[tag|Barclays|]Barclays[/tag] has released a new philanthropy guide designed to entice its wealthy customers into giving to charity despite still tough economic conditions.

Barclays has released a new philanthropy guide designed to entice its wealthy customers into giving to charity despite still tough economic conditions.

The bank hopes their new guide titled “Philanthropy: Your Guide to Giving” will help its clients get over the pitfalls of giving to charity. It features information such as charity governance and how to put a board together.

“There are a number of common questions that people are seeking answers to, from where they should start and how much should they give, to how to ensure success,” Turner added. “The guide aims to answer these questions, providing clients with the knowledge, confidence and motivation to start.”

"There are a couple of areas which we think are important. One is thinking about talent and skills needed for the people who may join you on your board and what you need to think about if you're asked to be a trustee of a charity," she added.

Stats from Charities Aid Foundation show that 57 per cent of people donated in a typical month during 2012/2013 - still down on the 58 per cent peak reached on 2010/2011.

“Yes conditions are tough. The stats show that the total given to charity has not increased in recent years,” said Emma Turner, head of client philanthropy at Barclays wealth and investment management. “We have just had a major recession. The inflows are not that easy to get and there is a huge amount of competition in the UK. There are roughly 160,000 charities in the UK alone.”

And it is not just individuals refusing to put their hands in their pocket. The Directory of Social Change found that the total value of corporate philanthropy to charities was worth between £700 million ($1.2 billion) and £800 million in 2013, just 0.4 per cent of pre-tax profits overall.