It is good news that there are a number of Match Fund Challenges on offer through www.localgiving.com over the coming months. The first Match starts on March 1st, when any donation made through Localgiving.com, the national website dedicated to supporting local charities, will receive matching funds from a pot worth £375,000. This means Localgiving.com will match every pound donated to local charities registered on the localgiving.com site with an equal amount - up to a maximum of £2,500.
By making a donation to a favourite local charity via the website during a match challenge, donors can therefore double their gift and the charity receives twice the support. Gift Aid adds another 25%.
So if you know a local charity that could do with a boost to its funding, please encourage them to contact Cambridgeshire Community Foundation to find out how to register on Localgiving.com.
Registration is free for three months, and then costs £60 plus VAT pa. In return, charities can take advantage of online marketing and donation tools, and become more easily accessible to donors through a postcode search.
Jane Darlington, CEO of Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, encourages all local voluntary and community groups to have a look if this online donation website can help them. "We vet the charities and community groups to make sure they are well structured and undertaking charitable projects of relevance to local communities. We are recruiting a new Grants and Localgiving Officer to help us raise awareness and support local groups to take full advantage of the March match and the matches that will take place later in the year. Groups interested in registering should visit our website for details on how they proceed."