# Lord Joffe calls on the wealthy to get Britain giving

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/05/26/lord-joffe-calls-wealthy-get-britain-giving/
- Published: 2004-05-26T18:00:08+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Speaking to the House of Lords on Wednesday 26 May, Lord Joel Joffe CBE will draw
attention to the 25% fall in individual charitable donations as a percentage of 
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the ten years since 1992, during which period 
personal wealth has doubled and the rich have prospered like never before.

 

In 1992, individual giving amounted to 1.2% of GDP and yet by 2002, this had fallen
to 0.9%, a decrease of 25%. Meanwhile, in the USA – where there is an ingrained 
culture of giving – donations increased by 15% of GDP. Lord Joffe says:

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“It is astonishing that although the richest 1% of the population now own around
one quarter of the total marketable wealth in this country while the poorest 50%
own only 5% between them, it is the poorer donors who are giving a much higher proportion
of their income to charity. While wealthy people on average donate only 0.7% of 
their household expenditure to charity, the

 

poorest donors are giving more than three times that (3%).

 

“If the level of giving is to increase significantly, it is the well off who must
substantially increase the level of their donations. Do we want a society where 
the wealthy focus solely upon self-gratification buying yachts, personal jets and
other play things, or a caring society where everyone contributes as generously 
as they can to make a better society for all?”

 

Lord Joffe proposes the establishment of a benchmark for charitable giving in the
UK. Individuals should be encouraged to consider their giving in relation to their
income and wealth, giving an average of 1.5% to charity.

 

This benchmark could be graded according to each individual’s wealth with the well-
off aiming to give a minimum of 2% each year and higher for those that are particularly
wealthy, going down to virtually nothing for those who struggle to get by on annual
incomes below £10,000. The overall target should be for individual donations to 
double over the next ten years. It is the wealthy, rather than the poor, who should
lead the way.

 

– Ends –

 

Media Enquiries

 

Lucinda Gould 020 7930 2629 / 07712 045 308

 

The Giving Campaign lu***********@****************rg.uk

 

**Notes to editors**

 

Lord Joel Joffe is Chair of The Giving Campaign – a national initiative working 
to promote a culture of giving in the UK.

 

| [Speech Lords re Giving Debate on 26 May 2004.doc](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/Speech Lords re Giving Debate on 26 May 2004.doc) | 36.5 KB |

 

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