Arts charities are in need of urgent support. Arts and culture play a crucial role in communities, from improving mental health to enhancing social skills. This campaign is dedicated to supporting arts and culture charities across the UK, ensuring they can continue to make a profound societal impact.
How does it work?
Arts for Impact Fund utilises our Multi Model of match funding. Arts charities apply to Big Give and can select either the 1:1 or Pledge Model of match funding. Their application is assessed by Big Give and our partners, FPAC. Successful charities are awarded a sum of match funding which is ring-fenced for their organisation. This match funding is unlocked by public donations given through Big Give’s online fundraising platform during the week of the campaign.
FPAC is a network of arts supporters, who are passionate about increasing philanthropic support of the arts and culture sector. Working with Big Give, FPAC has been helping to secure match funding and supporting arts organistions to prepare, and run their campaigns.
Our 2025 results
Charity Eligibility Criteria
- UK-registered charity with a Charity Commission, OSCR or NI Charity Commission number, or tax-exempt status.
- Have an annual income of at least £25,000 (as per last filed accounts with the Charity Commission, OSCR, NI Charity Commission, or Companies House if registered as exempt).
- Charities where work is focused in the UK.
- Charities seeking to raise:
- At least £1000 and up to £7,500 in public donations through the 1:1 model (to be doubled by match funds provided by Big Give’s Champion partners).
- Up to £30,000 in public donations through the pledge model (to be doubled by match funds provided by Big Give’s Champion partners and the charity’s own pledge funders).
- Charities are limited to apply for Champion funds, which are a maximum of 10% of their annual income.
- Charities that have arts and culture as their core mission and are looking for funds to support transformational impact for the people engaging with the charity.
- By “core mission”, we mean that the arts and culture is mentioned in the organisation’s charitable objects. This may include (but is not limited to) theatres, dance troupes, choirs, orchestras, arts centres, literary charities, galleries, museums, arts festivals and arts-based community groups.
- “Transformational social impact” may include (but is not limited to) improved health and wellbeing, improved education, improved mental health, social cohesion and welfare.
- Charities will be asked to demonstrate the social impact of their work in the application and to set out how they would propose to use any funds allocated to them from the FPAC/Big Give match fund. Applicants should include a description of the social outcomes their work aims to achieve, the legacy of their work and the breadth of their work, together with a description of how they assess the impact of these activities.
- Funds may be applied for in relation to specific projects or core costs. In the latter case, the impact and legacy of the charity’s work as a whole should be included. Capital projects will not be funded.
- Applications will be scored with reference to their impact, legacy and the financial sustainability of the organisation. All scoring is confidential. Projects that do not demonstrate social impact as set out above will not be considered.
Charity Application Process
- Log in or sign up
- Once you have access to our charity portal, head to ‘Big Give Campaigns‘
- Click on ‘Apply now’ for Arts For Impact
2026 Campaign Timeline
- 20th October 2025: Applications open
- 17th December 2025 (5pm): Applications close
- 16th January 2026: Pledge deadline
- 4th February 2026: Offer deadline
- 17th – 24th March 2026 (midday): Campaign
Campaign Stage Breakdown
Stage 0: The Raise
Big Give and FPAC start to secure match-funding commitments from champions.
Stage 1: Initial application
Big Give markets the opportunity to charities. The application involves charities completing information on their proposed use of funds. As part of Big Give’s multi-model of match funding, charities can select either the 1:1 Model (for up to £7,500 of Champion Funding) or Pledge Model (for up to £15,000 of Champion funding) for their campaign.
Stage 2: Pledge Collection
After submitting their application, charities that select the pledge model automatically progress to the next stage – securing pledgers to support their campaign. The deal is whatever a charity raises in pledges, they can receive up to the same amount from our Champions. This combined total makes up a charities’ match funding pot. Charities that select the 1:1 model will skip this stage and do not need to collect pledges.
Stage 3: Vetting and Notification
Big Give completes due diligence checks on all applications and passes them on to a panel of experts who will review and assign Champion funding to charity campaigns. For 1:1 Model charities, the Champion funding allocated makes up the total match funding pot. For Pledge Model charities, the combined amount of pledges and Champion funds make up the charities’ match funding pot.
Stage 4: Marketing
Big Give provides a free suite of resources to help support charities to maximise the opportunity and market the campaign.
Stage 5: Campaign
All donations to participating charities are doubled. If applicable, pledge funds are used to match online donations first. When these are exhausted, the Champion funds are used to match online donations. Charities that don’t reach their target still receive any match funds up to the value of online donations received.
Stage 6: Post-Campaign
Learning and impact assessments are sent out, along with Champion reports and charity reporting requirements. Charities that selected the Pledge Model need to secure payment of pledges.
Get Campaign-ready with our Webinars
Whether you’re new to Big Give or just need a refresher, our webinars are designed to guide you through the application process and show you how to make the most of our match funding campaigns. From key dates to top tips, we cover everything you need to feel confident and campaign-ready.
We also run live sessions throughout the year – so check back here for upcoming webinars you can join, or explore more on our YouTube channel.
Ready to get started today? Join our community of like-minded changemakers
For interested funders
Champion Sign-up Process
- Get in touch with Big Give. We’ll send you a Champion commitment form, and once completed, Big Give and our campaign partners FPAC will establish the portfolio of Charities, taking into account your preferences.
Funders, who we call Champions, and Pledgers.
A Champion can include high-net-worth individuals, foundations, philanthropists, trusts, statutory bodies, companies and more. A Pledger can be anyone in the charity’s network. This may include a trustee, foundation, trust, company, volunteer, high-net-worth individual and others.
The public will be told if matching funds are available or not when they donate. When donating, match funds are reserved for 30 minutes to complete the donation. All donations are matched in real-time, and donors can see how much match funding has been allocated to their donation.
Funds received during the campaign are restricted to the activity outlined in the application until the charity has hit their target. If a charity receives additional online donations after hitting its target, these funds may be unrestricted. Charities may use the campaign to raise unrestricted funds as long as it meets the eligibility requirements.
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