Big Give has launched an appeal on its website to raise funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee response to the devastating earthquakes which struck Turkey and Syria on 6 February.
With thousands of people killed and many more badly injured, people need help now. Thousands of buildings, including hospitals and schools, have collapsed and infrastructure has been badly damaged. People have been left without shelter in freezing winter conditions, with humanitarian needs expected to grow in the coming days. Access to clean water is a challenge, bringing the risk of cholera and other diseases.
DEC charities and their local partners are among the first responders, working with locally-led relief efforts.
Big Give is the UK’s most successful match funding platform, whereby it multiplies public donations made to other charities and appeals. Match funding for this DEC appeal is being provided by the Reed Foundation and UK Aid Match.
Big Give has pioneered the concept of match funding – asking funders to match donations to charities made by members of the public. So £50 from an individual becomes £100 for a good cause after being doubled by a Big Give match funding ‘champion’ – typically philanthropists, foundations or companies
To donate to the DEC appeal via Big Give: https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900002PonQFAAZ
For the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal which closed on 8th June 2022, Big Give raised £3.56 million. And for the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal which closed on 9th December 2022, Big Give received over 4,500 donations totalling £1.1 million. Both totals include match funding.
Alex Day, Managing Director of Big Give, said:
“Given the significant uplift in impact our match funding capability has on any public donations, we urge anyone thinking about donating to the DEC appeal to do so via our efficient and effective platform. The situation in Turkey and Syria is desperate and we want to really maximise the contribution of people’s generosity.”
The DEC brings together 15 leading aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas. With people in life-and-death situations the DEC mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response.
The DEC pools together the resources of its partner charities to work as one, and is pivotal in co-ordinating the UK public’s response to overseas disasters. In collaboration with its Rapid Response Network of national media and corporate partners, DEC raises the alarm to the UK public and helps accelerate public donations.