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Centre of Charitable Giving and Philanthropy

The UK's first independent, multidisciplinary and academically-based Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy has been created by the Office of the Third Sector in partnership with Carnegie UK Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Scottish Executive.

The aim of the centre is to support high-quality research to develop the necessary evidence base to improve understanding of charitable giving and philanthropy. It will address vital questions such as:

• What impact do economic conditions have on donations to charity?
• What motivates people, including the super-rich, to give to charity?
• How can good causes use these donations most effectively?

Professors Jenny Harrow and Cathy Pharoah from City University are the co-directors of the new Centre, which will act as a coordinating 'hub'.

The Centre will have three 'spokes', which will lead on particular programmes of research:

1. Professor Charles Harvey at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde University will lead a programme on individual and business giving.
   
2. Professor John Mohan from Southampton University and Dr Iain Wilkinson from Kent University will lead a programme on charitable giving and social distribution.
   
3. Cass Business School and Edinburgh University will be the bases for research on institutionalised giving structures, which will be led by Professor Jenny Harrow and Professor Stephen Osbourne.

The Centre will support research to improve understanding of how and why people give to charity. This will provide an evidence base to help third sector organisations, the Government and businesses to encourage charitable giving.

Futher information can be found on the centre's website below:

• Centre of Charitable Giving and Philanthropy [external website]