# Gareth Davies argues 'charity is an investment like any other'

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/03/09/gareth-davies-argues-039charity-investment-any-other039/
- Published: 2006-03-09T11:45:13+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Gavyn Davies aruges that “charity is an investment like any other” in his backpage
column “Gavyn Davies does the maths” in The Guardian today.

 

He accepts that this might raise hackles, but counters “why shouldn’t donors expect
their money to be used wisely in the interests of those in need? My contention is
that donors are entitled to expect nothing less.”

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He explains that this is one of the tenets underpinning New Philanthropy Capital,
which he founded in 2001.

 

Indeed, he argues that some charities can generate a return of 2,500% to investors,
citing the case of the Swansea branch of Age Concern: “for every £1,000 given to
them, they can help the poorest pensioners claim £25,000 of extra benefits.” Based
on this, he and New Philanthropy Capital believe that “the government would need
to ‘invest’ only £160m to boost pensioner benefit uptake to 100% via such programmes.”

 

 * **[New Chief Executive at New Philanthropy Capital](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/01/30/new-chief-executive-new-philanthropy-capital-461/)**(
   30 January 2008)
 * **[Are on line 'philanthropy markets' the future?](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/07/16/are-line-039philanthropy-markets039-future/)**(
   16 July 2008)
 * **[New Philanthropy Capital reports on giving in India](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/09/29/new-philanthropy-capital-reports-giving-india/)**(
   29 September 2009)