With 39% of London children living in poverty, The Childhood Trust aim to break the cycle of poverty so that every child experiences the healthy, happy and safe childhood which prepares them well for life.
How does it work?
Champions for Children utilises our Pledge Model of match funding. The Pledge Model offers supporters of participating charities the opportunity to double their donations with match funding provided by a charities’ pledgers and The Childhood Trust.
Our 2024 results
Charity Eligibility Criteria
- Be a UK-registered charity with a Charity Commission number or tax-exempt status and an annual income of at least £25,000 (as per last filed accounts on the Charity Commission).
- Working with children and young people living in poverty in London.
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 Champions for Children by The Childhood Trust
2025 Campaign Timeline
- January 3rd 2025: Applications open
- February 7th 2025: Applications close
- March 14th 2025: Pledge deadline
- April 9th 2025: Offer deadline
- June 3rd- June 17th (midday) 2025: Campaign
Campaign Stage Breakdown
Stage 0: The Raise
The Childhood Trust confirm their match-funding commitment with Big Give.
Stage 1: Initial application
Big Give and The Childhood Trust markets the opportunity to charities. The application involves charities completing information on their proposed use of funds.
Stage 2: Pledge Collection
Charities that complete the application are automatically enrolled on to the next stage, which involves securing the Pledgers for the campaign. Their pledges make up part of the match funding pot. Charities must secure a minimum of £2k in pledges to be eligible for Champion funding.
Stage 3: Vetting and Notification
Big Give completes due diligence checks on all applications and passes them on to The Childhood Trust, who will also contact applicants to complete a separate due diligence process. The amount of pledges secured in stage 2 determines the amount of Champion funds charities are eligible to receive. Based on the outcome of the due diligence process, as well as the pledge amounts secured, The Childhood Trust will assign funding to successful charities. The combined amount of pledges and Champion funds make up the charities’ match funding pot.
Stage 4: Marketing
The Childhood Trust 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. 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.
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The Childhood Trust is London’s child poverty charity, dedicated to alleviating the impact of poverty on children and young people living in the capital. Find out more about their work.
For interested funders
Champion Sign-up Process
- Get in touch with Big Give. We’ll send you a Champion commitment form, and once completed, we’ll help you curate your portfolio of charities.
The Childhood Trust is one of Big Give’s Champions and matches all donations for this campaign.
We know that you understand the needs of the children and young people in your community and what is needed to combat the longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the funds raised throughout this campaign can be allocated to core or project costs and must be spent within 12 months of receiving them. See The Childhood Trust’s Grant-Making Policy for more information about some exceptions. Charities participating in the Champions for Children campaign are required to complete our reporting at 12 months post-campaign.
Funding is for costs that will be incurred within 12 months of the campaign. With this in mind, The Childhood Trust expects its funds to be spent by June 2025.
Match funding incentivises donors to support your charity, and having strong relationships with your donor base will help you to be successful throughout the campaign.
- Step 1: Identify overall campaign target: this will be broken down into 3 parts; Pledgers (25%), The Childhood Trust matched donations (25%), and own fundraising contribution (50%)
- Step 2: Contact your trusted supporters to be your Pledgers. Any amount they pledge towards your total target will be matched by The Childhood Trust following a successful campaign.
- Step 3: Receive ongoing support from The Childhood Trust to maximise your campaign. Every penny you raise during campaign week will be matched by your Pledgers and The Childhood Trust.
Example: If a charity is seeking to raise a total of £8,000 towards their project and raises £4,000 (in online donations via Big Give), these donations will be doubled by the match funding pot made up of pledge funds (£2,000) and The Childhood Trust’s champion funds (£2,000).
Funds received during the campaign are restricted to the information 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 improving mental health as part of their core mission may use the campaign to raise unrestricted funds as long as it meets the eligibility requirements.
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