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The head of England’s charity watchdog has slammed the super-rich for failing to give enough money to good causes, saying the voluntary sector faces an “existential crisis” amid social and economic turmoil in the UK.
The chairman of the Charity Commission, Orlando Fraser, said the UK’s top 1% of earners are giving less to charity, despite enjoying a significant increase in their personal wealth compared to a decade ago.
He said: “Overall, we have a vibrant culture of service and generosity. However, the sad fact is that some of the people with the biggest pockets in our country are not covering themselves with dignity in terms of philanthropy – and this is important.”
Fraser cited figures showing that while the incomes of the top 1% rose by 10% in real terms between 2011 and 2019, the typical donation to charity made by the very highest earners fell by a fifth to just £48 a month over that period. was .
Although the top 1% as a whole gave between £2bn and £3bn per year to charitable causes, it is estimated that this was a drop in the generosity of just 20% of that group. “So 80% of the top 1% are not contributing meaningfully to that statistic,” Fraser said.
He contrasted the relative generosity of ordinary UK citizens and the philanthropic efforts of the wealthy in the US, Canada and New Zealand when it came to charitable giving.
The top 1% in the US donated billions more each year than their British counterparts. “This is disappointing enough, but it’s a shame when you consider how vibrant giving and volunteering are among their fellow UK citizens who are less fortunate.”
Last year, people in the UK gave around £10.7bn to charitable causes, with millions giving their time each week to volunteer and act as trustees, he said.
Fraser said many charities and their beneficiaries “face an existential crisis” in the coming months as a result of the economic downturn and life crisis costs. Demand and costs increased while donations fell to many charities, putting financial pressure on them and threatening their survival.
“It is too early to filter the impact of the current crisis into full sector-wide figures, such as large numbers of charities closing and coming off the register. [closing down]. But anecdotal evidence of its impact is all around us,” he said.
He said philanthropy had played a leading role in mitigating the financial losses to the sector in recent months. “Yet, sadly, despite this desperate need for more philanthropy, credible evidence strongly suggests that not all of the top 1% are rising to the challenge.”
Fraser, who was speaking at the Beacon Philanthropy Forum, paid tribute to the efforts of philanthropists such as Hans and Julia Rausing, who launched a £10m food poverty charity program and the Sainsbury’s Foundation this month.
“I understand that the feeling some people have when they see wealthy people engaging in ostensible philanthropy — it can make us uncomfortable, because it reminds us of the deep inequality of wealth and power that surrounds us,” Fraser said. .
“But, in my mind, we need to overcome that attitude, and recognize that charities, and those who are vulnerable in our society, are directly harmed if we inadvertently discourage such giving.”
He criticized what he called a “helpless tendency” to discredit philanthropists. “We have seen scrutiny that assumes that giving must be motivated, through an attempt to ‘whitewash’ a bad reputation, or to obfuscate obscure deeds or enhance one’s power. This seems misguided.”
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