Localgiving campaign a big success
Localgiving, a UK-wide support network for local charities and community groups, raised £1.3 million for small, local charities across the country in just two months.
The cash was generated through its Grow Your Tenner match fund campaign, with that total projected to rise to £1.6m after 18 months.
Local charities across the country were helped to get online and make the most of their fundraising efforts, through access to a match fund backed by the Office for Civil Society and a private philanthropist.
Over 16,000 people donated to 1,200 charities during the campaign, with the first £10 of all online donations being doubled.
The campaign saw 81% of the charities involved receiving donations from new donors and 88% saying they achieved some or all of their fundraising goals.
Local charities are hugely important to communities across the UK and are well placed to understand and react to the needs of local people
Localgiving encouraged the set up of over 4,000 monthly direct debits, helping to ensure these charities will receive regular support in the future.
In addition, 150 working days of administrative time was saved by the charities involved in Grow Your Tenner by Localgiving processing Gift Aid on their behalf.
Rob Wilson, UK minister for civil society, said: “Local charities are hugely important to communities across the UK and are well placed to understand and react to the needs of local people. The government’s matched fund grant for Local Giving’s Grow Your Tenner campaign enabled donations from the public to go even further and support these organisations in the fantastic work that they do.”
Stephen Mallinson, chief executive of Local Giving, said: “The success of the campaign proves that match funding is a viable solution to a very real social problem.
"The fact is that currently only 7% of all donations go to small charities, despite the fact that they are in need of real financial support. With funding streams drying up, matching online donations through campaigns such as Grow Your Tenner maximises people’s giving and helps small charities to fundraise effectively.
“The legacy of the project is to ensure that these groups continue to make the most of their fundraising efforts, reach out to new donors online and develop a robust and sustainable funding model so that they may continue to provide their services in the future.”
