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Founded | 2007 |
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Founder | Sir Alec Reed |
Type | Charity |
Registration no. | 1136547 |
Location |
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Method | Online match funding; showcasing charities; connecting charities with supporters |
Members | 9,987 registered charities |
chair | James Reed |
Key people | Trustees: James Reed (Chair), Richard Reed, Isabel Kelly, Nicola Reed, Nigel Marsh, Lisa Reed[1] |
Employees | Five |
Website | thebiggive |
Big Give is a non-profit, charitable website that enables donors to find and support charity projects in their field of interest. It was founded in October 2007 by Sir Alec Reed CBE. His son James Reed CBE became Chair of Trustees in 2019.
Big Give has raised over £284 million for thousands of charity projects since fundraising began in 2008,[2][3] including £3.67 million for the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, £5.5 million for COVID-19 relief efforts and over £2 million for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.[4][5][6] Its Christmas Challenge 2023 raised £33 million, the highest amount to date, representing a 15% increase over the previous year's total.[2]
Big Give's main activity is online match funding campaigns, where donations made by members of the public are matched by larger donations from notable philanthropists. These philanthropists, also known as "Champions," typically make six-figure donations and include entities such as The Reed Foundation, The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, and The Waterloo Foundation.[7]
Big Give's campaigns have been promoted by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench, Emilia Fox and David Walliams among others.[8]
The organisation is one of the UK's largest philanthropic endeavours. It has set a target of raising £1bn by 2030.[9] Sponsorship and managerial support is provided by the Reed family's Reed Foundation, which is funded by an 18% stake in Reed Group, prompting The Guardian newspaper to write in 2021 that Reed Group employees "...effectively work one day a week to fund good causes".[10] James Reed was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to business and charity.[11]
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