The Opportunity
Arts charities have seen a consistent drop in funding over the years, both from the public and private sector. The cultural and creative sector continues to face challenges such as a difficult fundraising climate and higher delivery costs, whilst also seeing an increasing demand for their services.
Big Give match funding campaigns have been running since 2008 and are proven to encourage more people to give money to important causes – and to give more. When members of the public donate to a charity through a Big Give campaign, their donation is matched by funders (usually philanthropists, foundations or corporates) so the amount received is doubled. The campaigns also increase charities’ confidence with digital fundraising, offering expert support.
In 2023, New Philanthropy for Arts & Culture (NPAC) and the Big Give joined forces to create Arts for Impact – a one-week online match funding campaign that supports UK arts and culture charities that deliver social impact.
NPAC’s Chair, Sir Vernon Ellis, commented at the launch of the campaign: “This new fund represents a significant opportunity for the arts and culture sector to look for new support beyond traditional arts patronage. We are delighted to be partnering with Big Give, and grateful to the generous champions of this fund.”
The Process
The campaign followed a carefully curated timetable:
The raise (September 2023–January 2024)
Match funding commitments were secured from 36 ‘Champions’ – a mix of trusts and foundations, companies, individuals and public funders. £1.3m match funding secured.
Applications (October 2023–December 2023)
The opportunity was marketed to charities and applications submitted via the Big Give’s website. 331 charities applied.
Selection (January 2024)
Applications were assessed and due diligence carried out. Selected charities were notified that they had been awarded a sum of match-funding, ringfenced for their organisation, which would be unlocked by public donations via the Arts for Impact campaign. 72% of applicants received a funding offer.
Marketing (February 2024–March 2024)
Participating charities were supported to maximise the match funding opportunity with a suite of free training, resources and coaching. 91% of charities reported increased digital fundraising skills.
Campaign week (19–26 March 2024)
Public donations were sought via the Arts for Impact online fundraising campaign, with all donations to participating charities doubled by match funding. 12,386 were donations made.
The Outcome
Key headlines from the campaign include:
- £2.85m raised for 238 arts organisations across the UK, via 12,386 donations.
- 65% of organisations received more donations vs comparable fundraising efforts.
- 91% of applicants reported increased confidence in digital fundraising (using the Big Give’s online tool).
- A massive 94% of donations were reported to be from new supporters.
In a more detailed study with 93 of the participating charities, we explored the impact that participating in the campaign had on donations:
- 48% of the total monetary sum of donations was from new supporters (26% from completely new supporters and 22% from existing supporters who gave their first financial gift.)
- 56% of donations were from new supporters (33% from completely new supporters and 23% from existing supporters or friends who gave their first financial gift.)
Case Study
The Aloud Charity was created to provide young people in Wales with experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. The organisation runs choirs in areas where economic deprivation is high, and where ambitions and opportunities are low. In addition to these challenges, teenagers are experiencing a mental health crisis, with self-confidence levels plummeting. In a recent Aloud survey, 68% of participants said they hoped to “build confidence” through the choir and 74% hoped to “build social/life skills”.
The Aloud Charity raised £12,117 including Gift Aid through their participation in the Arts for Impact fund 2024 and said that as a result of this money raised “Our work will build a strong sense of belonging for choir members. Recent data shows 79% of participants felt more confident, 42% described themselves as “a happier person” and 43% said the activity had improved their general wellbeing.”
One member of the charity’s choir told us: “I was bullied and this resulted in changing schools and I lost all self-confidence. Only Boys Aloud [one of the charity’s choirs] has helped greatly with building my confidence and, when I’m with this group, it makes me feel as if I’m a part of a community and valued.”
Conclusion
The inaugural Arts for Impact campaign beat its targets and raised a significant amount for arts and culture charities across the UK. Thanks to this success, NPAC and the Big Give agreed to repeat the campaign in 2025.
