FoR is taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge, which runs for a week between 28 November and 5 December 2017. We are raising funds for our International Peacemakers’ Fund, which supports grassroots peacemakers overseas. Donations can be made at tinyurl.com/forbiggive.
Below we answer some of the questions our members have asked, or which we think they might have.
What is The Big Give?
It’s an online matched funding event, where every pound donated between midday on 28 November and midday on 5 December is matched.
What is FoR raising money for?
We are raising money for our International Peacemakers’ Fund, which supports small grassroots peacemakers around the world with grants of a few thousand pounds each. A video about it is here.
How do you give?
You go to tinyurl.com/forbiggive and write in how much money you want to give. You will then be asked for your debit card details and once you’ve entered those, the payment will be made.
Do you have to give online?
Yes. The only way to donate is through the Big Give website, which can be reached by tinyurl.com/forbiggive. Donations made by cheque, phone, electronic bank transfer or directly through FoR’s website will not count.
Is it safe to give online?
Yes. As far as we can tell, it is safe. The giving page is encrypted (meaning other people can’t see what you’re doing or steal your bank details) and uses technology that is used for online payments around the world.
What can I do if I can’t give online?
We asked the Big Give about this and they advised that you get someone who does do online payments to make the donation on your behalf. If you don’t know anyone who can do that for you, please call the office on 01865 250781 and we can help.
Is there a time limit to give?
Only donations made through the Big Give website between midday on 28 November and midday on 5 December will count. We will still receive money given at other times, but it won’t be part of the matched funding event.
Is there a limit to how much money can be raised?
For FoR, our limit is £2,000. We can be given more money than that, but only the first £2,000 will get doubled.
Where does the matched funding come from?
Half of it comes from a small number of FoR supporters, who pledged to back this earlier in the year. The other half comes from philanthropists who support the Big Give and whose money goes to a number of participating charities.
Who are the philanthropists who support this and why did they back FoR’s project?
There is one philanthropic group that is supporting FoR’s project. We know who the philanthropist is, but they have given anonymously and we won’t betray that trust. They backed the project because we wrote a description of what we wanted the money for and they liked the sound of it.
Does any money come from arms dealers or other people who work against what FoR wants?
We asked the Big Give about this and they assured us that this isn’t the case, and showed us the part of the website where the company information was (it’s here; scroll down after clicking). We are confident that the donors do not oppose our aims.
Is this real or a scam?
It’s real. It’s been running this appeal and others for several years and is a registered charity in its own right (number 1136547).
What is the total amount of money that will be raised for FoR through The Big Give?
We hope to raise a total of £4,000, including the matched funds already pledged.
What is the advantage of donating in this way rather than by regular cheque, standing order etc?
The money you give during the week of 28 November-5 December will be doubled. So if you give £10, we receive £20. This doubling only happens during the 28 Nov-5 Dec week.
Does FoR get all the money?
The Big Give takes 4% of all money raised. The remaining 96% comes to us. We didn’t have to pay anything to participate in this and we are getting extra money from new sources by fundraising in this way. We strongly encourage members to support us through The Big Give during this week, at tinyurl.com/forbiggive.
