Raising £500,000 in one night for at risk children
Youth Aliyah was approaching a major fundraising milestone and needed to reconnect supporters with the real impact of its work.
Over time, the organisation’s communications had become focused on programmes and activity rather than the lives being changed through them. The board wanted a clearer narrative that would help supporters quickly understand the Village Way approach and the tangible difference it makes for young people.
Youth Aliyah engaged We Do Stories to advise the board on strengthening its communications ahead of the campaign and establishing a clearer case for support.
We began by advising the charity’s board on clarifying the organisation’s core narrative. This focused on defining how the Village Way model should be explained to supporters and how the organisation could demonstrate the real outcomes donors help create.
To capture these stories first-hand, we travelled to Israel and collaborated with Youth Aliyah’s teams within the residential villages where young people live and study.
Through interviews with students, educators and mentors we identified the individuals whose experiences most clearly illustrated the organisation’s impact. These stories formed the foundation of the campaign.
We then produced a series of campaign assets across video, photography and written content. Each piece focused on real lives and tangible outcomes, helping supporters see the direct impact of their contributions.
The campaign launched at a major fundraising event in London, where the video and supporting stories introduced supporters to the young people behind the organisation’s work.
The campaign generated more than £500,000 in a single evening at the launch event.
The stories captured during the campaign continued to support Youth Aliyah’s fundraising and communications for the following two years. The organisation gained a clear narrative and a library of authentic stories demonstrating the real impact of its programmes.
This work helped Youth Aliyah connect supporters directly with the young people whose lives are being changed through the Village Way approach, strengthening fundraising and long term donor engagement.
