Matthew Pohlson has developed and refined a staggeringly effective and demonstrably sustainable new model of charity fundraising. His transformative contribution comes at a time when the sector is under immense pressure to hit ever-higher targets and attract new donors.
He is the founder and CEO of Omaze, a groundbreaking prize draw that offers stunning multi-million-pound properties as prizes.
Omaze’s Million Pound House includes unique ethical features: first, an entrant will always win the property being put up as a prize. Even if Matthew only sold one ticket for a property prize draw, the holder would win the house. Second, the charity partner for each prize draw receives a guaranteed donation of at least £1m, regardless of how many tickets are sold. Third, people entering the draw are protected from over-spending, with limits on the number of tickets an individual can buy.
Each monthly prize draw raises a minimum of £3m for the charity partner; in many months it has made more. December 2024 topped the charts, with Age Concern receiving £5.25m from its partnership with Omaze for that month’s draw. Omaze has already raised £3.5m towards a new cancer unit at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, while the £4m it generated for London’s Air Ambulance Charity is the largest single donation in the charity’s 36-year history.
Matthew’s influence is definitely o-mazing!