# Improvements announced for The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge match-funding campaign - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/06/01/improvements-announced-big-gives-christmas-challenge-match-funding-campaign/ - Published: 2016-06-01T12:01:12+01:00 - Author: Howard Lake **Applications to take part in the UK’s largest online match-funding campaign will open later this month. This year’s Christmas Challenge from The Big Give will include new and improved functions.**   Applications for The Christmas Challenge open on Monday 13th June. Charities will have three weeks to complete the initial applications. ## Advertisement   The Christmas Challenge, first held in 2008, helps UK-registered charities raise funds for their cause. So far it has raised **over £71 million for 2,500 charity projects**.   ## Doubling donations   The Christmas Challenge gives supporters of participating charities the chance to have their donation doubled during a short and intense campaign period a month before Christmas. This year The Christmas Challenge campaign will tie in with [GivingTuesday](https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/05/06/givingtuesday-global-day-giving-comes-uk-year/).   It will run for 72 hours, from midday on 29th November (**#GivingTuesday**) and closing on Friday 2nd December.   The matched-funding is provided by a range of philanthropic organisations, called‘ Champions’, which in previous years have included The Reed Foundation, [The Childhood Trust](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/03/23/london-charities-take-part-childhood-trusts-summer-give-campaign-2016/), Candis Magazine, The Waterloo Foundation, among many others. These Champion funds are joined with pledges from participating charities’ own major donors to double online donations during the Christmas Challenge.   ![The Christmas Challenge 2016](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2016/06/big- give-christmas-campaign-2016.jpg)   ## Changes for 2016   Changes for this year’s Christmas Challenge include:   * Match funding to be “ring-fenced” for each charity i.e. no competition. * The campaign will run over 72 hours with no pausing. * The Christmas Challenge to launch on #GivingTuesday. * No fees for charities taking part in the campaign.   The changes have been introduced based on feedback from charities, donors and philanthropic partners, according to Alex Day, Director of The Big Give.   He added:   > “This past year has unfortunately seen a lot of [negative press about the UK charity sector](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/07/12/the-daily-mail-criticises-fundraising-methods-for-five-days-running/) > and its fundraising methods. We know from recent research (available from theBigGive. > org.uk) that match-funding is an incredible way to incentivise donations. We hope > this year’s Christmas Challenge will provide a fantastic opportunity for charities > to engage with their donors in an innovative way and provide a boost to their > fundraising efforts.”   Applications [to take part in the Christmas Challenge](http://theBigGive.org.uk) close on 4 July 2016, but The Big Give encourages early applications.       * **Read about [The Big Give’s  Christmas Challenge in 2015](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/12/08/the-big-give-christmas-challenge-raises-over-6-4m-in-first-three-days/).** * **[#GivingTuesday launches for 2016 with new look](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/18/givingtuesday-launches-2016-new-look/)**( 18 August 2016) * **[Search is on for the UK face of #givingtuesday 2016](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/09/27/search-uk-face-givingtuesday-2016/)**( 27 September 2016) * **[UK’s largest online matched giving challenge to take place on Giving Tuesday](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/10/28/uks-largest-online-matched-giving-challenge-take-place-giving-tuesday/)**( 28 October 2016) ![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader- 2x.gif)