Charitable Giving and Philanthropy

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest funding agency for research, data resources and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It supports independent, high quality research which impacts on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s planned total expenditure in 2008/09 is £203 million.  At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and research policy institutes.

As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.

The devolved Government for Scotland is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport.  It manages an annual budget of more than £30 billion in 2007-2008. The Government was known as the Scottish Executive when it was established in 1999 following the first elections to the Scottish Parliament. The current administration was formed after elections in May 2007. The Scottish Government is led by a First Minister who is nominated by the Parliament and in turn appoints the other Scottish Ministers who make up the Cabinet. Civil servants in Scotland are accountable to Scottish Ministers, who are themselves accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

Carnegie UK Trust is one of over twenty foundations worldwide set up by Scots American Andrew Carnegie, working to support a more just, democratic, peaceful and sustainable world. The Trust supports independent commissions of inquiry into areas of public concern, together with action and research programmes. Currently the Trust has two key programmes: a Democracy and Civil Society Programme and a Rural Programme. The Trust also supports efforts to strengthen philanthropy.

The Pears Foundation is funding a strand of research on Family Foundation Philanthropy as part of its philanthropy programme. This research aims to increase transparency and accessibility of data on family foundation philanthropy. The first report was published in January 2008. The 2010 family foundation philanthropy report will be published in October 2010. For more information on the 2010 report click here.

Previous research reports can be accessed here:

1. Family Foundation Philanthropy 2009 Report. More.
2. Family Foundation Philanthropy 2008 Report. More.
3. Charity Times Article. More.