Mega Match May
Set up a monthly gift to Mary's Meals
There has never been a more important time to set up a regular gift to Mary’s Meals.
During Mega Match May, the kindness of new regular givers will go three times as far – meaning your donation can feed even more hungry children with Mary’s Meals. From 1 May until 31 May, if you set up a regular gift to Mary’s Meals your first three donations will be tripled by a generous donor, up to £100,000. Your generosity can help us to access all the available funding.
Why are monthly donations important?
Around the world, there are children living in incredibly tough circumstances. Many are exposed to conflict, poverty and natural disasters. For far too many children, there is uncertainty about whether they will have enough to eat each day.
Because of donations to our work, 2.4 million of these children know that amidst the challenge of their daily lives – one thing is certain. They will have a meal at school each day. We cannot change these challenges but we can give them the security of knowing they will have enough to eat to fuel their education and work towards a brighter future.
Setting up a monthly gift during Mega Match May is a very special way to support Mary’s Meals. The certainty of a regular gift gives us the confidence to plan for the future – safe in the knowledge that, together, we are keeping our promise to the children who need it most, while striving to reach the next hungry child waiting.
Help make a difference and start your monthly donation today.
Already give a monthly donation?
We are so thankful for your regular gift, which is helping us reach children with our life-changing school meals. It is the security that your regular gift provides, which enables us to keep our promise to the 2.4 million children who eat Mary’s Meals at school each day.
If you choose to increase your donation between 1 May and 31 May, the additional amount will be tripled for the next three payments – thanks to a generous donor who has made funds available up to £100,000. This means your donations will feed even more hungry children!
To increase your Direct Debit or recurring card payment, please contact us on 0800 6981212 or info@marysmeals.org. To increase your standing order, please contact your bank.
Payroll gifts tripled!
Payroll Giving, Workplace Giving or Give As You Earn (GAYE) is a fantastic scheme for employed UK taxpayers to donate money to Mary's Meals. Right now, if you set up a payroll gift to Mary’s Meals via your employer by 31 May, your first three donations will be tripled.
If you have a payroll gift to Mary’s Meals already set up and choose to increase your donation by 31 May, the additional amount will be tripled for the next three payments, up to £100,000.
To set up or increase a payroll gift to Mary's Meals, please contact your employer. More information can be found on our dedicated payroll giving page.
"Mary’s Meals’ food has not only reduced my hunger, but it has given me hope to learn. The amount of food cooked at my home is enough (for us) now because we are full when we come home from school. The meal inspires me to be focused on school which helps me to study and work hard for upcoming exams. In the future, I would like to be a doctor."
Jamkai, from Liberia
Set up a regular gift and have your donations tripled for three payments!
What is regular giving?
Regular giving is a great way to donate to Mary’s Meals – it simply means that a supporter has chosen to create a Direct Debit, standing order, recurring card payment or recurring payroll gift to support our work. Most commonly this is organised on a monthly basis but it can also be set up for other frequencies and at any donation value.
Not only do small gifts accumulate over time into huge acts of generosity, but regular giving also gives Mary’s Meals the ability to plan ahead.
Regular giving helps us to keep our promise to the children we feed, reach the next child waiting with our nutritious school meals and is key to realising our vision that every child has enough to eat and can go to school.
We know that having a Direct Debit, or similar method of regular giving set up, also gives our supporters the convenience of spreading their donations over the year.
How does the Mega Match May campaign work?
During Mega Match May, the kindness of new regular givers will go three times as far – meaning your donation can feed even more hungry children with Mary’s Meals.
From 1 May until 31 May, if you set up a regular gift to Mary’s Meals your first three donations will be tripled by a generous donor who has promised to make match funding available, up to £100,000. Your generosity can help us to access all the available funding.
Will existing regular gifts be tripled?
If you already have a regular gift to Mary’s Meals, any increase made to its value will be tripled for the next three payments when increased between 1 May and 31 May 2024.
Will all donations to Mary’s Meals qualify for tripling?
The tripling only applies to regular gifts set up between 1 May and 31 May 2024 (which we recognise as a new Direct Debit, standing order, recurring card payments or payroll gift), and increases in donation value for existing regular givers.
Regular gifts can be set up at any time during the campaign period and will be tripled for the first three payments, even if the timing of any of the actual payments made is outside of the campaign period itself.
What kind of donations can be tripled?
- New regular gifts (Direct Debits, recurring card payments, standing orders or payroll gifts) set up until 31 May: the first three donations made will be tripled.
- Existing regular gifts: if a supporter chooses to increase the value of their regular gift in the period until 31 May, the additional amount will be tripled for the next three payments.
- There are no upper or lower limits on gift amounts.
I have a Sponsor A School Direct Debit set up. Can this be tripled?
Any increases to Direct Debits for Mary’s Meals made during the campaign period are eligible, including those which go towards Sponsor A School projects.
However, the additional (tripled) amount will not count towards your Sponsor A School goal and will instead go towards our work feeding children around the world. Only your increased regular donation will count towards your Sponsor A School fundraising target.
What is payroll giving?
Payroll giving, workplace giving or Give As You Earn (GAYE) is a fantastic scheme for employed UK taxpayers to donate money to Mary's Meals.
A payroll giving scheme allows you to make donations directly from your gross pay before tax (but after National Insurance deductions). This means that your donation will cost you up to 45% less than if you simply made a one-off donation after tax.
Your first step is to find out if your employer currently offers payroll giving. If they do, it’s as easy as letting your employer know you’d like to donate to Mary’s Meals, and how much you’d like to give each pay period.
If your employer is not yet set up for payroll giving, you can speak with them to encourage them to set up a scheme. It’s really easy for them to do, and you can provide them with a link to our dedicated payroll giving page to provide all the information they need.
New payroll gifts set up between 1 May and 31 May, will be tripled for the first three payments as part of the Mega Match May campaign.
If an existing payroll gift to Mary’s Meals is increased between 1 May and 31 May, the additional amount will be eligible for tripling for the next three payments. To increase your payroll gift, speak to your employer.
What donations will not qualify for tripling?
- Regular gifts set up outside of the campaign period. These donations will, however, still make a big difference to our life-changing work.
- Existing regular gifts. An exception applies if the supporter decides to increase their donation, with the increased difference being tripled for three donations.
- Only regular giving donations will be tripled – not single donations, funds raised, digital gifts, gift cards etc.
- If you are unsure if your donations are eligible to be tripled, please contact us at info@marysmeals.org or on 0800 698 1212.
How will the money be spent?
Donations from our regular givers will help us to continue reaching more than 2.4 million children every school day with our nutritious meals and give us the ability to expand our work where we are most needed.
How do I become a regular giver?
- You can sign up on our website at marysmeals.org.uk/mega-match-may
- Call us on 0800 698 1212
- Or email us at info@marysmeals.org
How do I increase the amount of my existing regular gift?
To increase your Direct Debit or recurring card payment, contact us on 0800 698 1212 or info@marysmeals.org To increase your standing order, please contact your bank. To increase an existing payroll gift, please contact your employer.
How will I be kept up to date about the impact of my regular gift?
You will receive an exclusive monthly newsletter which will show the huge impact of your generosity.
To receive this, please ensure you’re signed up to receive our emails. You can do this by phoning us on 0800 698 1212 or visiting marysmeals.org.uk/subscribe.