Ambassador for Philanthropy promotes philanthropy with website
Howard Lake | 25 March 2010 | News
Dame Stephanie Shirley, the government-appointed Ambassador for Philanthropy, has launched an online community for philanthropists in an effort to promote further philanthropy in the UK. AmbassadorForPhilanthropy.com is designed to attract those investing significant sums in charity, and features videos and profiles of major donors offering insights into why and how they give, with the aim of encouraging others to make a greater impact on local and global needs.
Philanthropists already registered on the site include James Caan (from “Dragon’s Den”), arts expert Frederick Mulder, and businessman Stelio Stefanou. Recruitment millionaire Alec Reed has joined too, declaring: “One cannot determine the length of one’s life but you can determine the width of it; philanthropy widens life.”
The site will feature contributions from more philanthropists over the coming months, as it expands its scope to include donors worldwide.
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, welcomed the creation of the website. In his own video published on the site, he said that “the desire to give something back, whether it is time or money or skills or experience, is part of the soul of our nation”.
He appointed Dame Stephanie as Ambassador for Philanthropy, and acknowledged the work she has already done, saying: “Already the results have been truly impressive, and I am confident that the work she has started will continue to bring rewards to those most in need.”
The new website is one of several initiatives being driven by Dame Stephanie Shirley in her work of “unleashing philanthropy”. Others include getting donor advised funds/charity accounts in banks, a philanthropists’ summit to advise government, and a forum on online giving.
AmbassadorForPhilanthropy.com is supported by corporate partners including Coutts Bank.
www.ambassadorforphilanthropy.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.