As a Big Give Champion, The EQ Foundation is providing match funding to eight charities achieving positive outcomes and delivering long lasting benefits to people in the UK and overseas.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge: What is it?

The Christmas Challenge is an annual match funding campaign which has raised millions of pounds for thousands of good causes since it was launched in 2008 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Alec Reed

Running during the festive period, it offers supporters of participating charities the chance to have their donation doubled. The match funds come from two sources – charities secure some as pledges in the preceding months and these funds are then boosted by contributions from a Big Give Champion. This collective pot is used to double donations from online supporters when the campaign is live for a week.

Impact of The Big Give

• 94% of participating charities attracted new donors.
• 63% of charities said that current supporters gave more.
• 73% of charities reporting an increase in profile having taken part in the campaign.

Here are the eight charities The EQ Foundation is championing in 2024:

• The Wave Project: Provide surf therapy for children and young people suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
• Global Canopy: Target the market forces destroying nature, focusing on ending deforestation, a vital step to achieving global goals on climate, nature and human rights.
• Coach Core Foundation: Through a 15-month sports apprenticeship programme, Coach Core help young people gain the skills, confidence and employment needed to thrive.
• Shannon Trust: Raising money to support people in the criminal justice system, and the wider community, to learn to read and improve their numeracy.
• Action Tutoring: National charity dedicated to closing the academic attainment gap between pupils facing disadvantage and their more affluent peers.
• Chapter One: Provide weekly one-to-one reading sessions to enable disadvantaged children to develop vital literacy skills and spark a love of reading so that they can thrive throughout their education and life.
• MYTIME Young Carers: Fight to level the playing field and reduce the many disadvantages young carers face.
• Student Minds: Empower students to build a mental health toolkit to support themselves through university and beyond.

Find out more here » Christmas Challenge 2024