Family foundation philanthropy in an international context

This paper aims to provide a comparative international assessment of the private philanthropy of major donors and their families in the new global era by focusing on giving through family foundations. It also provides some international perspectives on the emergence and role of charitable family foundations as a form of philanthropy

Family Foundation Philanthropy: report on the giving of the largest charitable family foundations in the US, the UK and the rest of Europe

There are huge debates about whether we are witnessing a new era of great philanthropy, but sadly, few facts. It is this gap which Cathy Pharoah's research reported here aims to address. People give in many different ways, and the data available to us is limited. This research has focused on an area which is in principle measurable. In attempting to establish for the first time a comparative benchmark of family foundation philanthropy in the UK, the rest of Europe and the US, we hope the report will inform debate and stimulate policy and practice

Trends in charitable giving

The charitable giving of UK households has changed considerably over the past 20 years. In particular, the proportion of households giving to charity fell by 5 percentage points between 1974 and 1993-94. An increase in the average size of donations meant that total voluntary income increased in real terms over the period, but, since 1988, voluntary income has stagnated. The greatest falls in the number of givers are among households in their twenties and thirties. There are clear trends in giving across households by age and income, with younger and poorer households tending to give less. But not only are today’s younger households less likely to give than today’s middle-aged households; they are also less likely to give than today’s middle-aged households did when they were young. These generational trends in giving do not bode well for levels of voluntary income in the future.

Dimensions 2002: Annual Update of CAF's Top 500 Fundraising Charities

This report on the largest 500 fundraising charities is published by the Charities Aid Foundation and describes economic trends in trusts and foundations for the year 1999-2000. The turn of the century marked record high giving levels for many types of philanthropy and the report contains brief analysis and comparison but is dedicated mostly to a comprehensive table listing the top 500 foundations in rank order with figures on various types of income

Family Foundations Giving Trends 2014 Report

This is the sixth annual edition of Family Foundation Giving Trends. It provides an uptade on annual charitable spending by the top 100 family foundations - a key indicator of the contribution of UK philanthropists, past and present. The report has been revised as part of a new series of foundation briefings published by ACF and CGAP with support from Pears Foundation. Foundations may be funded through families, individuals, family businesses, companies, government, or fundraising, and this report specifically focuses on family foundations

Family Foundation Giving Trends 2012

Family Foundation Giving Trends 2012 is the fifth in a series of reports that annually updates the giving of the largest 100 family foundations in the UK, tracking trends and comparing them with their US counterparts. Giving through family foundations represents around 8% of all private giving in the UK.This year's report is a special edition aimed at providing a more rounded picture of family foundation philanthropy. The regular updating of the annual league tables of giving is complemented by new research on the causes supported, the influences on decision-making in an uncertain environment, and family foundations' outlook for the future.The research was carried out through extracting financial data from annual reports and websites on annual spending and the distribution of grants by cause, and an online survey of decision-making amongst the largest family foundations (40 responses, 45% response rate).For this research, UK and US family foundations are defined as independent registered charitable trusts funded originally by family wealth, whether or not the founding family is still represented on the governing board.Key financial results 2010/11The total giving of the largest 100 UK family foundations was £1.33 billion in 2010/11.The results presented a mixed picture of growth: while there was an overall real fall of 1.8% in giving, there was a substantial 6.2% real rise if the results of the giant Wellcome Trust are excluded from the group.The rise in giving bucked the trend for the value of family foundations' assets: these were worth £29.7 billion in 2010/11, representing a real annual fall of 3.5%.Although there were some signs of growth this year, the giving of the largest family foundations has not yet returned to pre-recession levels.Asset value in 2010/11 was still a real 14% lower than in 2006/07

Family Foundation Giving Trends 2011

"Family Foundation Giving Trends 2011" is the fourth in a series of reports updating and tracking annual trends in the giving of the largest 100 UK family foundations, and comparing them with the US. With the pressures of the current economic environment generating ever-growing interest in how to increase the contribution of philanthropy to society, this year's edition focuses particularly on illustrating the hugely diverse and individual ways in which today's philanthropists become involved in giving. This year's report features eight case studies that explore the routes through which individuals and their families become philanthropists, creating foundations to address social issues in the UK and abroad. The aim behind presenting these examples is to encourage others to think about the individual steps they could take towards greater involvement in philanthropy

Family Foundation Giving Trends 2010

"Family Foundation Giving Trends 2010" is the third in a series of annual reports tracking trends in the giving of the largest 100 UK family foundations, comparing them with the US. Amidst increasing interest in the role of philanthropy in building a better society as public expenditure reduces, this report highlights major family giving through foundations. Many new family foundations have been established over the last couple of decades, largely funded by the successful entrepreneurs of an era of expanding global markets and capital flows. This report looks at the scope of family foundations' activities, and the role that they play in addressing social issues in the UK and abroad today

The Landscape of Social Investment: A Holistic Topology of Opportunities and Challenges

This report provides a holistic account of the state of play in the emerging field of social investment, defined as the flow of resources – either market or non-market generated – that fulfils the funding needs of organisations that primarily create social or environmental value. It also looks forward to some of the future opportunities in this space. The main conclusion is that the development of social investment is currently at a crossroads: there is enormous potential for growth, but there are also formidable institutional barriers to be overcome. This research assesses both current research and practice across institutions in supply, intermediation and demand in order to analyse current developments and build proposals for taking advantage of future opportunities. It sets out key definitions and builds a series of analytic frameworks and applies them to the landscape of social investment. Although highly innovative, social investment institutions are still marked by traditional boundaries which actors from the private, public and third sectors find it difficult to cross. Issues of risk are seen as the main barriers, but it is suggested that discussion of risk masks deeper uncertainties about the role and value of social return. Such uncertainties are reflected in ambiguities about the extent to which social investment is non-profit or for-profit in nature, in divergent views about the role of intermediaries, and in assessments of the value of the further development of social equity finance as a way of increasing the social investment market as a whole. This paper considers macro-structural questions that require a reassessment of some of the assumptions built into current frameworks for analysing the state of social investment, which are still heavily influenced by conventional capital market models. In addition, it outlines a number of opportunities for addressing micro-market issues that could support the further growth of social investment, particularly for social enterprises

Giving Back to Communities of Residence and of Origin : An Analysis of Remittances and Charitable Donations in the UK

It reports the results of research on the different ways in which migrant and minority groups in the UK give, which are largely unacknowledged or underestimated in traditional giving surveys. Focussing mainly on money sent overseas and charitable donations in the UK, the findings provide a new and more comprehensive picture of giving by the UK's migrant and minoritygroups. They show both their generosity and sense of community responsibility. In a period of economic stress in the UK, with renewed awareness of the need to give back to the community and government support for policy and practice to promote it, the findings are timely. They show that patterns and models of giving amongst the UK's migrant and minority population should be better valued, celebrated, shared and supported