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The United Kingdom’s wealthiest donate a disproportionate amount of the country’s funding for nonprofits. But this trend faces headwinds, including reluctance to discuss charitable contributions along with missed cues in communications, potentially endangering the next generation of philanthropists.
The richest of the United Kingdom’s rich give heavily — around £7.96 billion during 2023, or US $10.5 billion under mid-April 2025’s exchange rate. The 536,673 individuals who are considered high-net-worth people also give widely, with education, healthcare and medical research, arts and culture and social services topping the list of types of causes supported.
By comparison, the other 99% of U.K. adults gave £13.9 billion (US$18.33 billion) during the year.
The impulse toward giving has long been part of United Kingdom society, and donors are used to seeing the results of their largess on a daily basis, according to High Value Giving: How The UK’s Wealthy Give, a report from Charities Aid Foundation, Kent, United Kingdom. Philanthropy was considered the “starting point” for many of the UK’s public services, including the National Health Service, ambulance services and universities.
The number of causes they support increases as individuals within the wealthy class move from the merely high-net-worth category — the 1% of the adult population with investable assets of between £1 million and £5 million (US$1.32 million and US$6.59 million) to the 0.1% of very-high-net-worth people (investable assets of between £5 million to £30 million (US$39.56 million) to the 0.01 % who make up ultra-high-net-worth individuals (investable assets of more than £30 million).
The question is whether this impulse will continue through the generations. That quandary is becoming increasingly relevant as the wealthy, especially the ultra-net-worth class, are aging. One-third of them are older than age 70, with another 35% between the ages of 60 and 69. Among all high-net-worth individuals, 17% are older than age 70, with another 27% aged 60 to 69.
There are warning signs that charitable impulses might not be passed down as the current donor class ages out. According to the report’s authors, philanthropy is seen as a “weighty topic,” not a common topic for discussion within social circles.
The impulse toward silence might have a damping effect on giving. Just more than one-third (34%) of high-net-worth funders report being inspired by someone else’s stories about giving, and slightly more than one-quarter (26%) believe hearing about significant impacts of giving would be beneficial. As the report’s authors noted, “This does not need to be limited to peers but could also extend to the next generation of budding philanthropists.”
The turnaround better happen sooner rather than later. According to the authors, £5.5 trillion (US $7.25 trillion) will be shifted between generations within the United Kingdom by 2050. They wrote: “There is evidence that younger generations tend to integrate their philanthropy into all aspects of their lives, and that they are more open to innovative ways to drive social change, such as impact investing.”
The older generations of funders are inclined to put off philanthropic discussions, such as legacy giving, for a future time that never comes. Absent those discussions, some younger potential philanthropists do not have the impulse instilled within them.
Policymakers, for their part, can focus on protecting the various solutions and incentives that spur philanthropy, and might consider offering education programs to disseminate information about the availability and impact of these programs. These efforts can be aimed at consumers and financial advisors alike.
A full copy of the report is available here: https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/about-us-research/caf_high_value_giving_report_2025.pdf
