A £3m match funding campaign for environmental charities has launched to encourage giving in the sector.

Around 150 charities are taking part in the inaugural Green Match Fund, which has been organised by online match funding platform the Big Give.

According to latest figures almost two thirds of green charities have reported a fall in income due to the Covid pandemic and one in five are looking to reduce their service delivery as a result.

Charities involved include Friends of the Earth, Surfers Against Sewage, Young People’s Trust for the Environment and ClientEarth.

Peter Littlewood, director of Young People’s Trust for the Environment says money raised is helping to launch its education programme in primary schools called Better Planet Schools.

“We hope that by 2030, all UK primary schools will have taken part in Better Planet Schools. Places cost £100 per school per year, but donations from sources like the Green Match Fund have meant that every school taking part has been able to claim a fully-funded place and participate free of charge,” said Littlewood.

“We are really grateful to the Green Match Fund and our supporters and donors for helping make Better Planet Schools a reality.”



The launch of the Green Match Fund follows a pilot of the fundraising initiative in 2021, explains Big Give director Alex Day.

He said: “We believe this is the biggest and most exciting innovation in environmental philanthropy. We have curated a portfolio of over 100 of the UK’s best environmental charities, working on a range of issues, from rivers to tree planting, education, food waste, climate action, and much more.”

The fundraising initiative runs until midday on 29 April.

Share Story: