Everything You Need To Know About The Movember Foundation
Movember is a massive, annual fundraising challenge that takes place every year in November.
The annual event sees men – or ‘mo bros’ – grow and groom moustaches throughout the month to raise funds and awareness for men’s health issues, including testicular cancer, prostate cancer and suicide prevention.
It’s so easy to take part, all you’ve got to do is start off the month freshly shaven and then attempt to grow a moustache while raising awareness and funds for good causes.
The history of Movember
The idea was born in a Melbourne pub in 2003, when mates Travis Garone and Luke Slattery decided to bring back the tash for a good cause. Movember is now a registered charity and a global annual event, with more than six million people taking part to date.
It started with 30 people taking part and now just over six million people have tried it out.
Having started in Australia, it is now a global annual event with countries like Hong Kong, Switzerland and the UK taking part.
Movember in the UK
In 2007, Movember officially launched in the UK.
Launching with the Prostate Cancer charity, the Movember event was slowly adopted in Britain and would soon become a regular fundraising movement.
The goals of the Movember Foundation
With a focus on men’s mental health, Movember helps causes related to prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s suicide.
Although people raise money for a wide range of charities and causes related to men’s health.
Supporting men’s health
The primary mission of the Movember Foundation is to support men’s health.
This can be a whole host of causes, from big leading charities like Prostate Cancer UK and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to causes more local to you.
Some of its key projects have included campaigns about black men and their heightened risk of prostate cancer, mental health support for veterans and funding community projects.
Fundraising and Awareness
Movember has done a huge amount in changing the way people approach men’s health.
It broadened conversations as people began to speak with more confidence about mental health and difficult issues.
Because of its notable campaign (growing a physical moustache) it has been a movement that has got people talking and joining in fundraising in a fun, engaging way.
By organising events and leading engaging campaigns, more people have got involved and, in turn, researched more into men’s health.
Impact and Achievements
Movember has funded more than 1,320 men’s health projects around the world, challenging the status quo, shaking up men’s health research and transforming the way health services reach and support men.
Key achievements
Movember operates in the following countries now: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA
Since 2003, 6,886,128 Mo Bros and Mo Sisters have taken part
In this time, it’s raised a huge amount for men’s health charities and responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Research and funding
The foundation allocates its funds for research and support in different areas.
In the last 20 years, it’s raised £8.74 million for men’s health. Every year it publishes financial information so you can see your donations at work.
$128m was raised for Movember 2023 globally.
In the United Kingdom, Movember’s project partners include Prostate Cancer UK. These partners, along with Movember managed men’s health projects, ensure that donations support a broad range of innovative, world-class initiatives.
Movember Foundation’s campaigns
Movember is a hugely popular fundraising drive as it’s an easy way to get involved in group fundraising.
There’s several ways you can take part – here’s some of them.
Grow a Mo
The simplest way to take part in the event is to ‘Grow a Mo’.
This is where the charity’s iconic campaign started and is the root of where all the fundraising began.
Simply start the month clean shaven and then attempt to grow a moustache throughout Movember – it doesn’t matter how long or short it is!
Move for Movember
The Move for Movember initiative involves exercising in order to raise awareness for mental health.
Move is how The Order of Mo remembers the 60 men lost to suicide globally, every hour. To take part, all you have to do is run or walk 60km.
It’s advised that people taking part can cover the distance in one go or over the month.
The project aims to raise money for men’s mental health charities, but participants can raise funds for other causes close to their hearts.
Make a donation
If growing facial hair isn’t appealing to you, you can always get involved simply by making a donation to someone’s fundraiser.
With so many people taking part, it’s an easy way for you to show your support and cheer on those who are giving it a go.
Start a fundraiser
Starting a Movember fundraiser and taking part couldn’t be easier.
It could be the challenge you’ve been waiting to do and maybe this is the year you start.
Doing it on GoFundMe is an easy way to get involved with the campaign. Because of its popularity, it’s something that’s well-known and therefore easy to engage donors with.
Host an event
The fun thing about taking part in Movember fundraising is that it can be a very social thing.
You can choose to host a Mo-Ment – a fundraising event.
You can get your friends, family, supporters and donors round for an event that raises awareness and funds for men’s health.
This can be anything. It could be a party in a venue, dinner with friends or an outdoor gathering. In keeping with the November season, you could organise it around Guy Fawkes night and get people involved during a big occasion.
It could be something that you charge people to gain entry to, or it could simply be an event that encourages whatever donations people can afford.