The Big Give#The Big Give Christmas Challenge
{{Short description|British charitable organization}}
{{about|the British organisation|the American television show produced by Oprah Winfrey|Oprah's Big Give}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Big Give
| logo = The Big Give logo 2022.svg
| caption =
| founder = Sir Alec Reed
| type = Charity
| vat_id =
| registration_id = 1136547
| founded_date = 2007
| location = Dragon Court 27-29 Macklin Street, Strand, London WC2B 5LX
| coordinates =
| origins =
| key_people = Trustees: James Reed (Chair), Richard Reed, Isabel Kelly, Nicola Reed, Nigel Marsh, Lisa Reed{{cite web | title=Contact and trustees | website=The Charity Commission for England and Wales | url=http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/ContactAndTrustees.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1136547&SubsidiaryNumber=0 | access-date=2017-11-15}}
| area_served =
| products =
| services =
| focus =
| method = Online match funding; showcasing charities; connecting charities with supporters
| revenue =
| endowment =
| num_volunteers =
| num_employees = Five
| num_members = 9,987 registered charities
| subsid =
| owner =
| motto =
| former name =
| homepage = {{URL|TheBigGive.org.uk}}
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
| leader_title = chair
| leader_name = James Reed
}}
Big Give is a British non-profit, charitable initiative that enables donors to find and support charity projects in their field of interest. It was founded in October 2007 by Sir Alec Reed CBE. His son James Reed {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|size=100%}} became Chair of Trustees in 2019.
Big Give has raised over £346 million for thousands of charity projects since fundraising began in 2008,{{Cite web |last=Ricketts |first=Andy |title=Big Give Christmas Challenge raises record £33m in a week |url=https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/article/1850133 |access-date=2023-12-10 |website=www.thirdsector.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=James |date=2024-04-22 |title=How to make an effective change this World Earth Day |url=https://www.cityam.com/the-notebook-how-to-make-an-effective-change-this-world-earth-day/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=CityAM |language=en-GB}} including £3.67 million raised for the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, £5.5 million for COVID-19 relief efforts and over £2 million for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.{{Cite web |title=DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal |url=https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900002G9bXgAAJ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=donate.thebiggive.org.uk |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2016-06-01 |title=Improvements announced for The Big Give's Christmas Challenge match-funding campaign {{!}} UK Fundraising |language=en-GB |work=UK Fundraising |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/06/01/improvements-announced-big-gives-christmas-challenge-match-funding-campaign/#.WhQZKlVl_rc |access-date=2017-11-21}}{{cite web |date=1 August 2022 |title=Home |url=https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/ |access-date=1 August 2022 |website=thebiggive.org.uk}} Its Christmas Challenge 2024 raised £44.7 million, the highest amount to date, surpassing Comic Relief and Children In Need as Britain's largest fundraising event of the year.{{Cite web |last=Lepper |first=Joe |date=2024-11-12 |title=Big Give’s Christmas Challenge raises record £44.7m for charities |url=https://www.charitytimes.com/ct/Big-Give-Christmas-Challenge-raises-record-sum-for-charities.php |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Charity Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/reed-s-big-give-charity-raises-record-45m/ar-AA1vS3Mn?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=www.msn.com}}
Big Give's main activity is online match funding campaigns, where donations made by members of the public are matched by larger donations from notable philanthropists. These philanthropists, also known as "Champions," typically make six-figure donations and include entities such as The Reed Foundation, The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, and The Waterloo Foundation.{{Cite web |title=James Reed: I don't understand why people donate directly to charity |url=https://spearswms.com/james-reed-big-give-boost-charity-donations/ |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=spearswms.com |language=en-GB}}
Big Give's campaigns have been promoted by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench, Emilia Fox and David Walliams among others.
The organisation is one of the UK's largest philanthropic endeavours. It has set a target of raising £1bn by 2030.{{Cite web |last=Lepper |first=Joe |title=Match funding charity sets £1bn fundraising target by 2030 |url=https://www.charitytimes.com/ct/Match-funding-charity-sets-1bn-fundraising-target-by-2030.php |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Charity Times |language=en}} Sponsorship and managerial support is provided by the Reed family's Reed Foundation, which is funded by an 18% stake in Reed Group, leading The Guardian to write that Reed Group employees "...effectively work one day a week to fund good causes".{{Cite web|date=2021-12-11|title=James Reed: the recruitment boss cleaning up in the 'great resignation'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/11/james-reed-recruitment-boss-cleaning-up-in-great-resignation|access-date=2021-12-14|website=the Guardian|language=en}} James Reed was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to business and charity.{{Cite web |title=Page N10 {{!}} Supplement 63918, 31 December 2022 {{!}} London Gazette {{!}} The Gazette |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63918/supplement/N10 |access-date=2022-12-31 |website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}
History
In 1985 Alec Reed established the Reed Foundation to serve as the Reed family's philanthropic arm. The Foundation was endowed with £5m from the Reed Group's £20m sale of its Medicare division, with Alec Reed using his windfall from the sale to give the Foundation an 18% stake in Reed Group.
