Charity Highlight: Britain’s Newly Wealthy Are More Public About Their Gifts

The increasingly open and entrepreneurial giving of Britain’s “new philanthropists,” and the often ambivalent public and media reaction to it, are the subjects of a Guardian examination.

Philanthropy in Britain remains well below U.S. levels and traditionally has been a largely private affair, but explosive pre-recession growth in the financial sector and a marked shift in the high-net-worth world from inherited to self-made wealth are fueling new giving models, according to the U.K. daily, which spoke to donors, academics, and philanthropy advisers.

But high-profile giving by Britain’s wealthy is often greeted with skepticism, particularly among left-leaning academics and media outlets, said Beth Breeze of the University of Kent’s Center for Philanthropy, Humanitarianism, and Social Justice.

“It seems to be OK to be a local giver, raise money for charity, give a bit to [U.K. antipoverty charity] Comic Relief. But as soon as you add a few zeroes, people start thinking: something’s up. What’s in it for them?” Ms. Breeze said. “Given we are where we are, do we want to cheer someone who does something to even out inequality, or discourage them?”

This article is taken from "The Chronicle of Philanthropy"