How We Are Selecting Our 2027 Charity Partner

AOG is using a structured selection process to identify the charity partner for Kilimanjaro 2027, assessed against seven criteria — impact, governance, local relevance, engagement and more — not chosen informally.

Why the selection matters

The charity partner will sit at the centre of the Kilimanjaro 2027 campaign.

The charity must be able to create meaningful impact from the funds raised, engage the people and businesses taking part, communicate responsibly and report back clearly on what the campaign has achieved.

For that reason, AOG is treating charity selection as a formal partnership decision rather than simply choosing a cause and attaching a logo to the challenge.

The question at the centre of the process

Every prospective partner is being asked a simple question:

If we raised £80,000 for you, what would it make possible?

We want the answer to be specific.

What we are assessing

1. Tangible impact

Can the charity explain clearly what an £80,000 contribution could deliver, fund or unlock?

2. Coventry and West Midlands relevance

AOG is headquartered in Coventry and the campaign should have a meaningful connection to the communities around us.

3. Alignment with AOG's social-value objectives

We are looking for a partnership capable of supporting a wider social-value programme, not only a fundraising total.

4. Client and participant engagement

Can the charity create meaningful ways for participants and businesses to understand the cause, volunteer, visit, learn and remain engaged?

5. Governance, reputation and safeguarding

Strong governance and responsible practice are non-negotiable.

6. Fundraising capability

The selected charity must be able to support a campaign of this scale with appropriate fundraising tools, donation handling, Gift Aid processes where applicable, participant pages and reporting.

7. Communications and legacy

Can the partnership tell the story responsibly before, during and after the challenge — and show what happened because the campaign took place?

Due diligence comes before publicity

Before a charity is selected, AOG is looking at legitimacy, governance, safeguarding, financial controls, donation integrity and the ability to work transparently with participants and businesses.

Public reputation matters too, but online reviews or individual comments are not treated as proof on their own. Where concerns exist, they need to be explored directly and fairly.

What the selected charity can expect from AOG

AOG will own and coordinate the overall Summit Challenge campaign, including participant recruitment, partner engagement, training content, communications and the wider campaign platform.

The selected charity will lead the charitable fundraising layer: donation processing, Gift Aid where applicable, fundraising pages, charitable reporting and impact evidence.

What happens next

Once a partner is selected, we will publish:

• why the charity was chosen;
• what the £80,000 target could make possible;
• how donations will be collected;
• how participants and businesses can engage with the cause;
• how impact will be reported after the campaign.