Cardboard Citizens – Big Give Campaign

Campaign Management
Social Media & Email Marketing

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Cardboard Citizens is a London-based charity using theatre and the arts to empower people with lived experience of homelessness. As our neighbours at Hoxton Works, we’ve always admired their creative approach to tackling social issues.

When time was running out to deliver their biggest fundraising campaign of the year – the Big Give Christmas Challenge – and team capacity was stretched, they turned to HdK for support. They wanted to build on the success of their award-winning More Than One Story film series and weave its powerful storytelling into the campaign. With the clock ticking, we stepped in to help craft a strategy, create impactful visuals, and deliver compelling messaging – resulting in a record-breaking £130,000 raised.

Making every story count: A Big Give campaign with real impact

The challenge

With their biggest fundraising campaign of the year fast approaching, Cardboard Citizens found themselves in a tight spot. Time was running out, internal capacity was stretched, and they needed to quickly pull together a campaign that would build on previous success while breaking new ground.

In the past, the charity had seen strong support from private donors, but this year they wanted to balance the ratio by boosting donations driven by marketing and organic outreach. Additionally, they were keen to integrate the powerful visuals from their More Than One Story film series – a project that had already made a huge impact earlier in the year.

To make it all happen, they needed clear messaging, strong visuals, and a solid strategy. That’s when they came to HdK for support.

Making every story count: A Big Give campaign with real impact

The solution

HdK hit the ground running to alleviate the team’s concerns and meet the tight deadline. 

  • Strategic planning: We devised a delivery plan for newsletters and social media distribution, targeting both loyal supporters and wider followers regularly throughout the campaign.
  • Copy and creative: We crafted messaging that would resonate across platforms, with a chosen slogan of “Every Story Counts. Every Donation Matters.”
  • Visual integration: Our graphic designer used visuals from the More Than One Story series to create impactful assets, from newsletter headers to social media graphics, keeping the look and feel consistent.
  • Website updates: We suggested messaging and design for a website pop-up and a dedicated Big Give fundraising page to maximise visibility.
  • Content creation: We wrote five campaign-focused newsletters and one impact report, all tailored to specific audience segments. We also drafted social media posts for Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. 
Making every story count: A Big Give campaign with real impact

The results

The campaign was a massive success, smashing the original £60,000 target.

  • Doubled the target: Over £130,000 was raised, including Gift Aid and direct pledges.
  • Online donations: £60,272 from 100 donors.
  • Outstanding engagement: Six campaign emails achieved open rates of 50% or higher, with click-through rates peaking at 6% – significantly above industry standards.
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