# Four matched giving campaigns by small charities

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/10/18/four-matched-giving-campaigns-by-small-charities/
- Published: 2021-10-18T12:08:26+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Doubling income to an appeal can be both an attractive offer to donors and an 
effective approach to fundraising, especially when fundraising resources are scarce.**

Some fundraising and giving platforms specialise in running matched funding campaigns,
and others include the function.

Here are four recent or current matched giving appeals by smaller charities that
have used The Big Give, together with some findings about matched giving from research
by the platform.

## Advertisement

## AfghanAid

AfghanAid launched its own [emergency match funding campaign](https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a05690000205cksAAA)
in response to the crisis in Afghanistan in August.

From an **initial seed match funding pot of £2,000** at the start of the campaign,
the match funds grew to £35,000, with more match funders wanting to contribute after
seeing the impact of match funds on donations. The campaign raised a total of **
over £78,000** to deliver emergency support to families whose lives have been destroyed
or uprooted by the conflict.

## Consortium for Street Children

Consortium for Street Children raised a total of **£10,355** (inc match funding)
for [their match funding campaign](https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900001v2P19AAE)
to help and train their network members to be able to help street children all over
the world in response to the pandemic. This was £355 above their campaign target.

They will also look to consolidate their findings into a report on the impact of
the pandemic on street children, as well as responses and opportunities.

## Legs4Africa

Legs4Africa launched a [match funding campaign](https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900001xbqU5AAI)
on the opening day of the Paralympics to continue to provide and expand their prosthetic
legs service in The Gambia, where they have worked for a number of years.

Their match funding campaign is their biggest ever and will be running until Christmas
Eve 2021. They are aiming to raise **£100,000** in total to help amputees in The
Gambia – reaching even more people with limb differences.

## Brain Tumour Charity

The Brain Tumour Charity ran a one-week [match funding campaign](https://thebiggive-org-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=1C_NRA8JF4d2m_xhEKb52fkxycYrOu8ZZVIgPIzsmH2s-0&key=YAMMID-15966190&link=https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900001xdrONAAY)
during August 2021 and raised **£127,681**. This was to help fund a placebo-controlled,
randomised trial for recurrent glioblastoma in adults to establish whether adding
cannabinoids to standard treatments prolongs survival or improves the quality of
life.

**Over 600 people donated** during their campaign, with an **average donation of
£109** over the course of the week-long campaign. These donations were then matched
by Bluecube Technology Solutions.

James Hawker, Chief Executive of Bluecube Technology Solution said: “The principle
of matching funds, I think, is brilliant as it isn’t a simple donation; it helps
support the philanthropy and generosity of others who are passionate and putting
in the effort to make a difference. Especially when it is to fund a potentially 
game changing, and indeed life changing, a trial that could have a positive impact
for so many people affected by a brain tumour.”

## The power of match funding

[Research in 2016](https://thebiggive-org-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=1C_NRA8JF4d2m_xhEKb52fkxycYrOu8ZZVIgPIzsmH2s-0&key=YAMMID-15966190&link=https://cdn.thebiggive.org.uk/static/docs/A-Great+Match-EVersion.pdf)
from the Big Give shows that donors are:

 * not only more likely to give with match funding on offer for their donation
 * but they are also more likely to give more when they see that their donation 
   will be doubled.

The Brain Tumour Charity expects to receive new or repeated donations using this
approach.

A spokesperson said: “We have some donors who have specifically asked to be notified
should we host similar campaigns in future as they were so thrilled to have their
gift doubled.”

Since 2020, The Brain Tumour Charity has **raised over £280,000 across three of 
their own match funding campaigns**. Their third campaign saw a **170% increase**
in the number of donations made compared to their first match funding campaign.

The charity will run its next match funding campaign as part of the [Big Give’s Christmas Challenge 2021](https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/s/christmas-challenge),
the UK’s biggest match funding campaign.

 * **[Big Give Christmas Challenge open for applications](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/05/18/big-give-christmas-challenge-open-for-applications/)**(
   18 May 2022)
 * **[Big Give Christmas Challenge application deadline extended to 15 July](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/07/05/big-give-christmas-challenge-application-deadline-extended-to-15-july/)**(
   5 July 2022)
 * **[Big Give sets sights on raising £1bn for good causes by 2023](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/03/13/big-give-sets-sights-on-raising-1bn-for-good-causes-by-2023/)**(
   13 March 2023)
