News on philanthropy and philanthropists from Beacon, our partners and the wider sector.
High-Net-Worth Philanthropy: Trends in giving during 2020 What can we learn from trends in giving among the wealthy last year? Last June, Beacon launched a quarterly survey of 300-500 high-net-worth individuals, to understand patterns of giving by the wealthy on a continuous basis. It asks just two questions – how much they gave to […]
UK Donor Advised Fund Assets Reach £1.7 billion 2019, the year before Covid-19, may seem like a distant memory. Yet, even before the crisis, UK philanthropy was on the march. In the closing hours of 2020, National Philanthropic Trust UK (NPT UK) published its fifth annual UK Donor Advised Fund Report, showing charitable assets […]
Philanthropy Sector celebrated in New Year’s Honours List Beacon looks at the ways in which individuals in the Philanthropy Sector have received commendation from the Queen for their services. This article demonstrates the vital role that philanthropy is playing in the civil society response to COVID. Ringing in the start of 2021, the Queen’s […]
2020 In Review: What can we learn from the philanthropy sector’s COVID response? “2020 has been the most important year for philanthropy in recent times.” – Matthew Bowcock Throughout 2020, hundreds of millions of pounds in grants have been distributed to non-profit organisations throughout the UK. The purpose, to support those that found themselves […]
Working with Big Society Capital, Schroders has launched a listed Schroder BSC Social Impact Trust to bring impact investment to ordinary investors. The fund uses a diversified Social Impact Investment strategy to deliver a positive social outcome with a financial return. Its principal investments will be in high impact housing, debt for social enterprises and public/private social outcomes contracts.
The Environmental Funders Network have released an illustrated booklet of case studies to showcase pathways into environmental funding. The 27 stories of network members, including individuals and trust and foundations, demonstrate the transformative potential of philanthropy. This work not only showcases pathways to new and increasing philanthropy for those that wish to support environmental causes but also offers valuable insights into all philanthropic efforts and best practice in giving.
The Law Family Commission on Civil Society aims to research the ways in which civil society can
“harness and enhance the powerful community bonds that exist in our nation”.
The commission will investigate how the the public, private and social sectors can work together for systemic, positive societal goals. It will be run by Pro Bono Economics and has been made possible with a philanthropic donation from the Law Family Charitable Foundation.
The COVID crisis should provide evidence of why philanthropy matters and why we need to take it more seriously than ever before in a society open to generosity. One cause for optimism during these bleakest of times has been a voluntary spirit and desire to help others, which emerged right from the start of the lockdown. Admonished to stay at home and protect the NHS, many instead found ways to help other human beings rather than stay still, immobilised by public mandate.
Prism has commissioned a survey to explore social attitudes in the UK to philanthropic giving in the UK: The Philanthropy Paradox: Public Attitudes and Future Prospects for Planned Giving.
In January 2019, Beacon brought together 100 philanthropists, policymakers, advisors and others to discuss how they could work together to best advance giving and social investment in the UK.
The Beacon Collaborative