What is charity? How does it operate, who does it benefit and what should we expect it to do? This important book helps to tackle the most common misunderstandings and misconceptions of charitable activity in contemporary British society, especially insofar as these affect the thinking of politicians and policymakers. The authors present and discuss over a dozen studies, including public attitudes to giving, large datasets on the geography and funding patterns of third sector organisations, and interviews with a wide range of donors, charity leaders, fundraisers and philanthropy advisers. This data enables them to explore the logic of charity in terms of the distribution of resources across causes and communities in the UK, and the processes behind philanthropic decision-making, to reveal a picture of charitable activity at odds with widespread assumptions.

“The authors draw upon and synthesise a number of different studies, providing valuable empirical data to underpin their detailed analysis. As such, their book offers a comprehensive evidence base that should be valuable to those engaged in debates about the charitable sector. … it makes an important contribution to the evidence base for those engaged in debates about the role of the sector and offers a useful resource for anyone seeking solid facts and figures … .” (People, Place and Policy, Vol. 12 (01), September, 2018)

John Mohan is Director of the Third Sector Research Centre at the University of Birmingham, UK.
 
Beth Breeze is Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, UK.