Charitable giving has a long association with business. In the UK, the Victorian era was marked by a rise in philanthropy as both business owners and the wealthy committed funds to tackle the social ills of the day. Across the Atlantic, the likes of John D Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie reinvested their huge wealth to set up charitable organisations that remain influential today.
To follow on from our story on why it pays for businesses to be charitable, we wanted to chart some of the notable business philanthropists who have made charitable giving and CSR part of their philosophy.
Rory Brooks
Co-founded the international private equity group MML Capital Partners in 1989. This financially backs Vanguard Healthcare. Brooks funds the Brooks World Poverty Institute; he is a former member of the British Government Task Force on Philanthropy in Higher Education; and a director of the Centre for Social Justice.
Dame Vivien Duffield
Dame Vivien has been heavily involved in philanthropy since her father’s death in 1979, when she assumed chairmanship of the Clore Foundations in the UK and Israel. She has supported a wide range of organisations including the Royal Opera House and the British Museum.
Rory Brooks
Co-founded the international private equity group MML Capital Partners in 1989. This financially backs Vanguard Healthcare. Brooks funds the Brooks World Poverty Institute; he is a former member of the British Government Task Force on Philanthropy in Higher Education; and a director of the Centre for Social Justice.