# Giving by family foundations increases to £1.63 billion

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/07/02/giving-family-foundations-reaches-1-63bn/
- Published: 2014-07-02T14:02:26+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

UK family charitable foundations donated £1.63 billion last year, the largest total
since the _Family Foundation Giving Trends_ series began tracking them in 2008.

The sixth annual edition of _Family Foundation Giving Trends_ reports that donations
have increased despite the fact that family foundations have experienced a drop 
in total income of 18.6% in real terms, almost double that experienced by the broader
charitable foundation sector. This might be because family foundations are twice
as reliant on income from investments as other charitable foundations.

> Family foundations contribute almost three fifths of foundation giving by value–
> 59%. In the US it is 42%.
> 
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Similarly the report reveals that last year there was a 35% drop in donations being
made into new and existing family foundations. This could threaten future levels
of grantmaking.

Family foundation giving is still the dominant form of foundation giving, accounting
for 59% of all foundation giving by value.

## Top family foundations

The top five family foundations by giving are:

 1. Wellcome Trust
 2. Gatsby Charitable Foundation
 3. Leverhulme Trust
 4. Wolfson Foundation
 5. Garfield Weston Foundation

 

[⌊Total family foundation income 2013⌉⌊Total family foundation income 2013⌉[

Total family foundation income 2013

 

## About Family Foundation Giving Trends

_Family_ _Foundation Giving Trends _is produced_ _by Professor Cathy Pharoah of 
the [Centre for Giving and Philanthropy](http://www.cgap.org.uk) at the Cass Business
School. It is published by the [Association of Charitable Foundations](http://www.acf.org.uk),
with substantial support from the Pears Foundation. Data for the report was provided
by [Charity Financials](http://www.charityfinancials.com)._ _

It details the top 100 family foundations in the UK by giving, with analysis and
comment on their giving, and the nature of their contribution to UK civil society.

A ‘family foundation’ is one that has been founded through family, individual or
family business wealth.

Professor Pharoah also produces a sister report, [Foundation Giving Trends](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2014/05/05/foundation-income-grant-making-rises-10/),
which examines the broader foundation sector.

She  said:

> “Our findings shine a light on the continued importance of family wealth to civil
> society, with spending reaching an all-time high and evidence of dynamism to be
> found in the range of new entrants into the top 100. However, the report suggests
> a possible boom in building foundations and income just before the recession. 
> Can such expansion now be maintained through a time of lower growth and investment
> returns?”

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