2024 Big Give Christmas Challenge opens for applications
Melanie May | 22 May 2024 | News
Big Give has opened applications for its 2024 Christmas Challenge, with charities across all sectors invited to join the match funding campaign.
Last year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge raised a record £33 million for 1,077 charities, with over 94,000 public donations made across seven days, and the support of Big Give’s match funding Champions. 74% of participating charities reached their fundraising target.
This year, Big Give aims to set a new record. Applications for the Christmas Challenge are open until Friday, 5 July, and the campaign will run in line with #GivingTuesday, from 3-10 December.
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The campaign offers participating charities the opportunity to secure up to £25,000 of match funding from one of Big Give’s Champion match funders. Of the charities eligible to receive funding last year, 93% received a match funding offer from one of Big Give’s Champion funders.
This year’s campaign is supported by The Reed Foundation, Julia & Hans Rausing Trust, The Childhood Trust, Candis, EQ Foundation, The Hospital Saturday Fund, Coles-Medlock Foundation, and Monday Charitable Trust, amongst others.
Big Give statistics from the 2023 Christmas Challenge show that:
- 76% of charities reported a significant increase in donations compared to similar fundraising efforts.
- 67% reported they received bigger donations vs any comparable fundraising.
- 89% expressed satisfaction with the return on investment.
- 90% increased their confidence in digital fundraising through the support and resources available.
- 95% attracted donations from new supporters. An average of 33% of donations to the Christmas Challenge were made from new supporters.
- 91% developed new supporter relationships, and 96% strengthened existing ones.
Last year’s campaign also garnered support from celebrities such as Dame Judi Dench, Jenny Agutter, Alan Carr, Dame Joanna Lumley, Jason Watkins, Megan McCubbin, Jeremy Irons, Kate Humble, Larry Lamb and Emilia Fox.
Last year’s Christmas Challenge video
Alex Day, Managing Director, Big Give, said:
“The Christmas Challenge presents one of the best opportunities for charities to double their impact thanks to the generosity of our Champion funders. We want to support even more charities this year. We urge any charities that need a boost in funding to apply, given our track record in making a real, tangible difference.
“Since its inception in 2008, the Christmas Challenge has been instrumental in raising nearly three-quarters of the £300 million total raised by Big Give. Almost half of the funds raised by last year’s campaign benefitted small charities with annual incomes of less than £1mn.”
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.