for several months before introducing donation appeals. Every charity is different which is why it’s important to analyse the data, tracking which emails get opened, which stories resonate and when people start to disengage.

While the initial cost per lead is important, the true success of a lead gen campaign comes when looking at how many of the leads eventually donate, sign up for regular giving or take other valuable actions. Calculating the lifetime value of leads from these campaigns and comparing them to other acquisition channels allows charities to determine the true success.

It’s also important to plan regular lead generation campaigns to top up the funnel. Although Street Child’s campaign brought in over 900 new supporters to the charity some of those will donate, some will stay engaged but not give and some will disengage.

Building a complete digital fundraising strategy

The most effective charity digital programs use multiple channels working together. Paid campaigns drive immediate results and reach new audiences. Email nurtures relationships and creates ongoing engagement. And lead generation campaigns connect the two, using the power of paid targeting to build supporter bases.

This isn't about choosing between paid and owned channels, it's about using each for what it does best. The Street Child campaign showed that even with a modest budget, charities can use paid platforms strategically to grow email lists. The long-term value of those supporters, once nurtured into donors through a strong supporter journey, can create a multiplier effect on initial paid investment.

Getting started with lead generation

Lead generation campaigns offer charities a way to build resilience into their digital fundraising while getting more value from paid budgets.

The supporters you acquire through these campaigns become an asset you own, reducing reliance on any single platform and creating opportunities for deeper engagement over time. Whether you're affected by advertising restrictions or simply looking to strengthen your supporter acquisition strategy, lead gen campaigns can work alongside your existing activity to deliver both immediate and long-term results.

If you'd like to explore how lead generation could work for your charity, get in touch. We'd love to discuss your goals and share more examples of how we've helped charities build their supporter bases through strategic paid campaigns.