Increased by one third on last year
Big Give’s Christmas Challenge raised a record-breaking £44.7 million in just one week – a 35% increase from last year’s total of £33 million.
The campaign, which concluded at midday on 10 December, attracted over 119,000 donations from the public, with 74% of participating charities meeting or exceeding their fundraising targets and 95% of all available match funds being utilised.
This amount raised is particularly notable given the ongoing impact of the cost of living crisis, which has placed additional strain on donors and charities alike.
The funds raised will provide crucial support for charities grappling with increased operational costs and soaring demand for their services over the challenging winter period.
The Christmas Challenge doubles the difference of the public’s donations, which are matched by Big Give’s ‘Champion’ partners, i.e. philanthropists, foundations and companies.
This year, Big Give secured a record-breaking £20 million in match funds for the campaign, thanks to a range of champions, including The Reed Foundation, Julia Rausing Trust, The Childhood Trust, The Hospital Saturday Fund, ShareGift, Steve Morgan Foundation, Candis Magazine, Hampshire Cricket Foundation, Aesseal, The Coles-Medlock Foundation and many others.
James Reed, chair of Big Give, commented: “We are thrilled that Big Give’s Christmas Challenge has become the biggest public fundraiser in the UK this year thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who has donated, particularly at a time when we know charitable giving is being squeezed by the cost of living crisis.
“We had hoped to beat last year’s record total but to do so by such a margin is extraordinary. I want to thank everyone who chose one of over 1,250 charities to support and our generous funding champions who put up match funding to double those donations.
“We try to make it as easy as possible for people to donate using the ‘three Ds’ with our focus being digital first, meaning it takes around 15 seconds to donate via your phone or laptop.
“We’re also democratising giving by offering individuals the ability to choose which of many hundreds of different causes to support, and finally, we’re doubling everyone’s generosity with our match funds. This means we are able to double the difference.
“Behind every £1 raised and every target hit are stories of incredible, life-changing, heart-warming impact delivered by our charity partners. These funds will make a vital difference to the lives of so many.
“Thank you again to everyone who has so generously supported this year’s campaign.”
The Christmas Challenge is Big Give’s annual flagship campaign and accounts for around three-quarters of the £346 million raised by Big Give since 2008. Over half of the charities taking part (59%) were small charities with an annual income of less than £1m.
The campaign continues to prove that the spirit of giving is alive and thriving, even during tough economic times, raising more than both Comic Relief (£38.6m) and Children in Need (£39.2m) in 2024.
