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Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
From renovated schools to lifesaving surgeries: How Abu Dhabi's 'Ahla Al Ataa' drives change
A low-income school transformed after nearly three decades, hundreds of children in the UAE given access to medical care they otherwise could not afford — these are just some of the real-life stories highlighted in Ahl Al Ataa (the People of Giving), a social impact video series by Ma'an, Abu Dhabi's Social Contribution Authority. The second season of the series was launched this week at an event celebrating the reach of its inaugural season — which, according to officials, has already engaged more than one million people across the community. 'The impact of Ma'an has reached over 1 million people since it kicked off around four years ago, as it provides a variety of community support programmes,' said Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development. 'The goal is to find a foundation for social giving to solve existing social problems. Today, we are focusing on a model from the society or from the programmes that we supported in the past.' Dr Al Khaili said the themes of Ahl Al Ataa are directly linked to findings from Abu Dhabi's quality of life surveys, which help authorities identify where support is most needed. 'For example, the first cycle of the quality-of-life surveys five years ago, showed the satisfaction of people of determination to be 30 per cent less than the other participants. So, we focused on this group,' he said. "And a special strategy was formed for them and launched by the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan himself. Ma'an took this strategy and started to focus on some aspects. So, Ma'an's first social incubator was allocated for people of determination.' Other community issues revealed through the surveys and then targeted by Ma'an include initiatives for senior citizens, fertility and Medeem — a model wedding programme. Among the organisations featured in the series was the Pakistani Community Welfare School, a non-profit campus that had operated without any major upgrades since it opened in 1992. 'Our building was very old and it was not a safe environment for the students,' said Farhat Jadoon, principal of the school. 'It's a welfare school, not funded by a third party, and the tuition fees are the lowest in the state, around 3,000 dirhams per year. So, within that budget we were unable to look into other aspects.' With Ma'an's support, the school was renovated over the summer break. 'They changed the flooring, changed the roof, improved the learning space… they made a very upskilled school clinic as well,' Jadoon said. 'They looked into every single detail… Without Ma'an, we wouldn't have been able to do it with our restricted financial budgets.' The results have been profound. Attendance has jumped from around 70 per cent to over 95 per cent, according to the principal. 'It's a good culture now,' she said. 'Now we are able to have many happenings in the school. Not just the students; now we are able to do it for the parents as well.' For the first time in its history, the school hosted an International Day, inviting students from Bangladeshi and Filipino schools, and was rated 'Good' by Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) inspectors. 'We are doing a lot of things for the first time,' said Jadoon. 'We have added clubs — karate club, music clubs, because now we have more space, shaded space is more important.' Operation Smile UAE The series has also brought visibility and funding to causes like Operation Smile UAE, which provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to children and young adults. 'Ma'an has helped not only spread the word amongst everyone in Abu Dhabi… but also helped us raise funds to be able to pay for the surgeries that these children, their families, would never be able to afford,' said Morag Cromey-Hawke, Executive Director of Operation Smile UAE. 'It costs around 30,000 dirhams for a surgery and people that live here, they can't afford that type of funds when they're only on a small income.' Cromey-Hawke shared the story of Covenant, an eight-year-old boy from Ghana suffering from severe facial anomalies, including a cleft palate and orbital deformities. Thanks to the UAE's support, Covenant is set to undergo complex craniofacial surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London — at an estimated cost of 100,000 dirhams. 'We've raised the money for him,' Cromey-Hawke said. 'We're working with Operation Smile UK to see if they can help facilitate, because they will need to have accommodation. The hospital has helped us out and said… there's housing next door. We're working with three organisations and we're going to try and see if some of the airlines will help with flights and everything.' Providing free, safe surgeries Since receiving its licence in 2011, Operation Smile UAE has helped between 3,500 to 4,000 patients, providing free, safe surgeries and comprehensive care both locally and through international missions. While it initially operated as a resource country — recruiting medical volunteers and raising funds for programmes abroad — its UAE-based surgical operations began in 2017, in partnership with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Since then, the charity has supported over 150 cleft surgeries across the Emirates, in addition to providing dental care, nutrition support and speech therapy for children in need. 'His mother wants him to be just a regular little boy,' Cromey-Hawke added, 'doing the same as everyone else.' With Season 2 of Ahl Al Ataa now underway, Dr Al Khaili said the authority will continue to spotlight and support grassroots initiatives that address real challenges on the ground. 'Based on the challenges [from the quality of life survey], next year, God willing, there will be another group of coverages on other challenges,' he said. The idea, he added, is to use storytelling as a form of civic scaffolding — inspiring others to contribute while building institutional memory for how community support works in practice.
