Philanthropy research

The combination of immediate cash grants and longer term fundraising through endowments can prove a winning formula in providing support to small, voluntary organisations , says a new report from The Community Development Foundation (CDF).

The number of donors giving a million pounds or more fell by 15% from 201 to 174 and the amount given dropped from £1.5bn in 2008/9 to £1.3bn in 2009/10, according to the annual Coutts Million Pound Donor Report.

Giving by the 100 largest UK family foundations may be down by 8.7% from £1.41bn in 2008/09 to 1.29bn in 2009/10, but it remains ‘robust’ compared to other forms of philanthropy, according to an annual survey.

Some of the UK’s biggest charities are managing to grow their voluntary income despite the economic climate, the latest figures from Charity Finance’s Charity 100 Index show.

As The Tubney Charitable Trust prepares to close its doors in March 2012, it has published an honest, 'warts-and-all' account of the lessons it has learned over the last 15 years on a mission to encourage biodiversity, improve the welfare of farmed animals as well as support palliative care and education. Giving our all: reflections of a spend out charity details the journey, decisions, successes and failures made while spending £65m at the bequest of founders Miles and Briony Blackwell.