The Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest collaborative fundraising campaign, championing a wide range of charitable organisations. Whatever the cause, from global poverty to gender equality, from climate change to mental wellbeing, every donation has the power to be doubled. Enabling thousands of charities to make an even bigger difference.
How does it work?
The Christmas Challenge utilises our Pledge Model of match funding. This model allows supporters of participating charities to have their donations doubled with match funds provided by the charity’s own supporters (pledgers) and Big Give’s Champion partners.
To take part, a charity must secure a portion of their match funding pot from their pledgers. If eligible, they can be awarded up to the same amount again from a Champion funder, creating a combined match pot which is used to double public donations made through Big Give’s platform during the campaign week.
Our 2024 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 may be working in the UK or overseas.
- Charities working overseas must comply with the relevant regulator’s guidance on protecting charities from harm. More info is available in this support article (opens in a new tab).
- Charities seeking to raise at least £2000 and up to £50,000 in public donations (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.
- Funds may be applied for in relation to specific projects’, core costs and capital costs.
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 the Christmas Challenge
2025 Campaign Timeline
- 12th May 2025: Applications open
- 16th July 2025: Applications close (5pm)
- 7th September 2025: Pledge deadline
- 8th October 2025: Offer deadline
- 2nd – 9th December 2025 (midday): Campaign
2026 Campaign Timeline
- 11th May 2026: Applications open
- 3rd July 2026 (5pm): Applications close
- 28th August 2026: Pledge deadline
- 7th October 2026: Offer deadline
- 1st – 8th December 2026 (midday): Campaign
Campaign Stage Breakdown
Stage 0: The Raise
Big Give starts 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 and setting their overall fundraising target for the campaign.
For example, a charity setting a target of £4,000 would need to secure £1,000 in pledges (25% of the total) from their own supporters. If eligible, Big Give would then award up to £1,000 in Champion funds, creating a £2,000 combined match funding pot. The charity would seek to raise the equivalent amount in public donations during the campaign week.
Stage 2: Pledge Collection
After submitting their application, charities automatically progress to the next stage – securing pledgers to support their campaign. To be eligible for Champion funds, charities must secure a minimum of £1,000 in total pledges.
Stage 3: Vetting and Notification
Big Give completes due diligence checks on all applications and passes them on to interested Champions who will have the opportunity to assign additional funding to the campaign. The amount of pledges secured in Stage 2 determines how much Champion funding a charity is eligible to receive. The combined total of pledges and Champion funds forms the charity’s 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. 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.
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
Our 2025 Champions included some of the biggest names in philanthropy and funding, all united by a commitment to making a meaningful impact. Check back soon for updates as we add to this years list.
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 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.
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.
Champion funding is allocated based on the Champion’s discretion. If your charity is eligible but doesn’t receive a Champion funding offer, you can still take part in the campaign using your pledges as your sole match funding pot. You’ll raise funds from the public as usual, with your donations matched using your pledges only.
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 may use the campaign to raise unrestricted funds as long as it meets the eligibility requirements.
Can’t find the answer you’re looking for?