AFK (formerly Action for Kids)

In collaboration with Different Kettle, we worked with AFK across two projects to build brand awareness, generate funds and increase reach through their ‘Little BIG Support’ campaign.

We partnered with AFK on their "Little BIG Support" campaign to boost their profile and expand their supporter base. The first phase, from July to December 2023, focused on increasing donors through social media. The second phase, from March to May 2024, encouraged legacy giving. Both phases used engaging content and unique visuals to highlight AFK’s mission.

AFK is a small national charity dedicated to supporting disabled and autistic children and young people. We came on board to support their campaign, "Little BIG Support". Here’s a look at how the campaign unfolded and the impact it had.

AFK, despite having very dedicated supporters, wasn't widely recognised. With the "Little BIG Support" campaign, we aimed to change that by expanding AFK’s pool of individual donors. The goal was to raise funds to provide essential services like mobility equipment, employment support, training, and promoting self-advocacy for disabled and autistic children and young adults.

Working with a limited budget, AFK turned to social media to get the word out and engage with people. The campaign ran from 24th July to 31st December 2023, using both paid and organic content to reach as many people as possible.

Different Kettle were the creative brains behind "Little BIG Support" giving the campaign a unique visual identity that really brought AFK’s work to life. We focused on authentic storytelling, sharing the real-life impact of AFK’s support on its beneficiaries using the specific campaign branding.

We handled the creation and rollout of a mix of media across various social media platforms and Google ads. Using information from AFK’s website, we created content around four key themes; Educate, Dream, Advocate and Participate.

We tested different formats like carousels, videos, Reels, and static images, all designed to make the campaign visually engaging. We shared stories from young beneficiaries like Lacey and Matthew, showing the positive impact AFK has on their lives.

Working on the "Little BIG Support" campaign has been a rewarding experience. We successfully raised awareness about legacy giving and engaged both existing and potential supporters. We look forward to future opportunities to support AFK in their mission and continue making a difference in the lives of disabled and neurodiverse children and young people.

We created a smaller batch of content for this phase, promoting it through both organic social media and paid ads.

While the campaign showed consistent performance across all platforms, LinkedIn stood out with the highest engagement. This was unexpected, as LinkedIn is not traditionally known for fundraising.

The organic social media content supported the paid ads, helping to re-engage current supporters and attract new ones. Our goal was to educate and engage people, encouraging them to donate and support AFK’s mission.

Here’s how we did:

  • Total Audience Increase: We grew the audience from 14,834 to 15,074.
  • Total Impressions: The campaign generated 763,396 impressions, significantly raising awareness of AFK's mission.
  • Total Engagements: Across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, we had 11,951 engagements, showing strong interaction with our content.
  • 3-Second Video Plays: 198,442 at £0.02 per play
  • Total Video Plays: 583,336

The campaign reached over half a million people and got significant video engagement at a low cost, boosting AFK’s visibility and interaction with their content.

The "Little BIG Support" campaign showed how powerful authentic storytelling and engaging visuals can be, even on a tight budget. We successfully raised awareness and engagement for AFK, helping more people learn about and support their mission.

We had the privilege of supporting AFK with the second phase of their "Little BIG Support" campaign. This campaign focused on encouraging people to leave a gift in their will to AFK.

Running from 22nd March to 3rd May 2024, this part of the campaign aimed to make supporters aware that they could leave a lasting impact by including AFK in their will.

We aimed to encourage them to request a Gifts in Wills guide and provide an opportunity for supporters to indicate their interest while allowing AFK to thank those who have already included them in their will.

We used a new iteration of the "Little BIG Support" branding that was rooted in nostalgia, designed by Different Kettle to boost awareness and engage new supporters. The "Little BIG Support" narrative told the story of AFK’s work in understanding the small but important details of each child's life and providing the significant, tailored support they need to live independently and pursue their dreams.

Working with Fay and the team has been an absolute pleasure. They are supportive, flexible and highly creative, understanding our charity, its audiences, and challenges, and effectively reaching the right people with engaging storytelling to drive action.

Katie Cavanagh - Fundraising and Communications Director

Catnip Comms was born out of a love of all things social, a passion for using digital to do good in the world, and a drive to put the social back into social media.

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Fay Schofield fay@catnipcomms.com

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