As you can probably see from our website, we spend a lot of time and energy here at Pears Foundation thinking about philanthropy. That makes sense. It’s our bread and butter. But our thinking goes beyond our own giving, to the understanding and encouragement of the wider philanthropy sector, both nationally and internationally.
This interest in encouraging philanthropy is the driving force behind a number of our core partnerships, for example the Foundation Giving Trends series produced by the Association of Charitable Foundations, now in its 7th year, or the philanthropy education programmes Go-Givers and First Give.
One such partnership is with the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent where Dr Beth Breeze has been a long-standing friend and ally for the Foundation’s work in understanding, researching and championing philanthropy. Consequently, when Beth asked whether Trevor would be one of her case studies for the 2015 edition of the Coutts Million Pound Donor Report, he was very happy to take part.
The case studies, in which a selection of high impact donors tell their stories, are a popular and useful part of the annual report. As Beth explained, “Fellow donors enjoy learning about each other’s motivations and experiences, and readers from fund-seeking organisations get a better understanding of what major donors are looking for, which helps them make better use of their limited resources.” Trevor’s case study is available here, along with case studies from other philanthropists including Jack Petchey.