Greater incentives for private donors to give to the arts, and greater recognition for those who do, are among the aims of a new nationwide campaign, ‘Private Giving for the Public Good’. Led by the National Museum Directors’ Conference, the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council (MLA) and Arts Council England, the campaign is supported by a range of leading cultural organisations including the arts councils of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Art Fund, English Heritage and the National Campaign for the Arts.
The manifesto emphasises encouragement of the philanthropists of the future, and ensuring that the benefits of philanthropic giving are felt by the whole of the UK. Roy Clare, Chief Executive of the MLA, said that “private giving for the public good should be an instinct at the very heart of our nation”. However, the report points out that since 1945, “the state has become a leading patron of public culture”, and that of the £9.5bn of charitable donations by private individuals in 2005/06, less than 5% was given to the arts. It highlights a number of recent successful projects which made it easier for people to give to the arts, and urges the expansion of the Gift Aid scheme. The manifesto is available at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk.