There are many different pathways to giving, and there is no single image of what a philanthropist looks like.
Strategy and decision making are a crucial part of giving. In Philanthropy Stories, we speak to philanthropists of all types about the highs and lows they faced on their journeys.
If you’d like to contribute a story, please get in touch.
Alastair Stewart is one of the nation’s most recognisable prime time faces. From wars to elections, millions have watched him break news headlines across the decades. Lesser known, though, is Alastair’s engagement in charity. We sat down with the journalist to learn about his philanthropy.
Ewan Kirk is a technology entrepreneur and co-founder of the Turner Kirk Trust. His philanthropic pursuits focus on unlocking the potential of charities through catalysing innovation. Ewan believes that making a charity more effective and efficient will amplify the impact of all its future donations. He discusses his approach to giving.
Sylvia Brown comes from a family with a 300 year history of philanthropy. But recently, she has seen relatives engage in unstrategic ‘cocktail party’ giving. Noticing that there was no educational resource to help individual donors give more strategically, she decided to create one herself. We find out more.
In 2020, Tom Flood set up The Paul Cornes Fund, to honour the memory of his late partner. Its aim? To use Paul’s money to support those in need in Dorset. In this interview, we speak to Tom about what inspired the Fund’s establishment, and how setting it up has helped him stay connected to the community and to Paul.
“Giving money is great, but it is not the only way to help.” In this interview, we speak to London Metal Exchange chair Gay Huey Evans to learn about how effective philanthropy sometimes involves drawing on your skills as well as your financial resources to help a charity thrive.
You’re committed to supporting your local community, but also want to stimulate change internationally. Can you do both? Samuel Lawson Johnston talks to us about this dilemma and how he found a solution by splitting his focus.
Sophie and Nick Marple established Gower Street in 2007 to give more structure to their charitable funding. Beginning with a focus on girls’ education, the trust has now also moved into climate funding. We speak to Sophie to learn about the motivations and ambitions for her giving.
Max Morgan developed a love of Menorca after spending a lot of his childhood on the island. Once established in a career, Max developed the resources to be able to give back to the island in a more substantial way. We find out about Max’s experience becoming a founding member of Menorca Preservation Fund, his first substantial philanthropic endeavour.
Satish Selvanathan has always been fascinated by Sri Lanka and passionate about conserving its beautiful natural environment. Two years ago, he decided to co-found Lanka Environment Fund as a way of supporting green projects in the country. Satish tells us how he is applying his two decades of experience in the private sector to his work with the new fund.
The Beacon Collaborative