Reed established Big Give after growing frustrated at the process of finding and assessing charities of interest to him. He used his experience of compiling searchable websites to create an online database of charities, browsable by sector and including detailed information about their structure and accounts.
Big Give initially aimed to connect charities with wealthy individuals seeking to donate £100,000 or more, but charities noted that donors were deterred by the high minimum donation, so Reed experimented with time-limited match funding, reasoning that "...there is nothing like a deadline to bring out [donors'] competitive nature."
In 2008, Big Give launched its flagship online match funding campaign, The Christmas Challenge. Reed put up £1 million of his own money in match funding. It was matched by other donors within 45 minutes. Since then the format has been refined, with an increase in the number of philanthropist 'Champions' and the amount of match funds available. The Challenge is now the UK's largest online match funding campaign.
Fundraising activities
= The Big Give Christmas Challenge =
In 2024, The Big Give Christmas Challenge raised £44.7 million, making it the largest fundraising event of the year in the UK. This marked the first time a dedicated match-funding campaign raised more than established charity events such as Comic Relief and Children in Need, a development described by Charity Times as “a major shift” in UK fundraising.{{Cite web |last=Lepper |first=Joe |date=2025-02-25 |title=The march of match funding |url=https://www.charitytimes.com/ct/The-march-of-match-funding.php |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=Charity Times |language=en}}
The Big Give Christmas Challenge runs annually for seven days from #GivingTuesday, during which time donations to participating charities are doubled. The match funding used to double donations comes from both philanthropic partners of The Big Give ('Champions') as well as a charity's own major supporters ('Pledgers'). Champions include The Reed Foundation, The Childhood Trust, Candis, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The People's Postcode Lottery and The Waterloo Foundation.
Each charity has a ring-fenced matching pot used to double public donations until the pot is empty or until the Christmas Challenge ends, whichever is sooner.{{Cite web |date=1 August 2022 |title=The Big Give Official Website |url=https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/christmas-challenge/ |access-date=1 August 2022 |website=www.thebiggive.org.uk}}
The Christmas Challenge has run every year since 2008.{{Cite news|url=http://fundraising.co.uk/2018/02/28/christmas-challenge-awards-winners-announced/#.Wpk5dmhl_rc|title=Christmas Challenge awards winners announced {{!}} UK Fundraising|date=2018-02-28|work=UK Fundraising|access-date=2018-03-02|language=en-GB}}
As of 2024, the Christmas Challenge accounts for around 75% of the £284 million raised by The Big Give.{{Cite web |last=Lepper |first=Joe |date=2024-11-12 |title=Big Give’s Christmas Challenge raises record £44.7m for charities |url=https://www.charitytimes.com/ct/Big-Give-Christmas-Challenge-raises-record-sum-for-charities.php |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Charity Times |language=en}}
= Women & Girls Match Fund campaign =
In March 2022 Big Give inaugurated its annual Women & Girls Match Fund campaign, on behalf of vulnerable, disadvantaged, or underrepresented women and girls in England and Scotland. Big Give doubles public donations to participating charities, drawing on funds provided by a grant from the Tampon Tax Fund. The 2024 campaign raised £2.1m for 189 participating charities.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title=Match funding campaign raises £2.7m for the arts - Arts Professional |url=https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/newsreel/match-funding-campaign-raises-2-7m-for-the-arts |access-date=2025-03-31 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=The Big Give - Women and Girls Match Fund {{!}} Connected Voice |url=https://www.connectedvoice.org.uk/services/support-and-development/funding/big-give-women-and-girls-match-fund |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.connectedvoice.org.uk}}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-21 |title=Big Give Women & Girls campaign raises record £2.2m {{!}} Charity Today News |url=https://www.charitytoday.co.uk/big-give-women-girls-campaign-raises-record-2-2m/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |language=en-GB}}
= Arts for Impact Match Funding =
Announced in October 2023, the Arts for Impact Matched Funding campaign aims to support UK arts and culture charities working towards societal change.{{Cite web |last=May |first=Melanie |date=2023-10-18 |title=Big Give launches matched funding campaign for arts & culture |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/10/18/big-give-launches-matched-funding-campaign-for-arts-culture/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}
The 2025 campaign raised £2.7 million in support of 286 arts and culture charities. The campaign received 13,672 public donations, which were matched by philanthropists, foundations and companies.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title=Match funding campaign raises £2.7m for the arts - Arts Professional |url=https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/newsreel/match-funding-campaign-raises-2-7m-for-the-arts |access-date=2025-03-31 |language=en-GB}}
= The Summer Give =
