Should UK Charities Use Influencers? A Complete Guide for 2026

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Every day, over 5 billion people turn to their social media apps to connect, catch up on the news, and learn. Unlocking the power of social media influencers is one of the most effective ways to strengthen digital marketing for charities.

Love it or hate it, influencer marketing is a creative and proven strategy for charities. But do not jump in without knowing the basics.

This guide is your go-to resource for building a charity influencer campaign that delivers the largest return on investment (ROI) possible.

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In this article:

• What is an influencer?

• Why influencer marketing works for UK charities

• How to choose the right influencer for your charity

• Choose from the 4 types of influencers

• Build a successful influencer campaign in 4 steps

• Raise more with 5 influencer tactics

• How charities are winning with influencers

• Frequently asked questions

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What is an influencer?

An influencer is an individual, sometimes an organisation, who shapes other people's opinions, behaviours, and decisions. Influencers have always existed in some form, but today they are most commonly known for their social media presence, thought leadership, reputation, or expertise on a niche topic.

Over the past few years, the role of an influencer shifted from product endorsement to a trusted source of information, trends, and advocacy for various causes. The rise of micro and nano influencers with far smaller followings also shows the power of personalised connections online.

Influencers play a significant role in consumer culture, which is why the vast majority of marketers now set aside a budget to work with them. The more an online audience relates to an influencer and sees themselves in their lifestyle, the more willing they are to trust them.

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A well-rounded view: what is influencer marketing?

Well, depending on who you ask, influencer marketing is:

... businesses partnering with individuals with a significant social media presence to market their products and services." - Mailchimp (Intuit)

or

... a collaboration between popular social-media users and brands to promote brands' products or services." - McKinsey and Co.

and

... a brand collaborating with an online influencer to market one of its products or services." - Influencer Marketing Hub

It is worth noting that it can be hard to define 'significant social media presence'. Also, just because an influencer has a large following does not mean they have an engaged audience. Both things matter, which we will explore next.

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What is influencer marketing for charities?

Influencer marketing for charities is a collaboration that helps charitable organisations connect with a wider audience, amplify a message, raise donations, and inspire action through online giving or fundraising support, without paid advertising.

Where an influencer drives donations from UK taxpayers, you can claim an additional 25p per £1 through Gift Aid, turning a £100 donation into £125 for your cause at no extra cost to the donor. Make sure your donation form captures the Gift Aid declaration cleanly. Gift Aid does not apply to raffle entries, event tickets, or auction lots at fair value. (HMRC Gift Aid guidance)

Charity influencer marketing can help you enhance

• Awareness campaigns: Influencers share information about your mission, campaigns, or events with a wider and more diverse audience. This is ideal for newer charities building their profile.

• Storytelling: Influencers are skilled content creators who can apply their personal perspective to your story and create a deeper emotional connection.

• Fundraising campaigns: Influencers naturally encourage followers to donate or participate in fundraising opportunities through specific links, challenges, or live events.

• Online advocacy: Influencers often educate followers, making them a great source of information about your cause and goals.

• Events: Influencers can promote upcoming fundraising events for UK charities by attending themselves, sharing their experience, or offering a discount code to increase participation and engagement.

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Why influencer marketing works for UK charities

UK donors are trust-first. Before giving, many look for a registered charity number, the Fundraising Regulator badge, and evidence that the charity operates with integrity. An authentic influencer who has genuinely lived the cause and properly discloses the partnership helps clear that trust hurdle with Gen Z and Millennial supporters who are otherwise sceptical of charity direct mail.

Crucially, UK audiences dislike aggressive, scarcity-driven, or emotionally manipulative content. Influencer content for charities must stay declarative and outcome-led, in line with the tone used by organisations like Cancer Research UK and Macmillan. The best influencer partnerships feel like a peer recommendation, not a sales pitch.

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The benefits of working with influencers for charity professionals

• Trust: UK donors are trust-first. An influencer who has genuinely lived the cause and discloses the partnership earns credibility that no paid advertisement can buy. A properly disclosed #ad or #gifted post protects both you and the creator, and UK audiences increasingly expect it.

• Visibility: You already have an excellent message and story. Getting it in front of more people through an influencer's following expands your community and diversifies your communications. It is also an effective way to engage younger donors and reach Gen Z supporters.

• Widespread credibility: Influencers create viral moments and attract significant attention to what they share. The more your charity appears in social media feeds with endorsement from people your donors trust, the better your standing.

• Financial savings: Instead of hit-or-miss marketing and traditional advertising with a large budget, you can work with influencers. The impact and cost compare favourably to paid alternatives.

• Authenticity: Influencers can weave their personal stories and genuine thoughts into every post they create. That goes a long way toward showcasing your cause and the impact of donations.

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Disclose the partnership: the UK rules

Any influencer partnership with a UK charity carries clear regulatory obligations. The Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice (current version effective 1 November 2025) includes a new Section 9 covering online platforms. The Code's four core principles are: legal, open, honest, and respectful.

