Charity Futures ends association with Oxford Centre for the Study of Philanthropy

23 Jan 2019 News

Charity Futures, the think tank established by former Acevo chief executive Sir Stephen Bubb, has parted ways with the Oxford Centre for the Study of Philanthropy.

Bubb, who co-founded Charity Futures in 2015 with Jonathan Smith, the head of corporate social responsibility at Woodford Investment Management, had previously announced that his organisation would be working to create a new research institute focused on philanthropy at the University of Oxford. 

Speaking in November 2017, a month after he and Smith had joined OCSP as directors and trustees, Bubb said that a building had already been identified to host the institute, as well as an academic to lead its research.

However, the most recent OCSP annual report announced that both men had resigned their positions.

Writing in the introduction to the report, Professor Michael Earl, the OCSP chairman, said: “At 30 June 2017 we were engaged with serious discussions with a potential benefactor, and with Charity Futures, a policy-oriented organisation working on charity governance, with an intention to merge and be placed at a particular Oxford College. A completion date of March 2018 for finalising these arrangements was envisioned originally.

“To help in planning and preparing for these new arrangements, Sir Stephen Bubb and Mr Jonathan Smith became directors and trustees on 23 October 2017. 

“I regret to record that on 12 April 2018 Sir Stephen and Mr Smith resigned, withdrawing their support for the intended merger preferring to concentrate on charity governance and management, but hopefully still located at the aforementioned Oxford College.”

In May 2018 Charity Futures began a consultation to discover the sector's research priorities in partnership with consultancy Giving Evidence. 

Neither Charity Futures nor OCSP responded to requests for comment.

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