EAPG London Roundtable 15 April 2008 5.30 -7.00pm

Philanthropy amongst ultra high net worth individuals and family offices in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany

Discussion Leader: Plum Lomax, New Philanthropy Capital

Recent research into wealthy donors and family offices in the UK, Switzerland and Germany, undertaken by Scorpio Partnership, has provided a unique insight into the landscape of European philanthropy.

Respondents had a net worth ranging from $90mn to $2.5bn, and on average give away 5% of their net worth each year. Wealthy individuals and families may have a plethora of advisors to hand, but they still struggle when seeking suitable advice to help them launch a philanthropic programme or select suitable charities.

The roundtable discussion will focus on the main findings of this research, which were that::

* Wealthy individuals are struggling to find suitable philanthropy advice – their trusted advisors are not sufficiently meeting their clients’ needs, other than establishing legal giving structures.
* Enormous opportunities exist for private banks, lawyers and other advisors to provide a more holistic service to their clients, while enhancing their relationships with clients at the same time.
* Charities need to change the way they present themselves to a new breed of results-oriented donors.
* Donors are wary of supporting large charities – there is demand for analytical processes to hold large charities accountable to donors
* Donors have an interest in exploring forms of feedback that don’t burden charities