Founded in 1957 as the Captive Animals’ Protection Society, Freedom for Animals is one of the UK’s longest-running animal protection charities. They campaign to end the exploitation of animals in circuses, zoos, aquariums, mobile zoos, and other live displays, envisioning a world where all animals live free from captivity, harm, and suffering.
The Goal
Freedom for Animals needed to grow their supporter base and bring more warm leads into their advocacy and fundraising journeys. Their aim was to:
- Expand their email list with engaged, mission-aligned supporters
- Complement their existing acquisition channels
- Build a sustainable pipeline for both advocacy actions and online giving
With ambitious program goals ahead, they sought a reliable partner who could quickly deliver high-quality contacts at scale.
“We knew we needed to grow, but with our size and capacity, we had to do it in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm the team.”
— Laura Tomlinson, Co- Director of Fundraising, Freedom for Animals
The Challenge
As a small team competing with large national charities, Freedom for Animals faced several constraints:
- Limited capacity and tight budgets, making experimentation difficult
- High Meta acquisition costs (averaging £2.86 per lead)
- A passionate but relatively small supporter base
- The need to reach new audiences without sacrificing quality or mission alignment
Freedom for Animals needed an acquisition strategy that could efficiently expand their reach, strengthen engagement, and support long-term growth.
“Freedom for Animals had strong engagement from its core supporters, but they simply couldn’t reach new audiences at the scale needed using social media alone.”
— Andrew Taylor-Dawson – freelancer
The Solution
Freedom for Animals partnered with Care2 to leverage mission-aligned audiences who had already demonstrated interest in animal welfare issues.
With just 4,770 contacts on their list before the campaign, the team needed a targeted, scalable way to bring in warm leads who were ready to take action. Care2’s petition-driven acquisition model allowed them to:
- Reach a highly targeted audience of animal rights advocates
- Share their mission and vision with supporters predisposed to care
- Externalize list growth without overburdening their small team
- Complement their existing petitions and digital programs
- Build sustainable inbound engagement for future campaigns
Freedom for Animals has now run two successful acquisition campaigns with Care2, expanding both their advocacy reach and fundraising potential.
The Outcome
– Leads were captured in under 50 days
– Care2 file’s donation conversion rate was 215% higher than M+R Benchmarks for email fundraising
– The average gift size was £33
– Both campaigns are on track to pay for themselves in under 24 months, the fastest of any acquisition channel they’ve tested
Impact
Within a year, Freedom for Animals saw transformational results:
- Email list doubled, expanding their base of action-takers and donors
- Engagement increased significantly across open, click, and action rates
- Online donations rose, strengthened by improved journeys via Care2, Fundraise Up, and internal optimizations
- The team developed a stronger understanding of digital fundraising and supporter experience, setting them up for long-term success
Freedom for Animals now has a sustainable, scalable foundation for advocacy and fundraising growth—powered by engaged supporters who are ready to take action.
