DCMS’s place-based plan

On the 13th April DCMS launched Our Place to Give, the UK’s first national plan for growing place-based philanthropy.

Why does the government need a philanthropy plan?

The plan recognises philanthropy’s unique capacity to provide long-term targeted funding at specific local activity. Funding that is:

• Deeply rooted in community needs.
• Enabling charities to reach people often left behind by other programmes.
• Flexible, often helping organisations to innovate and develop skills and resources.

DCMS wants charities in places with the greatest funding need to be able to access philanthropy more easily. It wants to encourage wealthy individuals to give back to communities and make it easier for philanthropists to work with the government to maximise the place-based funding they can jointly offer.

Essentially, the new plan means that the government has committed to grow and support place-based giving.

Why does philanthropy need government?

This is great news for philanthropy because it marks the first step towards unlocking billions of potential philanthropic funding from donors for communities across the UK. Too often, philanthropists, especially place-based philanthropists, feel they are working in isolation and are disconnected from the ‘bigger picture’. For new donors, the landscape of giving is complex and confusing, and the places that need their donations most are least connected with wealth and wealth holders.

Philanthropy isn’t just about generosity, it’s about collaboration, coordination, capability and confidence. The government can:

• Offer incentives to give that align giving with need.
• Create the right policy environment to build confidence and create efficiency.
• Partner with philanthropic activity that is already creating change and help to take it to a national scale.
• Recognise that philanthropy and wealth holders have an important role to play, and welcome that activity to encourage more.

So, what exactly can philanthropists and donors do right now to engage with the plan?

Put bluntly, if the government sees this plan is working over the next few months, it is likely that it will continue taking actions that will support philanthropy to grow. Better policies, better partnerships, more coordination, more incentivisation, more scale, and more impact.

With that in mind, there are some simple actions that philanthropists and donors can take to welcome Our Place to Give. Here are three to get started:

• Use the term “philanthropy” to describe your work: Philanthropy isn’t an exclusive club. Obviously, bigger donations are important, but they are only part of the philanthropy equation. Using the word philanthropy matters because this activity needs a label to track growth. It may not be the best word, but it’s the best we’ve got.
• Join a network or a donor circle, or talk to your local community foundation: Not only are these networks a good way to find out what is happening in places and to make connections with great charities, it’s another way to make sure your activity shows up in the data.
• Invite your MP or local authority representative to see your work in action: A great deal of philanthropic activity goes under the radar, but if you invite your local MP along, it begins the work of connecting.

And what about charities?

For the same reasons that philanthropists need to be more visible, charities, too, can help make the strategy a success.

• Include information about your donor circle or major donor programme in your annual report, and don’t be afraid to use the word ‘philanthropy’: Small tweaks in how you report your fundraising activity will help to surface where philanthropy is already happening – and where there are gaps.
• Find out from your local authority if there is bid for a government programme that fits your area of work: As the government puts a ‘think philanthropy’ mindset into its activity, you’ll want to keep in the loop on how national programmes are being brought to the local area to see if there are opportunities for you to be part of a bigger consortium, or if you can mobilise your support base around match funding opportunities.
• Accept invitations to convenings organised by your local authority on philanthropy or impact more generally: This should be the mechanism for funders and frontline organisations to get together around common themes.

And what can local areas do more of?

Local authorities and MPs are at the heart of the government’s outreach activity linked to the strategy. They are best placed to bring together the right actors to build momentum around critical local issues. They can bring visibility and influence on local issues and connect local players to national opportunities.

Alongside Our Place to Give, NPC has published an MP Toolkit, designed to engage MPs in the effort to begin coordination at local level. The convening power of MPs combined with the knowledge and reach of local authorities can combine effectively to bring momentum to philanthropy and impact activity in places.

In conclusion

There is a lot to celebrate about Our Place to Give. It is the first time the UK has had a clear, strategic plan for growing place-based philanthropy – supporting people to give back to the places and the communities that matter to them.

The benefits are clear: Change is catalysed according to local needs. Funding is leveraged through partnerships, and successful programmes can be rolled out widely and in a more coordinated way.