# Applications open for 2021 Big Give Christmas Challenge

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/05/25/applications-open-for-2021-big-give-christmas-challenge/
- Published: 2021-05-25T11:20:20+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Big Give has opened applications for its annual Christmas Challenge match 
funding campaign.**

The Christmas Challenge 2021 will take place from midday on 30 November 2021 (Giving
Tuesday) to midday on 7 December, with donations to participating charities doubled
during this time.

> It's never too early to plan for Christmas. 🎄
> Applications for the Big Give's
> annual Christmas Challenge are now open!91% of last years' participants would 
> recommend the Christmas Challenge to other charities. Find out how you can get
> involved 👉 [https://t.co/v4AMf5Ogbv](https://t.co/v4AMf5Ogbv) [pic.twitter.com/dd0irEm3zo](https://t.co/dd0irEm3zo)
> 
> ## Advertisement
> 
> — Big Give (@BigGive) [May 19, 2021](https://twitter.com/BigGive/status/1394937887628533764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

According to the Big Give, out of last year’s participants:

 * 91% would recommend the Christmas Challenge to other charities
 * 96% received donations from new supporters
 * 83% said Christmas Challenge helped develop their relationship with existing 
   donors
 * 89% increased their confidence in online fundraising
 * 57% said that current supporters gave more

To take part, charities must be UK-registered with a Charity Commission number or
tax-exempt status and minimum annual income of £25,000. The deadline to submit the
application is 5pm Friday 2nd July, and the deadline to collect pledges is 5pm Friday
27th August. Charities are able to apply for up to £25,000 of Champion funds from
a Big Give Champion.

The Christmas Challenge week will launch on Giving Tuesday (30th November 2021) 
and close on the 7th December, during which time donations to participating charities
will be doubled. The Big Give will also be hosting a series of webinars in October
to help charities market and prepare their campaigns for the Christmas Challenge.

Last year’s campaign [raised a record-breaking £20.1m](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/12/10/the-big-give-christmas-challenge-2020-raises-over-20million-in-one-week/),
with over 71,000 donations made during the week-long window, and 764 charities participating.

For those seeking more information on the Christmas Challenge, the Big Give is running
two free webinars – the first is this week on [27 May](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christmas-challenge-2021-introductory-webinar-1-tickets-154440839709?aff=erelpanelorg),
with a second running on [7 June](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/christmas-challenge-2021-introductory-webinar-2-tickets-154586132283).

More information on how to apply and how the campaign works is also available [on the Big Give website](https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/s/christmas-challenge).

 * **[GivingTuesday Starling Collective open for applications](https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/08/18/givingtuesday-starling-collective-open-for-applications/)**(
   18 August 2021)
 * **[How charities & businesses are using GivingTuesday – the round up](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/11/29/how-charities-businesses-are-using-givingtuesday-the-round-up/)**(
   29 November 2022)
 * **[Giving Tuesday 2023 campaign launches](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/05/24/giving-tuesday-2023-campaign-launches/)**(
   24 May 2023)
