Philanthropy in Schools

The Big Give runs a programme for primary and secondary schools to introduce young people to charitable giving. The programme offers students the opportunity to discover a vast array of charities by using the Big Give’s charity search tool. Students can then make an online donation to a charity of their choice by using a voucher issued by the Big Give.

How the programme started

The Big Give’s Philanthropy in Schools programme was first established in 2010 when it was delivered at the Dragon School in Oxford. The programme was introduced by Sir Alec Reed, the founder of the Big Give and the Alec Reed Academy (formerly known as the West London Academy), as a result of his passion for education.

The aim of the programme

With our Philanthropy in Schools programme, we aim to inspire the next generation of philanthropists by offering an excellent platform for students to learn about a wide range of causes at a local, national and international level. We are passionate about promoting intelligent giving and providing young people with the opportunity to discover and donate to inspiring causes.

An overview of the programme

It is a flexible programme that can be easily adapted to run either as a one-off event or over a longer time period. Its key strength is the platform it provides to spark discussion about charitable giving among students of any age.

Participating schools have praised the programme for not only building the knowledge of young people with regards to intelligent giving, but also for offering students the opportunity to develop key skills in research, negotiation, decision making and public speaking.