Christian funders unite for 2024’s Big Give Christmas Challenge

Disabled boy and sister decorating the Christmas tree

Christian funders unite for 2024’s Big Give Christmas Challenge

Published: 03 December 2024
Benefact Trust has teamed up with other members of the Christian Funders’ Forum to donate up to £196,740 to 59 charities in this year’s Christmas Challenge.
Big Give has relaunched its flagship, match funding campaign to support a wide range of charities, this festive season. Big Give’s Christmas Challenge, running from the 3rd to 10th December, is the UK’s biggest collaborative fundraising campaign, connecting charities to funders and the public, to help address major social issues. The campaign enables charities to secure donations from the public and unlock match funding from ‘champions’ - multiplying the donations to make double the difference! 
 
Champions are partners that include some of the biggest names in philanthropy and funding, dedicated to making a positive impact in society. They choose to support charities through the Christmas Challenge based on which organisations connect best with their values and funding goals. 
 
The Together Fund is a collaboration of Benefact Trust and six other members of the Christian Funders’ Forum - a network of Christian grant-making trusts and foundations across the UK, whose combined giving totals more than £70m each year. 
 
The Together Fund has supported the Christmas Challenge for the last five years, and this year will be championing up to 59 of the participating charities, focusing donations on smaller organisations that will benefit from a festive funding boost. The chosen charities will support a wide range of good causes, such as support for mental health, food poverty and homelessness. Benefact Trust has made a contribution of £50,000 towards The Together Fund’s donation.
 
In 2023, the Christmas Challenge raised an incredible £33m for 1077 charities. The Together Fund donated to 56 charities who raised over £1m collectively. This year, The Together Fund is hoping to support even more charities and maximise its impact.
 
Helen Gray, Benefact Trust Director, said: “Big Give’s Christmas Challenge is an incredible opportunity for funders and the public to come together and make a bigger impact in society. We’re proud to join with other Christian funders, once again, to support up to 59 inspiring charities though The Together Fund. Our funding will help to tackle a wide range of social challenges that are often exacerbated during the festive period. We invite everyone to join in where they can and help to make a difference to those in need this Christmas.”
 
Suzannah O’Brien, Christian Funders’ Forum, Chair, also commented: “The Big Give Christmas Challenge gives the Christian Funders’ Forum members an incredible opportunity to maximise the impact of their giving and work collaboratively, which is one of the key forum goals alongside offering each other peer support; learning and sharing best practice and showcasing excellent examples of Christian work. The Together Fund is growing year on year and is a real celebration of Christian giving.”   
 
To find out more about the Big Give, visit: https://donate.biggive.org/

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Benefact Group's work

As a Trust, our ability to support and fund so many worthwhile causes, is made possible by the hard work of the award-winning specialist financial businesses that make up Benefact Group – which gives all its available profits to the Trust, sustaining our giving. As a part of the Benefact Group each business, whether it be in specialist insurance, investment management, broking or advisory shares the Trust’s ethos of giving back.