Where can I find more information on charities? How can I advise my client on what charities to support?
Publicly available information on charities generally has been wanting. However, this is changing with improved quantity and quality of information flows in the sector. These include online databases as well as research into different areas of charitable activity and tailored advisory services for donors from specialist philanthropy services.
The resources below include background information on the charitable sector, financial and other information on individual charities, guidance on how to evaluate a charity for investment, specialist philanthropy services, and international resources.
See below to learn more about:
Through a project funded by the Gates Foundation, women in the village of Golo Sodoma, Ethiopia receive free bed nets in a UNICEF distribution campaign that is the largest in African history. Photo courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation / Liz Gilbert.
Case study: helping clients identify causes to support
In Hong Kong, the Tin Shui Wai (TSW) district has a reputation for domestic violence, tragic family disputes and squalid living conditions. A client of HSBC was moved by numerous news reports and expressed her desire to help this community in need.
Searchable databases of charities
- Charity Commission for England and Wales: Online searchable Charity Register includes key facts and figures about the work and finances of each charity registered in England & Wales
- Charity Commission for Northern Ireland: CCNI is the charities regulator for Northern Ireland, set up by the Department for Social Development.
- GlobalGiving UK: Donors can give to social, economic development and environmental projects around the world via its public website, or use the company's bespoke giving services. All donors receive progress reports on their funded projects.
- GuideStar UK: Public website providing access to accounts, annual reviews, and other information for the 168,000 charities registered in England & Wales.
- Intelligent Giving: Website offers charity profiles and ratings of the larger fundraising charities, as well as a charity blog. Managed by New Philanthropy Capital.
- Localgiving.com: New website connecting donors to local causes. Developed in association with the Community Foundation Network, to be launched in autumn 2009.
- Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator: OSCR is the independent registrar and regulator for 21,000 Scottish Charities. It is a non Ministerial Department and forms part of the Scottish Administration.
- The Big Give: New website that allows givers to donate from £5,000 to £10m to charitable projects. Donors can search for projects by the amount of funding needed, sector, location and type of beneficiary.
Specialist philanthropy advisors (UK-based)
- Arts & Business: A&B provides cultural philanthropy advice and other support services to donors and wealth advisors. It also provides a networking forum for businesses, individuals and arts organisations.
- Association of Charitable Foundations: ACF is the membership association for grant-making foundations. It publishes information and provides a forum for members to learn from each other. Its members include individuals who give through a charitable trust.
- Asian Foundation for Philanthropy: Using its network and research expertise, AFP provides avenues for British Asians and their advisors to give money, time and expertise to grass roots causes in India.
- Charities Aid Foundation: CAF offers various giving mechanisms, such as the CAF Charitable Trust and the CAF Account, as well as provides advisory services.
- ClearlySo: Website connecting social investors with social businesses in which to invest.
- Community foundations: Community foundations are charities that promote and support local voluntary and community activity, including the bespoke management of donors' funds. There are over 60 community foundations across the UK.
- Carrington, David: Independent consultant working with individual philanthropists and organisations wishing to encourage new philanthropic initiatives, as well as charities, companies, wealth managers and government.
- Geneva Global: Provides independent research, advice, and grant management for clients who take a results oriented approach.
- Institute for Philanthropy: The Institute works to increase effective giving by providing donor education, building donor networks and serving as a forum for new thinking in philanthropy.
- Investing for Good: Consultancy providing specialized advice on social investment, including identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, to wealth managers and financial intermediaries.
- New Philanthropy Capital: A charity that advises donors on how to give more effectively, through a combination of independent research and tailored advice.
- Pilotlight: Working in London, Scotland and Wales, Pilotlight helps small charities grow and fulfil their potential by recruiting members from business and industry who want to donate their skills.
- Smart Fund: National venture philanthropy organisation, run by the Cranfield Trust, supporting charities by providing free management consultancy support from professional volunteers.
- Stewardship: Stewardship is a Christian financial support services charity. It aims to facilitate effective giving – serving over 25,000 donors, and distributing more than £40m every year.
- The More You Give: A bespoke match-making service, working with wealthy individuals, and national and global companies to develop their giving strategies and link them with causes that inspire them and which they can inspire.
- The Philanthropy Advisory Service: Consultancy advising individuals and families wishing to establish or develop a strategic approach to their charitable giving, based on their own values and preferred focus.
- UKSIF: UK membership network for socially responsible investment (SRI). UKSIF's primary purpose is to promote and encourage the development and positive impact of SRI among UK-based investors.
International advisors
- Active Philanthropy (Germany): Advisory services helping donors to develop and implement their personal giving strategy.
- GreaterGood South Africa (South Africa): Through its networking websites and specialist social investment services, GGSA helps people to connect with and support registered non-profit organisations “in whatever way they can”.
- King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium): Its Centre for Philanthropy offers advice to individual and corporate donors and to intermediaries (private bankers, lawyers, accountants etc.) on the most efficient way to use a donor's assets for a social purpose.
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (USA): An independent, non-profit service providing research and counsel on charitable giving and developing philanthropy programmes. It also operates a charitable gift fund through which clients can make gifts inside and outside the United States, participate in funding consortia, and operate non-profit initiatives.
- The Philanthropic Initiative (USA): A non-profit philanthropic consulting firm that provides strategic planning and programmatic services to individual donors, families, foundations and corporations.
- wise (Switzerland): Consultancy providing tailored philanthropy advisory services at every stage of the process: developing a framework for giving, identifying organisations, planning a project, and monitoring performance.
