What is the Big Give Christmas Challenge?
Big Give's Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest match funding campaign, championing a wide range of charitable organisations. We are delighted to be taking part in the campaign for the third time this year, giving supporters the opportunity to double their donations this festive season - one donation, twice the impact!

What is a match funded campaign?
A match funded campaign provides the opportunity for supporters to increase their impact for the charities and causes that they care about. The Christmas Challenge utilises the Big Give ‘Pledge Model’ of match funding, working on a double-matching principle. Supporters of Chapter One are offered the opportunity to double their donations with match funding provided by pledges from our supporters and our Big Give Champion funder, the AKO Foundation. You can find out more about the Big Give Match Funding model here.

When is the Christmas Challenge?
This year’s Christmas Challenge campaign takes place from midday on Tuesday 1 December until midday on Tuesday 8 December 2026.

Where do I make my donation?
Donations must be made via the Chapter One Christmas Challenge campaign page on the Big Give website in order to be doubled. Any donations made via the Chapter One website will not be doubled. If match funds are available at the point of beginning a donation, these will be reserved for 30 minutes to allow you time to make your donation.

What methods can I use to make my donation?
The Big Give payments processor is Stripe and they require donations to be made online using one of the following payment methods: a debit/credit card and Apple Pay and Google Pay. The following card types are accepted: Mastercard / Visa / Maestro / Switch / Solo / Delta / American Express.

For donations of £500 or more, the Big Give will also accept donations via BACS. Please see below for further information.

Please note different payment methods are subject to different fees. Please see the FAQ below about fees for more information.

How can I donate via BACS?
If you don’t have a debit or credit card, you can use the Big Give’s Donation Funds feature to donate via BACS. You'll need to create a donor account with the Big Give that allows Stripe to securely hold your funds on your behalf. Adding funds to your donor account via bank transfer typically takes a few hours, though it can occasionally take up to 5 working days to complete. For this reason, it's recommended to arrange bank transfers well in advance of the campaign end date to avoid missing donation opportunities. Full information can be found here.

Does the Big Give website charge any fees on my donation?
Big Give is a non-profit match funding platform that allows charities to raise funds for good causes. They don’t charge fees to charities for joining their platform. Instead, they charge a small processing fee to cover the cost incurred in processing donations. This standard fee is deducted from the donation before it is paid to the charity.

Most debit/credit cards are subject to a fee of 1.9% of the donation amount + 25p. American Express cards, and any card payments from outside of the EU, are subject to a slightly higher fee of 3.2% + 25p. Donation Funds (BACS bank transfer) and Pay by Bank are subject to a fee of 1.5% + 25p.

When making donations, you may notice an option to leave a voluntary tip to the Big Give. The Big Give is a registered charity that has been helping thousands of charities double their donations since 2008. Tips are used to cover running costs, and also go towards their Anchor Match Fund, which provides additional match funding for charity partners and helps deliver their charitable mission.

You can find out more about the Big Give’s fees and voluntary tips here.

Can I Gift Aid my donation?
Yes, if you are a UK taxpayer and your donation qualifies for Gift Aid you will be able to select this during the donation process.

How is my donation doubled?
We have a match funding pot already in place, generously provided by our Champion Funder, the AKO Foundation, and five Chapter One corporate partner supporters: Clyde & Co LLP, Compare the Market, Euromonitor, HFW, and Taylor & Francis. Every donation made will be doubled out of this pot until it runs out and our target of £22,000 is achieved.

What happens if I donate after the match funding pot has run out?
You will still be able to make a donation, but it won’t be doubled. Any donations above our target will still add to our total and would be greatly appreciated, helping us to continue to inspire a love of reading in children facing disadvantage. We will provide an update on social media and our website should we reach our target before the campaign ends.

I can’t donate at this time, how else can I help?
We would be so grateful for your support to help spread the word about the campaign through your networks. Please share away!

We also have a fundraising pack available if you would like to fundraise for the campaign. This provides ideas to help you raise funds from colleagues, friends or family to donate during the campaign week. Please contact Chris Poole (chris.poole@chapterone.org) to request a copy of the pack.

Have a different question not answered here? Please contact: Chris Poole, our Fundraising Officer, at chris.poole@chapterone.org