In Thursday’s (12/9) Guardian (London), Charlotte Higgins writes, “The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, today announced an £80m match-funding scheme to encourage private giving to arts organisations, and launched a review ‘to encourage philanthopy across the whole of government’ to be completed next spring. In a speech at the headquarters of the bank JP Morgan, Hunt said 2011 would be the ‘year of corporate philanthropy’ and the match-funding scheme, in which private donations would be matched by public money, ‘will unlock at least £160m for cultural organisations over the next four years’. Cultural leaders and established philanthropists have long been pressing for significant reforms to the tax regime to encourage giving to arts organisations, and to simplify ways in which donors can be recognised and rewarded. … The £80m will come partly from Arts Council England, which will contribute around £50m, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which will contribute £30m. The Heritage Lottery Fund had been expected to put up money, but no contribution was announced.”
Posted December 9, 2010
