I know, I know. It’s July! We haven’t even got to Halloween yet, and you really haven’t even considered what you’ll be doing in December. However, this year Scottish Huntington’s Association is planning something new for Christmas and we need your help.

The Christmas Challenge is the UK’s largest online match-funding campaign. The campaign is run by the Big Give online donation platform.

It offers supporters of participating charities the opportunity to double their donations. For example, an online donation of £100 is doubled to £200. If Gift Aid is claimed, it could be worth £225. Donations are doubled whilst matching funds last.

This year we are participating in the Big Christmas Give. We are hoping to raise the money to fund three new chapters of HD Routes, our interactive resource for all young people facing the significant challenges that are created by living in a HD family.

BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP!

In order to participate in the campaign, we need to secure a minimum of £1000 in pledges. We have to have those pledges in place by Wednesday 31st August 2016. If we reach our target then we are able to move forward to the next round of the Big Christmas Give, where we will be able to put our case to the Big Christmas Give Charity Champions who can choose to allocate additional funds to your matching pot to double more online donations.

Then, in December, we go forward to the final stage where our campaign is opened up to online donors from the general public, who we’ll ask to match the funds we’ve raised so far.

As an example. If we secure £1,500 in pledges from our Pledges, our initial supporters, we will have the opportunity to receive £1,500 from a Big Give Champion. Our matching pot would therefore be able to double £3,000 in online donations.

We need to raise £6,000 to fund the next three chapters of HD Routes. We hope to raise that directly from donations through the Big Christmas Give.

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP US GET THERE?

We are asking you to be our Pledges. A Pledge can sign up and commit to donating at least £100 for our Christmas appeal by completing the online form: thebiggive.org.uk

Do remember, Pledge promises are used to double donations and could even be worth four times their original value.

THE BIG CHRISTMAS GIVE MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

In the Christmas Challenge 2015:

52% of participating charities attracted new donors.
95% of participating charities attracted new corporate donors.
85% of participating charities regular givers gave an extra donation.
42% of participating charities’ trustees made a pledge.

I know we can do this. Are you able to help?