'Legal' means the partnership must be disclosed in line with UK advertising rules. Standard disclosure tags for a paid or gifted partnership are #ad, #advert, or a platform-native paid-partnership label. Build disclosure into your creative brief from the start, not as an afterthought.

If the influencer is promoting a raffle or prize draw, the Gambling Act 2005 applies. Most charity raffles are small society lotteries and must be registered with the local licensing authority before any promotion begins. Never let an influencer promote a raffle you do not hold a licence for. (Gambling Commission small society lottery guidance)

Any donor data captured through an influencer-driven campaign is subject to UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Get your consent language right before the campaign goes live.

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How to choose the right influencer for your charity

Identifying the right influencers

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Does the influencer's audience relate to your charity's cause?

It is important to find a balance between an influencer who can speak to those already interested in your cause and one who can attract a new audience of prospective donors. Look for an influencer whose followers skew UK-based, engage with UK charity content (such as Comic Relief, Children in Need, Movember UK, or Macmillan Coffee Morning), and whose age profile aligns with your Gift Aid-eligible, tax-paying donor base.

What influencer niche would best serve your charity?

The more specific you can be about the area your creator specialises in, the more likely you are to reach your ideal audience. At the same time, partnering with an influencer who has access to diverse communities helps spread your mission further.

Some common influencer niches to start your search with:

• Lifestyle influencers: Daily lives, travel, and health

• Beauty and fashion influencers: The latest makeup, skincare, and fashion trends

• Health and wellness influencers: Nutrition, cooking, mindfulness, mental health, exercise, and wellbeing

• Tech influencers: Technology product and service updates, digital trends, and reviews

UK-specific creator categories that resonate with charity audiences:

• Parenting and family creators, often with deeply loyal local audiences

• Finance and money-saving creators, whose followers are already thinking about where their money goes

• Faith creators with strong community ties

• Disability advocates and LGBTQ+ creators with engaged, cause-aligned communities

• Regional creators based in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales, who often have smaller but disproportionately engaged local followings

What type of content does the influencer typically create?

Influencers are known for many different types of content. Understanding what you want to focus on will help you narrow your list.

A few content categories influencers fall into:

• Video creators: Video content, YouTube vloggers, TikTok creators

• Bloggers: Written content, personal blogs, in-depth articles, reviews, and opinion pieces

• Podcasters: Audio content and timely discussions with guests

• Social media influencers: Content built around a specific platform, such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or TikTok

How original is an influencer's content?

It is always a good idea to look through any prospective influencer's content to see how it feels from a viewer's perspective. You will know fairly quickly whether things feel aligned or whether you spot any concerns.

Authenticity is key to ensuring the content feels natural and comes from a genuine place rather than reading as a sales pitch. Look at post frequency too.

Influencers who produce a greater proportion of original content tend to stand out more, attract more attention, and appear more knowledgeable and authentic. A Harvard Business Review study found that originality in influencer content correlated with a 15.5% higher ROI.

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Identifying the right platform

Not all social media platforms perform similarly, and that is fine because they each serve a different audience and purpose.

A qualitative overview of the UK social media landscape today:

• TikTok: The fastest-growing UK platform for reaching Gen Z supporters. Short-form video content performs strongly for cause-based campaigns, and challenge formats travel well.

• Instagram: Dominates lifestyle and cause content for Millennial supporters. Reels, Stories, and carousel posts all perform well for charity campaigns.

• Facebook: Still has the largest UK audience across age groups 35 and above, making it particularly effective for reaching regular givers and community supporters.

• YouTube: A significant UK platform that the EN article overlooks. Long-form video and documentary-style content works well for cause storytelling and behind-the-scenes charity content.

• X (formerly Twitter): UK charity utility on X has declined significantly. Most UK charities are now reprioritising budgets toward Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn (which is particularly useful for major-donor and trustee outreach).

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Choose from the 4 types of influencers

Influencers are often categorised by their reach. There is no wrong type. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, which will help you determine what may work best for your charity.

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Pros and cons of the 4 types of influencers

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Ready to reach out? You can contact influencers you want to work with in much the same way as you would engage a prospective donor. Read our tips on email marketing for charities to build your relationship skills and get your campaign started.

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Build a successful influencer campaign in 4 steps

Finding influencers for your charity is one thing, but developing a strong influencer marketing campaign is another. Here are 4 essential steps to turn everything covered above into an actionable plan.

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Step 1: Know your audience

When you know exactly who you are trying to reach, you can be more specific about choosing an influencer, message, and platform.

Start by noting the demographics of your target audience, such as:

• Age

• Gender

• Income level

• Education level

• Occupation

• Geographic location

• Marital status

• Household size

• Language

As you build a clearer picture of your specific audience, you can break out further segments to address in your campaign.

