Top 25 mass participation charity events raised £114mn last year
Melanie May | 21 June 2023 | News
2022’s Top 25 mass participation charity events raised £114mn with increased levels of giving for many, although this was still down 4% on 2021’s £119.5mn, according to Massive’s annual report.
According to the Massive Top 25, the decrease was primarily driven by two factors: a lack of rollover places, and a post-pandemic decline in virtual challenges.
Race for Life was biggest event for fundraising
The £114mn total means the average event in the Top 25 raised £4.5mn last year. The biggest event was Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, which took first place in Massive’s Top 25 ranking, raising £22.4mn. In second place was Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, which raised £15.6mn. Both of these saw significant growth in income compared to the previous year but haven’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels of fundraising. These two events also took the same positions in last year’s ranking.
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In third place was Movember, raising £12.5mn, with Macmillan’s Mighty Hikes (£11.4mn – moving down one position from 2021), and The Kiltwalk (£8mn) completing the top 5. While Movember raised more than in 2021, income was down for Mighty Hikes and The Kiltwalk.
Fastest growing campaigns
The fastest growing campaigns in the Top 25 were:
- Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day (up 67%)
- Cancer Research UK’s Relay for Life (up 53%)
- Breast Cancer Now’s Afternoon Tea (up 31%)
This year’s ranking also saw British Heart Foundation’s London to Brighton Bike Ride and Walk the Walk’s Moonwalk return to the Top 25, with both raising over £2 million.
Number of Facebook challenges fell in 2022
The report shows that while total participant numbers are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, the average value per fundraiser increased for most in-person events. In-person events saw income grow overall, while virtual events saw income falling on average by more than 50% in 2022. The number of Facebook challenges in the Top 25 fell this year, although Dementia UK’s Dog Walking Challenge became the first Facebook fundraiser to make its second appearance in the Top 25.
Massive’s report also shows that social events with no entry fee or sponsorship ask including Breast Cancer Now’s Afternoon Tea recovered well.
Massive is predicting continued slow-but-steady growth for both in-person events and social campaigns. At the same time, almost two thirds of the teams behind this year’s Top 25 events said they were positive about the future and expect to see increased income figures next year.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.