A quarter of Britons (24 per cent) are
involved in philanthropy as more young people are looking to get involved, according
to a new poll released by the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge
Trust.

The poll surveyed more than 2000
Britons, who dispelled the myth that philanthropy is primarily for high net worth
individuals. The research revealed that 7 in 10 of 18-24 year olds would
become a philanthropist if it involved giving as little as £2 a day – approximately
£500 ($807) a year. This contrasts with just under half (46 per cent) of those at
retirement age.

“By
demystifying philanthropy we hope to inspire a new generation of
philanthropists. We want to encourage young people who care so passionately
about today’s social issues to feel empowered to change them for the better,
through the giving of time, money and skills. Philanthropy is not for just for
the wealthy, or for those who have retired,” said David Farnsworth, chief
grants officer of the City Bridge Trust.

The research comes ahead of a new
exhibition at the Charterhouse celebrating 800 years of philanthropy in the
City of London.

"The
exhibition Philanthropy: The
City Story celebrates the City as a philanthropic hotspot
through the ages and highlights how philanthropy in the capital has been a huge
catalyst for positive change in communities at home and abroad", added
Farnsworth.

However, the research also showed that
the understanding of philanthropic giving is lowest among young people (40 per
cent), compared to 77 per cent among those aged 65 and above.

“This indicates a real opportunity to
boost philanthropy among the young if there was more information about how to
get involved,” said the trust.

The research also showed that women are
more likely to support charitable organisations than men, and are most likely
to do so through financial donations (68 per cent vs. 61 per cent for men).

Philanthropy:
The City Story is curated by the Museum of London
and opens on 30 October. The exhibition is part of a three-year
initiative (2013-15) funded by the City Bridge Trust, in order to embed a
culture of effective philanthropy in the City of London, particularly among
younger professionals and to promote London as a global centre
for effective philanthropy.