How Small Charities Can Level Up Their Marketing With Young Creatives
- Ollie England
- Dec 4, 2025
- 6 min read
If you work for a small charity, then you know that you are some of the most vital organisations in our communities. You support some of the most vulnerable people, and tackle local challenges often operating on tiny budgets with teams who have to spread themselves across all areas of operation.
Marketing is usually the first thing to fall off the to-do list - not because it doesn’t matter, but because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day or enough money to outsource your need for creative content.
But there’s a solution that most organisations overlook and that we can help with: collaborating with passionate young creatives.
Young people, especially those exploring digital and creative careers, are often desperate for real-world experience to put on their CVs and portfolio/showreels. They have some of the most contemporary talents and are often using the most recent technologies and software, but they haven’t had a chance to prove themselves.
They can bring something charities often struggle to access: fresh and fun ideas, digital expertise and authenticity. Whether they’re learning design, video editing, photography, copywriting, or social media strategy, their skills could transform how your charity communicates online, either to raise awareness, funds or to reach the people who you are most trying to help…
Here are 5 reasons that I believe you should give young people a chance to prove themselves:
1. They bring fresh, relevant ideas
Young people live online. They understand current trends instinctively - what types of videos perform well on TikTok or Instagram; how to make stories engaging; and how to communicate messages that feel real rather than corporate (most have never set foot in an office!) This makes them ideal collaborators for charities who want to reach wider or younger audiences.
You know that as a small charity you don’t need glossy and expensive campaigns. You just need consistent content that feels human, immediate, and shareable. That’s where young creatives thrive. Most of you probably didn’t chose to work with vulnerable people and immediate social problems in order to have to worry about what’s trending on TikTok…
2. They’re fluent with digital tools that can save you money
You and your team might struggle with software or feel intimidated by new platforms, whereas many young creatives can produce high-quality work using free or low-cost tools:
Young creatives often have the agility and confidence to create professional results on small budgets - skills that are especially valuable for grassroots organisations.
3. They benefit massively from real-world briefs
This relationship will be mutually beneficial.
When charities work with young creatives, you receive valuable content that has a real-life impact. But the young people also gain real experience, portfolio pieces, confidence, and contact with other potential employers. For many, especially those with limited access to equipment or opportunities, or those that have had gaps in education or struggle with ‘traditional’ employment routes, these collaborations are genuinely life-changing.
When a charity sets a brief - “create a 30-second promo video,” “design a poster for our outreach event,” “help us set up or improve our Instagram presence” - they give young creatives exactly what they need to develop workplace skills.
It would massively help both groups: the charity gets marketing support, and the young person gets a stepping stone into the creative sector.
4. They bring energy and enthusiasm
Working with young people can be incredibly inspiring. Their ideas are often bold, playful, and innovative - exactly what small charities need to cut through the noise online. Andie and I have worked with thousands of young people over the last decade and it’s so clear to us that many of them are misunderstood and stereotyped.
We know that charity staff are tired and work ridiculously hard in a brutal climate. A creative young person can see the organisation with new eyes and spot stories, visuals, and angles that haven’t yet been explored. And we can find people that are hungry to learn and are chosen to help your specific cause.
5. You are the perfect group to make a difference
Young people have it tougher than ever. We all know that some of them can be difficult (!) but there are so many that feel trapped in their rooms, coping with the world with their illustration, photography, graphic design and video production. We are trying to identify and champion the ones who are ready to put these skills to use and help local companies and charities achieve a more positive environment.
Practical Ways Small Charities Can Work With Young Creatives
1. Offer simple, structured briefs
Young creatives work best with clear guidelines. A brief doesn’t have to be complicated it just needs direction. For example:
Create a short video to introduce our volunteers.
Design an A4 poster for our next fundraising event.
Take photos at our community day.
This will give them valuable insight into targeting an audience, creating a tone, highlighting key messages, and any following a brand identity (colours, copy text, following deadlines, etc.).
2. Collaborate through local youth programmes
Many training providers - like GreenShark - run employability or creative development courses where young people work on real briefs from organisations like yours.
This allows you to:
receive free or low-cost marketing content
support local young people
build community relationships
reach audiences that you might have previously struggled to contact
It also means that the young creatives receive mentoring and support while completing meaningful work, and we will help ensure that the quality is high.
3. Run idea-generation workshops
Instead of asking for finished content, some charities work with youth groups to generate concepts, slogans, video ideas, or new campaign angles. Even if you don’t use every idea, the sessions can inject new momentum into your marketing strategy and give an unmeasurable confidence boost to those that need it most.
4. Commission small, manageable creative tasks
Even very small tasks can make a huge difference:
Promotional videos of events
Short TikTok-style interviews with beneficiaries or volunteers
Infographics explaining your service
Reels or Instagram carousel posts
Photography for your website
You don’t have to relinquish your whole marketing strategy - just choose the tasks that fit easily into our young person’s skill set. Many of them will be anxious and desperate to impress, so a small project (even those that don’t become public) would be invaluable.
5. Build ongoing relationships
Our ultimate goal is to foster recurring partnerships. A young creative may start by designing a single poster, but over time they could evolve into your go-to photographer, editor, or social media assistant (even on a voluntary or low-cost basis while they build experience).
This continuity helps them grow and could give the charity a reliable creative partner who already understands your mission.
How to Make It a Positive Experience for Everyone
We will do our best to ensure that any collaboration is productive and empowering. Here are some ways that we can work together to ensure positive outcomes for everyone:
Give feedback that is encouraging but honest. Young creatives grow fastest when they understand what works and what could be improved. They are not at school, they are preparing for real work.
Set realistic deadlines. Many are learning, so allow time for revisions.
Credit their work. Tag them on social media, include their name on your website or newsletter, or give them a testimonial.
Celebrate the collaboration publicly. Charities benefit from showing they support local young talent.
Keep communication clear and supportive. Many young creatives are still gaining confidence, especially those with EHCPs or limited experience.
Get in touch!
For small charities, marketing doesn’t have to be a struggle or an expensive outsourcing exercise. By working with young creatives - especially those who are eager for real-world opportunities - you can produce fresh, high-quality content while helping young people build skills, portfolios, and confidence.
It’s a partnership where everyone wins: charities gain stronger communication tools, the local community benefits from greater visibility of your services, and young creatives gain the experience that helps them take their first steps into a difficult and rapidly changing world!
If you’d like help connecting with young people or want to offer a real-world brief, we would love to hear from you about what your charity needs and how we can help.
Leave a comment below or visit out contact page and we can set-up a phone call, video chat or a coffee!
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