News & Insight

8th February 2022

Philanthropy Company News

Here’s to 2022

Like so many of our friends and clients, as we edge into 2022 we’re full of optimism for a new way of living with the perils of Covid but also cautious about the hurdles ahead for rebuilding our organisations and our communities.

There are major challenges for so many of our clients, particularly those in the arts reliant for their existence on the loyalty of audiences, and for those charities doing crucial work with vulnerable people who will remain affected by the ravages of Covid. We are also mindful that many of us are grieving loved ones lost over the last two years and making adjustments to our lives to accommodate new ways of working.

And yet the generosity of donors continues, albeit with some changes. The determination of inspirational leaders to make changes in our society is stronger than ever. And at the Philanthropy Company we are growing our team and our impact.

Thinking about the year ahead we have looked back at the trends identified by others including some of the very useful stats from the CAF UK Giving Report 2021. Continue reading…

Philanthropy Company adds to talented team

David Page joins Philanthropy Company as a Director leading our communications, reputation and social purpose work. Prior to joining us David was at Tesco, where he was UK and Ireland communications director and member of the UK leadership team.

At Tesco, David led the supermarket’s community and charity programmes and partnerships, through some of the largest private sector fundraising, donation and food redistribution schemes in the UK.

In the face of the pandemic, he oversaw £60m of food relief and community support, working with FareShare, the Trussell Trust and the British Red Cross. He also led the health charity partnership, working with the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and Diabetes UK to positively impact on Tesco’s colleagues and customers. Prior to Tesco, David was group head of communications at Monarch Airlines.

Philanthropy Company has a long commitment to supporting early career fundraisers. We have a 20 year involvement in supporting CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) including helping to found the influential Spring Institute for early career university fundraisers. Now to build on these principles we are delighted to welcome Poppy to our team.

Poppy Purvis joins us from the Charityworks graduate programme as our Client Support Executive. She is working as a core member of our executive team, supporting clients and developing her professional skills in communications and fundraising.

Jan Hinde is a strategist, fundraiser and changemaker for the arts, community and public sectors, with experience of securing 5, 6 and 7-figure awards. Jan recently moved back to the UK from New Zealand and most recently advised on post-Covid cultural recovery.

With over 30 years’ experience in fundraising in the UK and New Zealand, Valerie Harland has worked in a range of areas, from arts and heritage to international development. Since returning to the UK, Valerie has worked in interim, consultancy and in-house roles.

Post-pandemic UK giving trends

Poppy Purvis, Client Support Executive

Charities Aid Foundation UK Giving Report 2021

The Charities Aid Foundation’s UK Giving Report 2021 looks at UK giving behaviour and the impact of the pandemic. We summarise some of the key trends in the report and our team of associates share their thoughts on the fundraising landscape post-pandemic.

Charity Engagement

Engagement with charitable and civic activities decreased in 2020, and continued to be low in 2021. Adults aged 65+ were more likely than younger people to engage. However, participation amongst this group in 2021 was lower than pre-pandemic, likely due to the high risks associated with Covid. Continue reading…

2022 welcomes optimism in the Arts

Liz Purchase, Senior Consultant

This time last year, theatres, concert halls, galleries and museums, were all closed; the arts and tourism sectors faced a truly bleak picture. Fast forward twelve months, and the hope for a return to normality that sustained audiences, venues, and artists alike during 2020/2021, is being realised. It has been a long wait; but as we return to the venues and heritage sites we so missed, the delight in experiencing them in person, is tangible.

The arts are still facing uncertainty of course, but capital projects are once again taking off, and this is a sure sign that optimism is alive. At the Philanthropy Company, we are delighted to see our current and past clients reinstate exciting projects, like the Barbican, who recently revealed the shortlist of architects for a £150m overhaul; the project will revamp the iconic Grade II listed complex and welcome in a new age for the centre. The National Gallery has recently unveiled plans for a £25m upgrade of the Sainsbury Wing, and the Museum of London is forging ahead with its major new site in West Smithfield. Continue reading…