The Big Give unveils Darwinian matched funding scheme

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 4 Mar 2009

Donations website The Big Give is offering a £50,000 match fund pot to animal charities to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin (pictured).

Philanthropist and Big Give founder Alec Reed has put up the money in the hope that it will produce a ‘survival of the fittest’-style competition among animal charities to get the greatest amount of money for their cause.

Five animal charities have been selected by Reed to compete to secure the largest share of the £50,000 fund, which goes live at 10am on Monday 23, February. The charities must persuade their supporters to put up their donations first, then The Big Give will match these up to a limit per charity of £20,000.

Reed said the match offer would honour the spirit of the revolutionary scientist. “I’m delighted to celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday this way. Just as favourable traits became more common in natural selection, more popular charities will receive more money from my matched funding scheme,” he said.

The five charities chosen by Reed are Project African Wilderness, Orangutan Foundation, People’s Trust for Endangered species, Wilderness Foundation UK and The Gorilla Organisation.

Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro

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