Who benefits from million-pound charitable donations?

Analysis of the largest charitable donations made in the UK shows that health charities, international aid/development organisations and higher education institutions were the main beneficiaries in 2006/07.

The Coutts Million-Pound Donors Report, published to mark the launch of the new Centre for Philanthropy, Humanitarianism and Social Justice (CPHSJ) at the University of Kent, reveals that 193 gifts of £1 million or more were made in 2006/07, totaling £1.6 billion.

Of these, 64% were under £3 million but 12% were for £10 million or more. The five largest donations, worth £100 million or more, were all placed into trusts and foundations for distribution at a later date, rather than given directly to charities.

The Coutts Million-Pound Donors Report was written by Beth Breeze of the CPHSJ. Described as "the first [report] to focus on million pound charitable donations", it includes case studies of million pound donors and of charities that have received donations of this size.

Beth Breeze said: "Million pound donors talk about the 'exhilarating' feeling of being able to transform lives, and recipients say gifts of this size bring a psychological boost that lifts the spirit of staff and volunteers."

She added: "This research is important because there's very little reliable information about giving by the richest members of our society... Now we know that 'million pound donors' differ [from average donors] not just in the scale of their gifts, but in what they choose to support and how they go about making their gifts."

A copy of the Coutts Million-Pound Donors Report may be downloaded from

www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/cphsj