Lord Browne calls for “new age of philanthropy”
Speech follows Tate announcement of three-year Ernst & Young sponsorship
Lord Browne has called for a new balance to be found between philanthropy and the state.
Browne was speaking last night at the Royal Society of Arts in an event hosted by the Art Fund, a national fundraising charity for art.
His speech was made on the same day that Tate, of which he is the chairman of the trustees, announced that it had agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with financial services firm Ernst & Young.
Browne said that surveys suggest that UK households devote about 0.5% of their expenditure to charitable causes (the eighth highest in the world).
But he warned that changing demographics and the recent recession mean that the burden on the state is growing and, as a result, it is coming under pressure to redefine and scale back its contribution in certain areas, such as museums and galleries.
“Cultural and educational organisations are increasingly looking beyond the state for their income,” Browne said. “At Tate, for example, income from our business activities and corporate brand-building sponsorships represents an increasing part of our funding.
“But we and others are turning much more frequently to individual supporters, who are now being asked to fund activities which might once have been provided by the state.”
Tate said that Ernst and Young’s money would help it realise its arts programme across Tate Modern and Tate Britain, with the support of the financial services firm being extended through corporate memberships at Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives and at many of the Plus Tate partners around the country.
Some of the money will be used to help Tate stage three autumn exhibitions, starting in October with Paul Klee: Making Visible at Tate Modern.
Browne argued that philanthropists would be more likely to give if it was clearer what annual government grants to arts organisations are spent on.
He also said there needed to be more tax incentives to give, and better systems to make this possible, such as giving by text message.
“In a competitive world, the power of taxation to redistribute to some of the greatly needed parts of a civilised society has run its course,” Browne said.
“Change will come by creating the space for private philanthropists, by providing the right incentive structures, by setting the right tone from the top, and by identifying and celebrating role models.”
Browne was speaking last night at the Royal Society of Arts in an event hosted by the Art Fund, a national fundraising charity for art.
His speech was made on the same day that Tate, of which he is the chairman of the trustees, announced that it had agreed a three-year sponsorship deal with financial services firm Ernst & Young.
Browne said that surveys suggest that UK households devote about 0.5% of their expenditure to charitable causes (the eighth highest in the world).
But he warned that changing demographics and the recent recession mean that the burden on the state is growing and, as a result, it is coming under pressure to redefine and scale back its contribution in certain areas, such as museums and galleries.
“Cultural and educational organisations are increasingly looking beyond the state for their income,” Browne said. “At Tate, for example, income from our business activities and corporate brand-building sponsorships represents an increasing part of our funding.
“But we and others are turning much more frequently to individual supporters, who are now being asked to fund activities which might once have been provided by the state.”
Tate said that Ernst and Young’s money would help it realise its arts programme across Tate Modern and Tate Britain, with the support of the financial services firm being extended through corporate memberships at Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives and at many of the Plus Tate partners around the country.
Some of the money will be used to help Tate stage three autumn exhibitions, starting in October with Paul Klee: Making Visible at Tate Modern.
Browne argued that philanthropists would be more likely to give if it was clearer what annual government grants to arts organisations are spent on.
He also said there needed to be more tax incentives to give, and better systems to make this possible, such as giving by text message.
“In a competitive world, the power of taxation to redistribute to some of the greatly needed parts of a civilised society has run its course,” Browne said.
“Change will come by creating the space for private philanthropists, by providing the right incentive structures, by setting the right tone from the top, and by identifying and celebrating role models.”