The Christmas Challenge is Big Give’s flagship match funding campaign, raising tens of millions for hundreds of charities across the UK. The campaign brings together major donors, funders, and the public, doubling donations over seven days. In 2024, it raised a record-breaking £44.7 million for 1,267 charities. As a cause-neutral campaign, it supports charities working both within the UK and internationally, across all sectors. Big Give is seeking funders, partners and philanthropists to help grow this vital work.
The Purpose
At Big Give, when donations are matched, generosity multiplies, and so does impact. That’s the driving force behind our flagship campaign, the Christmas Challenge, which turns a single donation into something greater by doubling its value during one extraordinary week each year.
The campaign is designed to unlock vital funding for charities at a time when it's needed most, while inspiring donors with the promise of twice the impact. Our research shows that more people give, and give more, when their donations are matched. In 2024 alone, over 119,000 donations were made by the public, with 74% of participating charities reaching their fundraising targets.
Mission
Big Give’s mission is to amplify impact through match funding. Since 2008, we’ve raised over £350 million for thousands of charities by creating campaigns that unite philanthropic Champions, corporate sponsors, and individual givers in a movement of matched generosity.
We are trusted by leading funders, including the DCMS, People’s Postcode Lottery Trusts, The Reed Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, and many others, alongside a growing base of individual philanthropists committed to high-impact giving.
The Challenge
Charities today face immense financial pressure. Many are experiencing a surge in demand for services, increased operational costs, and a decline in unrestricted income. Smaller organisations, often those working closest to the communities they serve, are particularly vulnerable.
At the same time, donors are more discerning. They want assurance that their giving makes a tangible difference, while philanthropists increasingly seek to leverage their donations for maximum impact. Match funding bridges this gap, and the Christmas Challenge delivers that at scale through three key principles:
● Digital - Our secure, scalable platform connects funders with hundreds of charities with minimal overhead. Funders enjoy streamlined administration, while charities benefit from a digital-first campaign that helps them reach wider, more engaged audiences. In 2024, 91% of charities reported increased confidence in digital fundraising, thanks to the free training and marketing resources provided by Big Give.
● Doubling - Match funding unlocks generosity and encourages donor engagement, even during periods of economic uncertainty. Last year, 94% of participating charities reported receiving donations from new supporters during the campaign.
● Democratising - Giving donors the ability to choose where their money goes builds trust, transparency, and engagement. For funders, match funding offers a route to democratise their philanthropy, supporting underfunded causes, inviting public participation, and experimenting with participatory approaches. In 2024, 98% of eligible charities received Champion funding, and 92% reported that the campaign helped them build relationships with new supporters.
Despite its proven success, match funding remains underutilised, and we aim to change that.
Approach
The Christmas Challenge operates on a proven, scalable model:
● Charities secure pledges from their major donors in advance (the ‘pledge fund’)
● Big Give secures Champion Funders to co-match those pledges
● Public donations made during the seven-day campaign are matched, up to each charity’s target
This creates a triple-win:
● Charities raise more and build long-term donor relationships
● Donors see their giving doubled and feel more connected to causes
● Funders amplify their impact across a broad, diverse portfolio
In addition to the Christmas Challenge, Big Give runs other targeted match funding campaigns throughout the year, including:
● Earth Raise (formerly Green Match Fund): focused on environmental action
● Small Charity Week: supporting local, grassroots organisations
● Women & Girls Match Fund: empowering women and girls in the UK and globally
● Arts for Impact: supporting creativity, culture, and community wellbeing
Each campaign is strategically designed in collaboration with relevant partners and messaging, utilising our match funding model to deliver maximum results.
Impact So Far
The results speak for themselves. The 2024 Christmas Challenge:
● Raised over £44.7 million in just seven days
● Supported 1,267 charities working across all sectors
● Secured 94,100 donations, with an average matched donation of £194
● Partnered with 32 Champion Funders, including corporates, foundations, and individual philanthropists
Charities consistently report that the campaign not only boosts income but also attracts new supporters, re-engages lapsed donors, and increases media visibility. For many, it’s their single most successful fundraising initiative of the year.
“This is a really great way to raise funds, the resources are great and the team are responsive and helpful.” – MammaKind.
What’s Next?
We’re ambitious about what comes next. In 2025 and beyond, we aim to build on our momentum, supporting more charities and raising more funds than ever before. We’re particularly focused on:
Increasing participation across all UK regions, unlocking funding for under-resourced and community-led organisations, and continuing to innovate our platform with improved data, reporting, and donor journeys.
To achieve this, we are actively seeking:
● Philanthropic Champions: Our campaigns are powered by visionary funders. Every £1 invested by a Champion typically unlocks 2–5x more in matched donations for charities and causes they care about. Learn more about becoming a Champion Funder: biggive.org/funders
● Charity Partners: Know a charity that could benefit from match funding? Encourage them to explore our upcoming campaigns: biggive.org/charities/
Biography
Big Give is the UK’s leading match funding platform, having raised over £365 million for more than 20,000 charity projects since 2008. Its innovative campaigns bring together individual donors, major philanthropists, foundations, and businesses to maximise giving through matched donations. Flagship campaigns include the Christmas Challenge, Earth Raise, and the Women & Girls Match Fund. Big Give is backed by Reed and trusted by leading sector partners and funders.