The charity's current donor base consists mainly of women aged 55 and over, and regular giving programmes were previously set at 拢3 a month.
The new Big Blue Basket scheme was designed with the insight that donors would be more likely to increase the amount they give if they knew their donations were being spent on something tangible.
It allows donors to choose between contributing to the running costs of adoption centres that care for dogs or cats.
The outer of the recruitment mailing shows a photograph of a terrier alongside the line: "You know who you're helping when you become a 'Big Blue Basket' Sponsor".
Its contents include a letter describing real animal stories and a plan of an adoption centre so that sponsors can see what their minimum of 拢5 a month will support.
A spokesman for The Blue Cross said: "The scheme gives the opportunity for sponsors to get really close to a specific dog or cat and to follow its progress from when it is first taken in at a centre through to being happily rehomed with a new owner. We hope this approach will inspire new audiences, especially younger donors."
The campaign targets around 100,000 45- to 65-year-old ABC1 female pet owners using cold lists sourced through WWAV's list broking and management company HLB.
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