We thought... what if anyone could win life-changing prizes online by raising money for the charities they love?
People in the UK give around £10 billion to charity every year. We’re a bloody generous bunch! But you know what we noticed? That highly respectable figure stays the same year-on-year. Despite the social media revolution, only one in ten people currently donate online.
Our innovative approach to fundraising encourages people to support charities by offering them the chance to win life-changing prizes online. Since officially launching in 2012, this new approach has raised over £100 million for more than 350 charities worldwide.
Omaze started when our Co-Founders, Matt [pictured] and Ryan, were coming home from an exclusive charity fundraising auction. The top bid of $15,000 won court side tickets to watch a basketball game with their idol, Magic Johnson.
Two things occurred to them: why should these amazing experiences only go to the highest bidder? And how could such an epic prize only raise $15,000 for charity? Imagine if we made these opportunities available online and gave everyone the chance to win. It would mean many more people could participate, and a lot more money would be raised for charity. That's what we call a win-win.
Omaze launched in the US in 2012. Since then, we've partnered with Hollywood stars to raise millions for charity. Omaze winners have lunched with George and Amal Clooney at their Lake Como home, watched the Game of Thrones series finale with Emilia Clarke and enjoyed Valentine's dinner with Idris Elba. One winner even collected the keys to a white Lamborghini Huracan signed and blessed by Pope Francis.
In 2020, we launched in the UK, offering you the chance to win a Million Pound House in Cheshire and over 2,000 additional prizes. For the first Omaze Million Pound House Draw, we teamed up with Teenage Cancer Trust to raise £250,000 to support frontline nursing and youth support teams in this time of crisis. Since then, we've continued to offer incredible prizes to raise significant funds for UK charities.
