2022: A big year for giving
16 Jan 2023
At Reed, we’re big believers in the power of charitable giving and the tremendous impact it can have on individual lives, communities and our planet. Since 1972, the Reed Foundation has donated tens of millions and raised over £235 million through The Big Give, the UK’s biggest match funding platform.
Our Chairman and CEO James Reed was recently recognised for this work, receiving a CBE for contributions to business and charity. This honour came at the end of a particularly challenging year punctuated by the cost of living crisis, the conflict in Ukraine and unceasing political unrest.
But, despite the struggles of 2022, people continued to give generously. The Big Give, which works with funders to match the public’s charitable donations, raised over £42.8 million and through these donations were able to help tackle some of these challenges.
Here are the top ten charity campaigns the Reed Foundation championed in 2022:
10. National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
What do they do? We all have a song in our hearts, and for forty years the NYCGB has helped young vocalists discover theirs through music courses and training. Through their bursary, they want to make sure that all young songbirds, no matter their background, have the opportunity to explore and develop their talents as well as their confidence, leadership and team working skills by participating in a choir.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £15k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £64.6K, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? The money raised will go towards bursaries for 50 young singers from low-income or diverse backgrounds allowing them to join one of the NYCGB’s programmes in 2023. The bursary covers course fees, concert costs and travel expenses.
9. International Justice Mission UK
What do they do? The IJM is a global organisation that aims to end modern slavery, bring perpetrators to justice and protect the most vulnerable from violence. In the places they’ve worked, slavery has been reduced by up to 86%.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £20k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £172K when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? The money raised will support victims of child trafficking and online sexual exploitation in the Philippines, providing them with much-needed care after they’ve been rescued. It will also go towards advocacy and training to tackle and prevent child trafficking.
8. The Big Give Mental Health Match fund
What do they do? With at least 1 in 6 adults experiencing mental health issues, the need for mental health awareness and support has continued to grow. The Mental Health Match Fund initiative ran from 10th October to 24th October 2022, and matched any donations made to seven UK mental health charities including Just Like Us, SANE and Student Minds.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £25k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charities in this campaign received £263.2K when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? Our donation went towards a range of mental health initiatives including training volunteers to support people in crisis, providing mental health support to LGBT+ pupils and delivering wellbeing education to university students across the country.
7. Friends of the Earth Charitable Trust
What do they do? From preventing plastic pollution to protecting endangered bees, Friends of the Earth is committed to creating a safer, healthier and more sustainable planet. Since their first campaign in 1971, Friends of the Earth has been at the forefront of climate change initiatives.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £25k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £172.7K when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? Last year we saw energy bills soar to unprecedented heights, reminding us of the need for cheaper and more sustainable energy sources. Our donation went towards a campaign to stop fossil fuel extraction in the UK and abroad.
What do they do? Sadly, 33 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour in the UK every day. As one of the deadliest forms of cancer, it’s also one of the most difficult to treat effectively and survival rates haven’t budged in forty years. The Brain Tumour Charity funds brain tumour research and initiatives to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £25k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £166.5K, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? Brain tumour research is notoriously underfunded, contributing to the devastating impact outdated treatments can have on some patients’ quality of life. Our donation went towards funding new research initiatives and treatments.
5. Royal College of Music (RCM) Scholarship Fund
What do they do?: The Royal College of Music has been training musicians and conductors since 1883, providing budding performers with a world-class education in a range of musical disciplines.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £25k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £137.3K, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? When you consider the cost of instruments and tuition, special training can become expensive, making it challenging for many young musicians to develop their talents. Through our donation, the RCM will be able to offer more scholarships to the musicians who need them.
4. Centre Point
What do they do?: The cost of living crisis has caused rent across the country to skyrocket along with youth homelessness. Through a range of initiatives focusing on helping young homeless people get back on their feet in every area of their lives, Centre Point hopes to end youth homelessness by 2037.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £25k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £104.4K, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? Youth homelessness is a complex problem that requires a multi-faceted approach. Our contributions to the End Youth Homelessness campaign went towards providing homeless youth with a place to stay, mental health support and employment and education opportunities.
What do they do?: Launched by HM King Charles III in 1976, The Prince’s Trust has helped over one million young people build their confidence and skills giving them access to better career opportunities to help them fulfil their potential.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £25k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charity received £159.3K, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? The Covid-19 pandemic was especially challenging for young people, whose education and social development was stunted by months in lockdown. It was especially difficult for those who were already struggling before the pandemic. The money we raised went towards funding the trust’s programmes in education, employability and enterprise programmes.
2. The Big Give Green Match Fund
What do they do? In 2022, we saw the consequences of the climate crisis in full force with the devastating floods in Pakistan, wildfires in Australia and record-high temperatures here in the UK. From 22nd April to 29th April, The Big Give Green Match Fund donated to dozens of environmental charities including Bees for Development Trust, Rewilding Britain, and Surfers Against Sewage.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £250k
How much did the Big Give raise in total for this charity campaign?
Overall, the charities in this campaign received £2.06M, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? The money raised went towards a range of environmental initiatives to help empower the Batwa people in Uganda through beekeeping, to develop the UK’s biodiversity, and to reduce sewage in UK waters.
1. Disasters Emergency Committee
What do they do? When disasters strike overseas, a rapid response from governments and the public can help to quickly deliver aid to those who need it most. The DEC is a coalition of 12 charities committed to making this a reality through appeals and fundraising.
How much did the Reed Foundation donate? £600K, £400K to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and £200K to the Pakistan Flood Appeal.
How much did this campaign raise in total?
Overall, the Big Give raised £5.05M across these two appeals, when you include all public donations that were match funded by the Reed Foundation and other match funders (philanthropists, foundations or corporates) donating via the Big Give.
How were our donations used? Our donations were spread across two appeals: the Pakistan Flood Appeal which provided food and shelter to those displaced by the floods and the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to support those affected by the war.
What else happened in 2022?
In addition to our top ten charities, we concluded the year with our most successful Christmas Challenge yet, raising an incredible £28.6 million pounds for hundreds of charities across the UK.
We’re proud to have played a part in supporting all our charities in addressing the many challenges our global community is currently facing, but this is only the beginning. The Big Give has set itself a new challenge to raise £1 billion by 2030. Check out the Big Give website to learn more about what they do.
You can find a full list of all the charities the Reed Foundation has contributed to in 2022 here.