Since 2015, Big Give has used its match funding model to run an annual Summer Give campaign in partnership with [http://www.childhoodtrust.org.uk/ The Childhood Trust]. The Summer Give offers match funding to charities alleviating child poverty in London, specifically aiming to keep children well-fed, safe and productively engaged during the summer holidays. It has helped over 87,658 children through partnerships with over 150 projects throughout London.{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Austin |date=2018-03-12 |title=Summer Give 2018 details released |url=https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2018/03/12/summer-give-2018-details-released/ |access-date=2018-03-29 |website=Charity Digital News}}{{Cite web |title=The Big Give announces The Summer Give matched funding campaign |url=http://www.fundraising.co.uk/2015/03/02/big-give-announces-summer-give-matched-funding-campaign/ |access-date=21 December 2015 |website=UK Fundraising|date=2 March 2015 }} In 2017, the Summer Give raised £778,680 for 36 participating charities.{{Cite web |last=The Big Give |title=The Summer Give |url=https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/match-funding/the-summer-give/past-summer-give-campaigns |access-date=30 August 2022 |website=www.thebiggive.org.uk}}
= Earth Raise (formerly The Green Match Fund) =
Earth Raise is a UK-based environmental fundraising campaign coordinated by Big Give in partnership with WaterBear, South Wind Blows, and the Environmental Funders Network. The campaign supports charities focused on environmental issues by using matched donations to amplify public giving.{{Cite web |date=2021-04-30 |title=Green Match Fund raises £1.7m to combat environmental threats |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/04/30/green-match-fund-raises-1-7m-to-combat-environmental-threats/ |access-date=2021-05-05 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}
Originally launched in 2021 as The Green Match Fund, the initiative was rebranded as Earth Raise in April 2025 to reflect its growing scale and ambition. The inaugural Earth Raise campaign raised £8.1 million during a week-long match funding event involving 307 environmental charities, including the Sustainable Food Trust, Rewilding Britain, Friends of the Earth, The Wildlife Trusts, and Surfers Against Sewage.{{Cite web |title=Green Match Fund 2025 – Big Give |url=https://donate.biggive.org/green-match-fund-2025 |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=donate.biggive.org |language=en}} Previous campaigns have received support from Monty Don, Stephen Fry, Ben Goldsmith, Megan McCubbin and Chris Packham.{{Cite web |last=May |first=Melanie |date=2023-04-28 |title=Big Give Green Match Fund raises £4.3mn for environmental causes |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/04/28/big-give-green-match-fund-raises-4-3mn-for-environmental-causes/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=The Big Give |date=5 May 2021 |title=The Green Match fund |url=https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/s/green-match-fund |access-date=2021-05-05 |website=www.thebiggive.org.uk |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=May |first=Melanie |date=2024-04-26 |title=Big Give Green Match Fund total up 46% on 2023 |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/04/26/big-give-green-match-fund-total-up-46-on-2023/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}
= Kind2Mind =
Big Give's Kind2Mind is an annual match-funding drive in support of charities that address, prevent, research, treat and campaign for mental health issues. In the 2024 appeal, £2.4 million was raised for 160 charities, including the Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity and The Passage.{{Cite web |last=May |first=Melanie |date=2024-05-29 |title=Big Give Kind²Mind campaign raises record £2.1 million |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/05/29/big-give-kind%C2%B2mind-campaign-raises-record-2-1-million/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}
= Cut the Crap =
Big Give has raised £88k for Surfers Against Sewage's Cut the Crap campaign, which lobbies against the pollution of Britain's waterways.{{Cite web |title=Cut the Crap Appeal |url=https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900002CSbf8AAD |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=donate.thebiggive.org.uk |language=en}}
Emergency appeals
Big Give has adapted its match funding model to emergency appeals, which are launched quickly and in co-ordination with the Disasters Emergency Committee to raise money.{{Cite web|title = Emergency Appeals – The Big Give|url = https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/match-funding/emergency-appeals/|website = The Big Give|access-date = 21 December 2015|language = en-GB}} Emergency Challenge Funds have been launched in response to the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake,{{Cite web |last=NNN |date=2023-02-10 |title=DEC launches emergency earthquake appeal |url=https://nnn.ng/dec-launches-emergency-earthquake-appeal/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=NNN |language=en}} Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal and other international emergencies.{{Cite web|title = The Big Give launches Nepal match fund appeal » Charity Digital News|url = http://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2015/04/28/the-big-give-launches-nepal-match-fund-appeal/|access-date = 21 December 2015}} In October 2017 £232,446 was raised for Rohingya refugees escaping violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The funds were distributed to seven charities working directly with Rohingya refugees, including the British Red Cross and UNICEF UK.
