The Million Pound Donors Report 2012 - University of Kent

Corporations (including direct charitable contributions
from companies and those made via corporate foundations)
account for a much larger share of million pound donations
than in previous years. They were responsible for 16% of all
donations worth £1 million or more in 2010/11, compared
to around 10% in all previous years. However, as their
average value is lower than those made by other types of
donors, they account for 13.5% of the total value of these
biggest gifts in 2010/11.
Higher Education, Arts and Culture and International
Development remain the most popular destinations for the
largest gifts amongst both individual and institutional
donors. But support for environmental causes increased in
2010/11, and all types of charitable sub-sector attract some
support from million pound donors.
The Indigo Trust and iCow. © Martin Storey
the MIllIon PoUnd donors rePort 2012
“ More than half
(58%) of the million
pound donations
made in 2010/11
were donated by 93
individual donors,
who donated a total
of £763 million. living
individual donors
therefore continue to
be the most significant
source of the largest
donations.”
In contrast to last year, a higher proportion (60%) of million
pound donations was given directly to operational charities,
and just 40% was banked into charitable trusts and
foundations for distribution at a later date, indicating a
potential shift towards getting philanthropic money out
onto the front-line.
A total of 191 organisations received million pound
donations in 2010/11 – far higher than the 154 recipients
identified in 2009/10. The vast majority (166) received
only one gift of this size. Organisations which received
multiple million pound donations tended to be the oldest
universities (notably Oxford and Cambridge) or national
arts and cultural institutions.
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