A research centre that aims to examine the social and psychological drivers of giving is to open at Plymouth University, with its first studies looking at the challenges of being a new philanthropist and donor behaviour.

The Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy (CSP), led by fundraising academic Professor Adrian Sargeant, will aim to grow philanthropy by turning academic research into practical solutions, as well as investigate and change people’s attitudes to giving. The CSP will be the only academic centre focused on the sustainable growth of philanthropy.

Professor Sargeant, director of the CSP, said: “The drivers of giving are relatively under-explored resulting in a paucity of high quality information being available to academics, policymakers, philanthropists and, of course, fundraisers.

“Our aim is to develop the evidence base for all these stakeholders, assembling the largest and highest quality alliance of academic researchers, governmental agencies and civil sector partners to improve our understanding of philanthropic growth and enhance its sustainable practice in the UK and around the world.”

The CSP will have three arms. Knowledge generation and research will be led by Professor Jen Shang; while Stephen Pidgeon, visiting professor of direct response fundraising, will lead knowledge dissemination. Action-based education will be led by Professor Sargeant.

The Centre, which will launch on February 3, will examine three initial signature projects which have been identified by Professor Sargeant.

It will look at a new global panel study of the challenges faced by wealthy individuals who choose to become philanthropists. It will look at this alongside human development, neural psychology and social psychology.

Additionally, the CSP will assess how and why a supporter’s relationship with a charity changes over time by looking at a panel study of donor behaviour.

Finally, the Centre will create the largest pool of field examinations on philanthropic psychology yet assembled. This will test new ideas on stimulating giving and assist fundraisers in refining what they test in their communications and how.

Professor Shang said: “It would be great if every new philanthropist knew the challenges they would face in developing their philanthropy and could draw on an academic analysis of the experience of their peers as they began their individual quest for impact.

“The new Centre will collate that learning and develop new tools, frameworks and models that philanthropists can use to structure their thinking and optimise their approach.”