University of Kent

Biographical Details

My research interests focus on charitable giving, philanthropy and the voluntary sector. I work within the newly established Centre for the study of Philanthropy, Humanitarianism and Social Justice which explores philanthropic activities, social patterns of giving and the redistributive impact of transfers from private wealth to the public good. I also have an interest in the impact of philanthropy on social policy and political processes, and vice versa.

I am also a researcher within the national Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy, which is funded by the ESRC, the Office of the Third Sector, the Scottish Executive and the Carnegie UK Trust. The four projects I am undertaking within this centre are concerned with donors’ awareness of the nature and distribution of charitable benefit; the role that perceptions of need plays in donors’ selection of beneficiaries; relationships between givers and receivers and the social space bridged by donations; and the representation of need in charitable appeals and its impact on beneficiaries.

My doctoral thesis, due for completion in 2009, investigates the meaning and purpose of philanthropy in contemporary UK society. Based on secondary analysis of the public statements and giving patterns of 150 of the most significant philanthropists operating in the UK today, it argues that philanthropy is primarily a social relationship between givers and receivers, rather than merely a financial transaction, and that the philanthropic acts of the wealthy are part of a strategy - conscious or otherwise - to find meaning and purpose in their life whilst creating and communicating a positive identity to themselves, their loved ones and the wider community.

In addition to academic publications, I write regularly for national and charity sector media, in order to disseminate research findings as widely as possible to relevant audiences.