Big Give FAQs

Commonly asked questions about the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

How are donations matched?

Donations will be matched £1 for £1 though a pledge fund and a Charity Champion fund.

To start with, 75% of matched funding will come from the £5,228 in the pledge fund and 25% from the Charity Champion fund.

Once our pledges have been exhausted, further online donations are matched £1 for £1 by the Charity Champion Fund.

This continues until we have used the maximum amount available from the Charity Champion Fund, or until the Fund is exhausted.

Who provides the Charity Champion fund used to match donations?

Donations over the 'Challenge Phase' are matched by the Charity Champion fund which is provided by trusts, foundations, corporations and philanthropists who support charities through the Big Give Christmas Challenge.

In Mind's case, the Fund is provided by Candis Magazine. They provide the funds to match donations during the December Challenge Phase, alongside pledges.

How are the Charity Champion funds allocated?

The release of the Charity Champion fund will be staggered over the first three days of the December Challenge Phase. Matching will pause when the Charity Champion Funds for that day have been exhausted and will resume at 10am the following day.

Timeline

• 10am Thursday 6 December - 40% of Charity Champion Fund released
• 10am Friday 7 December - 30% of Charity Champion Fund released
• 10am Saturday 8 December - 30% of Charity Champion Fund released

From Saturday 8 December onwards, donations will continue to be matched with no further pauses until:

1. Mind reaches it's overall target; or
2. Mind has matched all of its pledges and the Charity Champion Fund has been exhausted; or
3. 5pm on Wednesday 19 December

Charity Champion funds are allocated on a first come, first serve basis, with not all charities being able to receive the maximum they are eligible for.

How long will the Charity Champion funds last each day?

It is impossible for us to know how long the Charity Champion funds will last each day, as this is dependent on how quickly our suppporters make donations.

But the Big Give have set up the Challenge to try to make sure that the Charity Champion funds last for at least 2 hours on each of the first three days.

There will also be extra Charity Champion funds this year, which will mean that the Challenge will stay open longer each day.

The Challenge will run over three days, rather than the traditional 5 days. This means that more funding can be released each day, and more donations can be doubled.

Will offline donations be doubled during the December Challenge Phase?

No. All donations during the December Challenge Phase must be made online through the donation form.

What payment methods are accepted?

Donations must be made online using a debit/credit card. The following card types are accepted:

Mastercard / Visa / Maestro / Switch / Solo / Delta / American Express

Can supporters make a donation from abroad?

Yes, so long as they have one of the accepted card types. Please be aware the Challenge begins at 10am GMT on Thursday 6 December, Friday 7 December and Saturday 8 December.

I made a pledge. Can I donate during the December Challenge Phase?

No. Donors who contribute to the Pledge Phase are not allowed to donate to the same chaity during the December Challenge Phase.

What percentage of my donation goes on admin fees?

The Big Give is fully funded by the Reed Foundation and therefore does not charge for it's services. Online donations are processed by Charities Trust who deduct a fee of 4%.