The Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) has called for all political parties to support efforts to grow philanthropy in the UK.
In the first part of its Philanthropy 2035 research project, CIOF spoke to more than 30 representatives from different charities about the challenges they are facing in reaching and retaining major donors.
The most common suggestion from CIOF’s interviews was that charities aiming to grow their programmes should shift from “transactional giving” towards “relationship-based fundraising”.
Several interviewees also said that negative stories about philanthropy in the media were holding many wealthy people back from becoming philanthropists.
Released to coincide with Giving Tuesday, CIOF concluded that it is therefore “essential that we consider how to curate and promote positive stories about philanthropy in the media”.
It pledged to support more positive stories about how philanthropy improves society and called on all political parties to help boost giving in the UK.
CIOF plans to launch a Philanthropy 2035 hub to collate all the outputs from its research as well as philanthropy policy tracker that explains how long-term projects are progressing.
Minister backs philanthropy drive
Claire Stanley, CIOF’s director of policy and communications, said: “The philanthropic market is complex, comprised of multiple stakeholders from charities, professional advisers, government departments and, of course, philanthropists themselves.
“That’s why we’ll be engaging closely with our Championing Fundraising Advisory Panel and Major Donor SIG to ensure we provide the right resources to the right people.
“And, crucially, cross-party support to support our mission to grow philanthropy is key.
“There are so many external factors including the macroeconomic environment, major geopolitical events and evolving societal needs that we need not just government to back philanthropy in the UK, but the wider political network to also throw their support behind it and celebrate generosity nationwide.”
Stephanie Peacock, minister for Civil Society, said: “Giving Tuesday is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the powerful role of charitable giving and philanthropy to society, enabling charities to deliver essential services and support communities across the country.
“I welcome the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s commitment to growing generosity nationwide.
“This government recognises the important role major donors play in strengthening our charitable sector, and we will continue to work with organisations like the CIOF to create an environment where philanthropy can flourish and make a lasting difference to people’s lives.”
Recent research found that Giving Tuesday was one of the highest days of festive giving last year and it has been predicted to replicate that trend in 2025.
