Rankin has always dedicated time to charity projects, working with the British Skin Foundation, Breakthrough Cancer, Women's Aid, End of the Line and Sightsavers, to name a few. He also has a long-standing affiliation with Oxfam. In 2011, Rankin was given the opportunity to visit an arid area of Kenya to shoot the campaign and see the extent of the drought for himself. He also hosted an exhibition for Oxglam, which featured work from some of the world’s best photographers, to be auctioned in Spring 2012.