With thanks to Dr. Suzi Attree, Head of Development and Fundraising at the Old Fire Station, for this article.

Impact and influence of philanthropy

Philanthropy is a big word – one that can make people turn away. One that is easier for some to do than others. One that can make people uncomfortable, because it is at the heart of our deepest concerns this decade: money, power, and who gets to define and shape the world we live in. Philanthropy is a village hall fundraiser over cups of tea and sandwiches – but it’s also about everything we value, and who gets to decide what the world will look like: who and what gets help, and who doesn’t. Who matters, and who doesn’t. It isn’t perfect. But you don’t need any special qualifications to change it – to make it work. That’s a power.

What is philanthropy?

Technically defined, philanthropy is ‘the desire to promote the welfare of others, normally through the generous donation of money to good causes’. Seems simple enough…

Who benefits from philanthropy

… Except, who benefits from the goodwill of all the people who donate what amounted to £12.7 billion in the UK in 2022?[i] The wonderful thing about this incredible effort is all the people if represents: the billions with enough passion to give away their own income, of whatever amount, because they care about something enough, want something enough, are angry enough.

Which is not to say that philanthropy is faultless. Some have more financial resource and time than others. You could argue that people with the ability to make really groundbreaking, world-changing donations to particular causes have a very significant responsibility in their choice, because that donation could change the work, research, or even mission of the receiving organisation. It could mean finding a cure to one illness, but not another; safeguarding one species over another.

Sometimes, the charities that are already well-known also have the largest voice. Small, local charities with an income around £1 million a year make up 96% of the voluntary sector in the UK, but only receive 17% of its income. [ii]

As fundraisers, it’s our job to work with the people doing the work on the ground to understand where there’s a real need, and take that to people who can help. But because philanthropic power lies with all of us, no one body is actively planning and balancing these changes. It’s an open field. Progress is defined by you, but only if you’re in the field.

Why be philanthropic?

Whether you consider yourself a people person or not, none of us exist in a vacuum. Our health, routine, upbringing - all depend on others. The world works because we support and act for each other. And it’s more obvious than ever that the world beyond humans doesn’t work if we abuse it either.

People give to a mind-boggling range of causes: children, adults, art, war efforts, medical research, disaster funds, animals in need, a village hall, or a vision of a world full of thriving nature – ultimately, the decision about who to support is entirely dependent on an emotion. That goodness, anger, refusal to give in - is heartwarming. Philanthropy is no less than the best of us.

Philanthropy can highlight things you didn’t know – stories you haven’t heard, support you didn’t know was missing for people who need it. But it isn’t all one way. When people give, they also get. As a fundraiser, people tell me they hate the idea of asking someone for money. But at its best, any fundraiser knows that the best fundraising partnerships happen when both sides come together to make something happen that makes the world better, safer, or brighter. It’s the most grassroots, active, rebellious action you can take when the world seems unjust.

That’s a real power – to make progress happen where it’s needed most. To make real change happen.

Philanthropy also has a ripple effect – you support one thing, person, or group, and you can’t measure the wider impact from that one act as it affects the person you helped, their family, their local nature reserve, the child years from now whose life takes a turn because of that one community centre, helping hand, meal. You give, and let the world do its thing. You trust, hope, act, and become part of something.

Donors also matter because they keep going – even through the hardest times. Some of the most generous people I’ve known were the ones that apologised for sending a small donation to a cause that was a large amount to them, because they couldn’t ignore it. People keep trying to help, when they can. Donors give without the expectation of anything in return – an antidote to a capitalist society. Donors can be forever, leaving legacies even after death.

Be rebellious. The world needs it now

Nothing in the world is faultless. Be angry. Be cynical. But if we work together, we can stand up to the things that are wrong. Be open to ideas. Read. Sign up to charity websites. Find out about charities you haven’t heard of. Think about what you most want to exist in the world. Pay attention to what makes you feel joy or despair. Find out how it feels to do something to make it better. Talk to charities about what you like or don’t like about them. Recognise that anything you can do helps – if you can’t give, share. Don’t worry about that big word, philanthropy. Change it.

[i] https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2023-publications/uk-giving-report#:~:text=UK%20Giving%20Report&text=March%20and%20April%20saw%20spikes,%C2%A32%20billion%20on%202021

[ii] https://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/our-impact/news/small-charities-data-for-small-charities-week-2023