Segment examples for charity influencer campaigns:

• Young professionals, new to the workforce and interested in charitable giving alongside their employer's matched-giving scheme

• Health-focused parents who prioritise building wellness habits at home and balanced routines for children

• Students who are mental health advocates, interested in supporting awareness campaigns that drive real change

• Major donors and supporters with a greater capacity to give and an affinity for charitable partnerships

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Step 2: Pick your platform(s)

Now you know who you are speaking to with your charity influencer campaign. The next step is to understand where you can reach your desired audience.

You can go about this in a few ways:

• Look at your social media analytics on each major platform where you already have a presence, and build on your strengths.

• Review the qualitative platform overview earlier in this article to see where you have the most potential.

• See where your influencers thrive, and consider opportunities to build your presence on newer platforms.

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Step 3: Build a social media plan for your charity

Having a social media plan to lean on helps you identify when and where you might need an influencer's support. Think before fundraising events, at the launch of a peer-to-peer campaign, Giving Tuesday, and other significant moments in the UK charity calendar.

Your social media plan should clearly outline:

• Your goals and objectives

• Your target audience for social media specifically

• Types of content you will create (stories, videos, carousel posts, and so on)

• A posting schedule and desired frequency

• An engagement plan to interact with your followers

• Roles and responsibilities to outline who does what on your team, or if you are working with charity marketing agencies

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Step 4: Brief your influencer

Now you are ready to build a social media campaign and develop strategies with your influencer. Creating a campaign brief is the best way to share your vision with any influencer you contact.

Here are the key elements of a compelling influencer campaign:

• A story: Develop a narrative and message that resonates deeply with your target audience and can be personalised by your influencers. Communicate the challenge or opportunity your call to action will support.

• A visual goal: Know what types of content (edited videos, selfies, day in the life) you want to bring your story to life.

• Creative guidelines: Offer sample text or content ideas that define what must be included in the campaign, and what you leave open for the influencer to make their own.

• A clear call to action: Define the exact links, pages, or interactions you want the audience to take after viewing your campaign. A Harvard Business Review study found that posts linking to a brand's website or social media achieved an 11.4% higher ROI on average.

It is always worth leading social media campaigns back to your charity website to make a strong first impression and give visitors everything they need to learn and take action.

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Track the metrics that matter

• Engagement metrics: Likes, comments, and shares

• Reach: The number of individuals who view the campaign

• Impressions: The total number of times your content was viewed

• Click-through rate: The number of people who click a link or take action compared to total reach

• Conversions: The number of actions taken as a result of the campaign compared to all people who viewed it

• Follower growth: An increase in followers across social media channels following a campaign

• Cost per engagement: The cost of a campaign divided by the total number of engagements it produces

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Raise more with 5 influencer tactics

Influencers can support many causes, from awareness to fundraising. Here are proven approaches for influencer marketing in the charity sector.

• Create a collaborative social media challenge like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to invite influencers to participate and attract a wider audience. The Ice Bucket Challenge went global and was adopted enthusiastically in the UK. Cancer Research UK's #NoMakeUpSelfie is a homegrown example of user-driven social participation raising eight-figure sums through organic creator involvement.

• Host events with influencers online through live streams or in person, encouraging participants to learn about your cause and donate.

• Show behind-the-scenes content with influencers who can give prospective donors a genuine glimpse of your organisation, your cause, and the change each donation makes possible.

• Sell co-branded merchandise that influencers can design with your charity. Encourage followers to purchase from your online shop for UK charities to support a greater cause.

• Launch a personal storytelling campaign starting with influencers sharing their testimonies about your cause, and encouraging others to do the same.

• Match an influencer to a UK charity moment. Red Nose Day, Children in Need, Movember UK, Macmillan Coffee Morning, and Giving Tuesday are all moments when UK audiences are already primed to give. Pairing an influencer campaign with one of these occasions can significantly amplify both reach and donations.

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How charities are winning with influencers

Active Minds and Batiste: reaching a new generation

Active Minds took its influencer marketing campaign to the next level by partnering with Batiste, a UK-based haircare brand. Recognising that their target audiences overlapped, they created a collaborative campaign enlisting influencers in the self-care niche.

The campaign's mission was to reach Gen Z and Millennial supporters and raise awareness. Dr Courtney Tracy, an influencer with 1.8 million TikTok followers, led the content creation and brought an entirely new generation into the Active Minds community.

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PCRF and Creators for Palestine: the power of authentic storytelling

Palestine Children's Relief Fund gained the support of a newly formed influencer group, Creators for Palestine. This group of Twitch streamers, YouTubers, and TikTok creators actively share PCRF's mission and invite followers to donate when they are able.

The result was significant funds raised over a single weekend for relief efforts in Gaza. These influencers had the creative freedom to share authentic messages with their followers, and that authenticity paid off.

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Frequently asked questions

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