The head of England’s charity watchdog has berated the super-rich for failing to give enough money to good causes, saying the voluntary sector faces an “existential crisis” amid the social and economic turmoil facing the UK.
The chair of the Charity Commission, Orlando Fraser, said the UK’s top 1% of earners were giving less to charity than they were a decade ago, despite enjoying significant increases in their personal wealth over the same period.
He said: “On the whole, we have a vibrant culture of service and generosity. The sad fact, however, is that some of those in our country with the deepest pockets are not covering themselves with glory in philanthropic terms – and this matters.”
Fraser cited figures indicating that while the incomes of the top 1% grew by 10% in real terms between 2011 and 2019, the typical donation to charity made by the very highest earners over that period had fallen by a fifth to just £48 a month.
Although the top 1% as a whole gave between £2bn and £3bn a year to charitable causes, it is estimated this was down to the generosity of only 20% of that group. “So 80% of the
— source theguardian.com | Patrick Butler | 30 Nov 2022