“Charity begins at home.” So goes the old saying apparently coined by English polymath and author Sir Thomas Browne in 1642.

Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since the days of the English Civil War, and Brits across the United Kingdom raised a huge £15 billion for charity in 2024 for countless good causes.

With well-established reputations for campaigning on behalf of their readers, news brands make for an ideal environment for charities looking for high impact, engaging interaction with potential donors, volunteers, or even those in need.

Don’t just take our word for it. When we asked RAM’s readers panel for their views on ads shortlisted for our regular ad-of-the-month industry poll, charity ads consistently come out strong across various campaign metrics.

Alzheimer’s Society’s tactical campaign last June was voted the most original, cleverest, most thought-provoking, and most likely to make people want to find out more. British Heart Foundation’s brand partnership with News UK swept the board last April, also adding best designed and overall favourite to Alzheimer’s Society’s tally. Talk about powerful!

Here are a few recent charity ad campaigns that truly make the most of news brand formats to land their message.

Dogs Trust

More often than not, charities are serious organisations. Whether they work to clean up our environment, improve the lives of society’s most vulnerable people, or look after abandoned or mistreated animals, their missions don’t obviously translate into laughs.

However, as with campaigns from other less obvious humorous industries, the news brand environment enables brands like charities to hook readers with humour to land more serious messaging.

Dogs Trust is a case in point. The ads for its National Dog Survey could have leaned on dog lovers’ emotional attachment to their best friends. However, accompanying some light-hearted ads, the campaign’s partnership with MailOnline and Metro does something a little bit fishy with the masthead …

We weren’t the only ones who liked it. Our RAM readers panel voted this their second-favourite from this May’s ad-of-the-month industry poll. Want to know who top dog was? Stay tuned.

Macmillan Cancer Support

Macmillan has long campaigned on how communities can make a difference, particularly through “coffee morning” events anyone can organise.

Don’t like coffee? No problem, as this multi-platform partnership with the Guardian uncovers by visiting London community football team Baesianz FC.

This ad was so well received, it recently won the “Brands doing the right thing” award at this year’s Guardian Advertising Awards.

Alzheimer’s Society

Social issues such as dementia care are a mainstay at the top of the news agenda. With that in mind, charities can use long-term news brand partnerships to ensure the issue remains front of mind for those dealing with its effects and the wider public.

Alzheimer’s Society’s long-standing partnership with Mail Metro Media came to the fore again during May’s Dementia Awareness Week. The charity created a pullout alongside the Daily Mail’s editorial team to provide the latest advice to readers, as well as tactical display placements to land its message in a subversive way.

This was our undisputed readers’ winner in our RAM panel survey in May, sweeping the board across all five metrics plus being voted favourite ad.

Prostate Cancer UK

Clever copy and crafty placement are brilliant ways of getting readers’ attention. Sometimes, though, simple is striking in itself.

Three short sentences are what’s needed to get Prostate Cancer UK’s point across to readers, directing them to check out their own risk of the disease through its well-signposted QR code.

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