A new All-Party Parliamentary Group has launched with the aim of increasing philanthropic giving in the UK.
The APPG on Philanthropy and Social Investment held its first meeting on Monday in Parliament, where the group published a report outlining its priorities.
Its report, called Philanthropy in the UK Today, says the current public and political narrative around philanthropy “seems ambivalent at best”.
The report says: “One of the APPG’s key roles is to address this ambivalence, by providing accurate information, a forum to debate these important concerns and undertaking a work programme that seeks to actively reshape the positive capacities of private philanthropy and social investment.”
It says that over the next ten years, the APPG wants to see a role for philanthropy that is:
- Bigger: with more private assets being donated to public benefit causes.
- More diverse: the broadest range of people who can donate.
- More responsible: a reshaped civic contract so that those who can, feel it’s their responsibility to give more.
- More transparent: donations and giving to be more transparent, accountable and understood.
The APPG aims to act as a discussion forum for politicians, philanthropists, social investors and experts to develop policy to improve and increase the amount of giving and social investment in the UK.
Its programme will cover the themes of leadership and governance, representation, public policy and press, technology and new types of giving.
'More super-rich givers needed'
Speaking at the launch, the APPG’s chair and Labour MP Rushanara Ali said: “If we can encourage more of Britain’s super-rich to become philanthropists – just one more for every ten already giving - it would raise £2bn for youth activities, support for homeless people, tackling loneliness, and many other positive programmes.
“Philanthropists are a great positive force in the UK and should continue to be harnessed for our common good, not as a substitute, but complementary to state provision.”
The vice-chairs of the APPG are crossbench peer Baroness Prashar, Labour MP Diana Johnson, and Conservative peer Lord Wasserman.
The other officers of the APPG are Conservative peer Lord Wei, Labour MP Susan Elan Jones, crossbench peer Lord Janvrin, and Labour peers Baroness Pitkeathley and Baroness Royall of Blaisdon.
The consultancy Philanthropy Impact acts as the group's sectariat.
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