= Afghanistan Emergency Appeal =
In August 2021, Big Give match-funded Afghanaid's Afghanistan Crisis Appeal, raising £78,257 to deliver emergency support to families uprooted by regional conflict and famine. Donations helped to provide domestic assistance kits for heating, food preparation and hygiene.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-18 |title=Emergency appeals launched for Afghanistan |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/08/18/emergency-appeals-launched-for-afghanistan/ |access-date=2021-08-28 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en}}
= COVID-19 response =
Big Give has raised over £5.5m through various COVID-19 relief campaigns, including £1.36m for the National Emergencies Trust COVID-19 Emergency Appeal, with donations from 1,900 individuals. The appeal funded food and sanitation supplies to support the elderly and vulnerable across the UK. Co-funders included the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, the Reed family, Reed Foundation and Cazenove Capital (Schroders).{{Cite web |last=May |first=Melanie |date=2020-04-16 |title=£600k raised for NET coronavirus appeal through The Big Give |url=https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/04/16/600k-raised-for-net-coronavirus-appeal-through-the-big-give/ |access-date=2020-04-19 |website=UK Fundraising |language=en-GB}}{{cite web |date=14 May 2020 |title=The Big Give COVID-19 campaign raised £1.36 million for national appeal |url=https://www.charitytoday.co.uk/the-big-give-covid-19-campaign-raised-1-36-million-for-national-appeal/ |access-date=20 May 2020 |website=CharityToday.co.uk |publisher=Charity Today}} In July 2020 The Big Give raised £3.2m for Champions for Children, a joint campaign with The Childhood Trust to match fund 94 charities in support of vulnerable children in London affected by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |title=Champions for Children |url=https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/champions-for-children |access-date=2020-07-08 |website=donate.thebiggive.org.uk |language=en}}
In April 2021 Management Today gave its Special Recognition Award to Reed for the firm's COVID-19 relief efforts.{{Cite web |title=Winners {{!}} Management Today Business Awards |url=https://www.mtbusinessawards.com/winners-2021/ |access-date=2021-04-12 |website=www.mtbusinessawards.com}}
= DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal =
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Big Give raised over £3.67m for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, helping DEC charities and their local partners provide food, water, health assistance, protection and trauma care within Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
= Grenfell Tower fire =
The charity raised over £2.6m in an online match funding campaign for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. The appeal raised £1 million in the first 48 hours and £2m a week later. In total the appeal raised £2,612,646. The Charity reported funding from the Reed Foundation, The Cadogan Estate, Julia and Hans Rausing and The Bjorgolfsson Family among others.{{Cite web |title=Grenfell match funding appeal raises £2.6m » Charity Digital News |url=https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2017/09/07/grenfell-match-funding-appeal-raises-2-6m/ |access-date=2017-11-21 |website=www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk |language=en-GB}}
Other activities
=Philanthropy in Schools=
The Big Give's 'Philanthropy in Schools' programme seeks to encourage the next generation of philanthropists by promoting research into charities and charitable donations. Participating schools partner with a sponsor who funds Big Give vouchers which students donate to their chosen charities. Students compete to make the best presentation on their preferred charities; the winning team receives an additional donation to its chosen charity.{{Cite web|title = Philanthropy in Schools – The Big Give|url = https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/other-services/philanthropy-in-schools/|website = The Big Give|access-date = 21 December 2015|language = en-GB}}{{Cite news|title = Learning by doing|url = http://www.economist.com/node/16793322|newspaper = The Economist|access-date = 21 December 2015|issn = 0013-0613}}{{Cite news|title = Teach Your Children (How to Give) Well|url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703377504575650791457127502|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|access-date = 21 December 2015|issn = 0099-9660|first = Javier|last = Espinoza}}
=The Big Give Trustee Finder=
The Big Give Trustee Finder advertises vacancies for charitable trusts, organised by skill, interest and location.{{Cite web|title = The Big Give launches trustee matching service|url = http://www.fundraising.co.uk/2010/02/22/big-give-launches-trustee-matching-service/|website = UK Fundraising|date = 22 February 2010|access-date = 21 December 2015}} In 2013 the service was extended to feature vacancies on the Reed website for six weeks.{{Cite web|title = Big Give offers trustee finder service|url = http://www.fundraising.co.uk/2013/11/19/big-give-offers-trustee-finder-service/|website = UK Fundraising|date = 19 November 2013|access-date = 21 December 2015}}
=The Big Advice Column=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.thebiggive.org.uk Official site for thebiggive.org.uk]
- [http://www.thebiggive.org.uk/about/ About The Big Give]
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