Don't be scared of us philanthropists, Sir Tom tells fundraisers

Fundraising | Gemma Ware | 1 Nov 2007

New philanthropists are competitive, impatient and stubborn but charities should not be scared of them, according to the Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter. Speaking at the Raising Funds from the Rich Conference on 9 October, Sir Tom said the UK was “entering a new dawn of philanthropy”.

“The philanthropist seeks to get in and out as effectively as possible in order to deliver the solutions and move on to the next challenge. We’re typically impatient and perhaps overbearingly stubborn, but if you work with the philanthropic community, it’s 100 per cent win, win, win,” he said.

However, Sir Tom said there was “no need to be scared of these new venture philanthropists”, who he said were seeking solutions for problems they could see results for.

Sir Tom offered a few tips to fundraisers seeking to gain the attention of rich funders, advising them to present their ideas in a business plan tailored to the individual; to play on the competitive streak of philanthropists spurred on by lists such as the Sunday Times’s Giving Index by offering “compelling” solutions to major issues; and to also allow philanthropists the chance to engage with the projects they support.

Both government and the sector need to ask searching questions about how to deliver long-term solutions to the problems of poverty, he said. “It is time for a new era of partnership where government, third sector and perhaps philanthropists, come together to deliver solutions, not sticking plasters.”

Who's Who: Gemma Ware

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