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Tag Archives: Philanthropy
MoneyBox Live: good questions to ask
I’m on BBC Radio 4’s MoneyBox Live today (Weds 13th June, 3pm), answering questions from the public about charitable giving. Do call! (Here’s how.) I’ve suggested some questions you might like to ask – about which charities to back and … Continue reading
Posted in Analysing giving
Tagged bbc, Charity, Giving, money box, Philanthropy, radio 4, which charity?
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Why I don’t back the Give It Back George campaign
Charities are furious about the government’s proposal to give them less money via the tax system. Well, they would be, wouldn’t they? Hence they’re campaigning frantically to block the proposal. But people interested in effectiveness and impact – and who … Continue reading
Posted in Analysing giving
Tagged Charity, Donation, Donor, Donors, Evaluation, Gift Aid, giveitbackgeorge, Giving, Impact, philanthropist, Philanthropy, tax, tax relief
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The government’s raid on giving makes no sense
The UK government recently announced that it would cap tax relief on charitable giving. The surprise move has met a furious response, and makes no sense whichever way it’s intended. It’s a shame, because the charitable world has plenty of … Continue reading
Posted in Promoting giving
Tagged budget, cap, Charity, Charity Commission, Donor, Donors, fraud, giveitbackgeorge, Giving, philanthropists, Philanthropy, regulator, tax
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Understanding impact of a corporate giving programme
I’m currently evaluating the ‘community projects’ programme of the Guardian News & Media group (i.e., the series of ~12 partnerships which GNM has with voluntary organisations near its London HQ). In this article in the Guardian, I explain what we’re … Continue reading
Forget business: philanthropy needs to learn from tons of other disciplines
Philanthrocapitalism, social return, social investment, Absolute Return for Kids… Business is the analogy most commonly used for philanthropic activity. Though that’s not wrong, it’s dangerously narrow for solving what Warren Buffett calls ‘problems which have already resisted great intellects and … Continue reading
Posted in Analysing giving, Promoting giving
Tagged behavioural economics, business, Charity, Charity performance, Charity results, comparative charity, Donation, Donor, Donors, Evaluation, Giving, Giving behaviour, hiring, philanthrocapitalism, Philanthropy, physics, psychology, Randomised control trial, Randomized control trial, recruitment, science, staff
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Kate Middleton’s charities: a curious but quite good set for a beginner
The Duchess Formerly Known as Kate Middleton announced today her first four charity affiliations. It’s a quirky set. If she’s clever, Kate (if we’re still allowed to call her that) can add a load more value to them. The overriding … Continue reading
Posted in Analysing giving, Celebrity giving
Tagged Charity, Charity performance, Charity results, Donation, Donors, Duchess of Cambridge, Evaluation, Impact, Kate Middleton, Patron, Philanthropy, Prince Harry, Prince William, Randomised control trial, Randomized control trial, Royal wedding, Royal wedding charity
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How should advice on charitable giving be priced?
Answer: In a way that aligns the advisor’s incentives with those of the beneficiary. But which way does that? Along with many others, I’m often asked to advise donors about finding good charities to support and/or strategies to make their … Continue reading
Posted in Analysing giving, Promoting giving
Tagged advice, advisor, Donation, Giving, Impact, incentive, Philanthropy, pricing
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How do you know if your charity is making any difference? Take control
Charities need to understand which parts of their activities are working and which aren’t. But to really understand the charity’s impact, we need to know not only what did happen, but what would have happened without the charity’s work. Imagine … Continue reading
Who’s the most generous nation on Earth?
It’s not the US! According to The Economist, the rankings contain a few surprises: Australia 57% New Zealand 57% Canada 56% … Continue reading
Posted in Analysing giving
Tagged America, Charity, Country, Donors, Giving, Giving behaviour, helping, Nation, Philanthropy, US, who gives
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NatWest’s Community Force programme is crushingly awful
NatWest’s Community Force programme creates huge amounts of waste for charities and doesn’t even reward merit. It’s the worst programme for giving money to charity I’ve ever seen. Here are the larger of my concerns about it: It’s massively wasteful … Continue reading
Caroline Fiennes @carolinefiennes 