# New fundraising platform asks people to lead by example

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/12/03/new-fundraising-platform-asks-people-lead-example/
- Published: 2015-12-03T10:49:53+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**A charity fundraising platform that asks the person seeking donations to commit
their own money officially launches today (Thursday 3 December).**

[Pledgit](http://www.pledgit.net/) aims to encourage people to donate by asking 
the fundraiser to lead by example by becoming a pledger and matching donations up
to a certain level, (his or her ‘cap’). Alternatively, the fundraiser can ask a 
company to match donations on their behalf. Companies can also be pledgers in their
own right. Length of campaign can be anything from a ‘flash’ one-day concept, or
run over several weeks or months.

The co-founders of Pledgit, father and son team Philip and Billy Jenks were inspired
to create the platform after signing up for a charity event and realising that they
did not want to ask people to donate without making it clear that they were also
contributing.

## Advertisement

Philip Jenks said:

> “This approach to matched fundraising has so many benefits, but what it really
> promotes is an ethos of leading by example and being prepared to commit your own
> money as well as to ask for it from others. It doesn’t matter if the pledge is
> for £50 or £50,000. The important thing is the principle.”

A number of charities and celebrities have already signed up to PledgIt, including
Jenny Seagrove, who is raising money over a six-week period for horse rescue charity
[Mane Chance Sanctuary](http://www.manechancesanctuary.org/), of which she is a 
founder. She is matching donations up to £3,000.

Other celebrities with campaigns include Nick Knowles, who is raising money for 
[Walking with the Wounded](http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/), and Matt King 
who plays Super Hans in Peep Show, who is fundraising for [Glass Door Homeless Charity](http://www.glassdoor.org.uk/).

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 * **[Match funding encourages higher & more frequent giving, says report](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/15/match-funding-encourages-higher-frequent-giving-says-report/)**(
   15 August 2016)
 * **[End of month deadline for UK Aid Match](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/01/20/end-month-deadline-uk-aid-match/)**(
   20 January 2017)