Telegraph
12-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The Government should be encouraging Britain's philanthropists
We're in the final week of Wimbledon and midway through the Lord's Test Match, but another event with less fanfare but great significance took place in London this week. The Giving and Impact Summit was held at the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday with the aim of promoting, celebrating and inspiring philanthropy in the UK. Speakers included leading donors such as John Caudwell, Fran Perrin and John Studzinski, as well as Government Minister Stephanie Peacock. As part of the Summit, Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden and TV personality Robert Rinder 'closed' the market, bringing trading on the London market to an end on a day celebrating philanthropy in the UK. The Summit provides an opportune moment to reflect on the state of giving in the UK and what more we can do to enhance it. The UK is a very generous nation, with over £15 billion given to charity last year. Large-scale public campaigns such as those run by Comic Relief and Children in Need engage a broad section of the public. At the higher end, there are fantastic 'big givers'; the philanthropists who topped this year's Giving List compiled by CAF and published in May, Suneil Setiya and Greg Skinner (founders of Quadrature Capital) gave away a staggering £134.9 million each last year. The UK has a fantastic history of charitable giving. As the UK and the rest of Europe recovered from the Black Death (1347-1450), the volume of charity increased. In London the resources devoted to charity increased 50 per cent in real terms between 1573 and 1597. Philanthropists started looking for solutions to social problems, whether social housing, education or help to start businesses. One of the leading lights was Dick Whittington (c. 1354–1423), a four-time Lord Mayor of London, who used his fortune to fund a wide range of charitable and civic projects. He financed the rebuilding of the Guildhall, improvements to drainage systems in poor areas and helped to establish almshouses. Several hundred years later, the Victorian era saw the emergence of socially conscious businesses. The likes of Unilever provided housing to their workers and placed a premium on looking after them. Present day Britain boasts some extremely generous philanthropists. This is a mixture of 'old money' and 'new wealth' from sectors such as property and finance. Still, large charities are reliant on the same pool of donors. Well-established multi-generational families, such as the Westons, Woolfsons, Duffields and Rothschilds, still carry too much of the burden supporting many charities. At the same time, a disappointingly low proportion of the super-wealthy and high earners engage meaningfully in philanthropy. In new research published for the Summit, Pro Bono Economics found that between 2020-22 most donors among the UK's top 1 per cent of earners made relatively small charitable donations of only around 0.2 per cent of their gross income or £52 a month. Furthermore, the exodus of many millionaires from the UK, as a result of changes to the tax system, is likely to have a detrimental impact on philanthropy. To unlock the UK's philanthropic potential, a number of strategic interventions are required. First, a dedicated match fund for philanthropy could dramatically increase charitable giving. Evidence shows people are 84 per cent more likely to donate when match funding is available. The UK should expand successful models like the Big Give to create targeted match funds for priority sectors. The Covid-19 Support Fund demonstrated this potential, where £20 million in government funding from the DCMS Community Match fund successfully leveraged an additional £20 million from private donors. Second, Gift Aid represents enormous untapped potential, yet its complexity means £560 million in eligible tax relief goes unclaimed annually. Simplifying the claiming process and better promoting these incentives could unlock significant additional charitable funding while reducing administrative burden for donors and charities alike. Third, wealth advisers serve as crucial gatekeepers to substantial philanthropic potential, yet philanthropy advice remains inconsistent and fragmented across the sector. The wealth management industry should systematically equip advisers with the knowledge and tools to effectively discuss philanthropic opportunities with their clients. Finally, the UK needs a cultural shift in how it regards philanthropy. While American philanthropists are celebrated as social heroes, their British counterparts often face scepticism or criticism. Creating a more positive narrative around philanthropic leadership would encourage greater giving and recognise the vital role philanthropy plays in addressing social challenges. Despite recent changes to the tax system, the UK remains an attractive destination for many international investors and philanthropists. The Trump administration's changes in the US, and its cuts in funding for the aid sector, may persuade some US philanthropists to seek a new base for their operations, and the UK is well positioned to benefit. After a year in office, Keir Starmer's Government remains committed to its five missions, encompassing the economy, energy, the NHS, crime and opportunity for all. All of these areas could be enhanced by philanthropists working alongside the public and private sectors to improve the lives of all citizens. Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair once spoke of heralding a 'giving age.' With the right moves, the Government can strengthen philanthropy in the UK and help deliver on its missions.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New fundraising app Givr wants to restore the UK's reputation as the most generous country on earth
LONDON, June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- a new fundraising-fintech platform, is setting out to restore the UK's reputation as the most generous country on earth by turning regular shopping into the nation's biggest act of giving. The newly-launched start-up has agreed partnerships with over 100 brands such as Amazon, Nike and Starbucks, enabling customers to donate up to 10 percent of every transaction to good causes. "If British shoppers spend what they normally do with our partners, over £100 million could flow to UK charities this Summer, without anyone spending a penny extra," said Sam Kopelman, Givr's co-founder and CEO. The "Pay Now, Give Now" revolution Most of us know "Buy-now, Pay-later" where you split payments into installments. Givr uses the opposite logic to make charity giving easy. You preload shopping credit (say, £50 at Amazon) in the app and spend it whenever convenient. Since the brand receives cash upfront, this smooths operations and avoids fees. In return, up to 10% is donated to your chosen charity. "It's incredible that I can raise funds with my regular shopping," said Laura Garland, frequent supporter of British Heart Foundation. "I've already raised £5.50 in 3 days". The Comeback Story The UK was once the most generous nation among major economies (CAF World Giving Index), but today it ranks 22nd. With the cost of living crisis squeezing household budgets, charitable giving has understandably declined and the proportion of UK donors has dropped from 58% in 2019 to just 50% now, a loss of nearly 4 million supporters. Givr wants to change that. By enrolling 1 million shoppers by the end of 2025 - and encouraging other retailers to follow its donation model - Givr could help raise an additional £5 billion for UK charities. That's more than the total Gift Aid for 2024, and enough to put the UK back at the top of the global giving rankings. About & Media Contacts is a UK-based fundraising-fintech platform that turns everyday spending into instant charitable donations. The iOS app lets users preload shopping credit and automatically direct a percentage to any UK-registered charity. Founded by Sam Kopelman, Asin Zahir and Ed Harrod, Givr aims to create a global hub for giving, facilitating billions in donations. Website: 85 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7LT View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNA
19-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
New volunteering scheme for companies allows for greater flexibility
There is a new volunteering scheme for companies big or small looking to kickstart their giving journey, by allowing for greater flexibility in volunteering hours. It is part of a wider effort to build a greater sense of community, as Singapore marks 60 years of nation-building. Chloe Teo reports.
Forbes
19-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Gift Funds In Retirement Like Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett isn't just known for his investing acumen—he's also a model for thoughtful giving. For retirees considering how to share their wealth, Buffett's approach offers valuable lessons. Gifting funds in retirement, when done strategically, can support loved ones and meaningful causes without jeopardizing long-term financial security. One of Buffett's core principles is to give during his lifetime, rather than waiting to pass assets through an estate. This philosophy, often called "giving while living," allows donors to witness the impact of their generosity and ensures funds are used effectively. For retirees, this can mean helping adult children buy a home, funding a grandchild's education, or supporting charitable organizations they're passionate about—all while maintaining control and oversight. The IRS allows individuals to gift up to $18,000 per recipient annually (as of 2024) without triggering gift tax reporting. Married couples can double that amount, jointly gifting $36,000 per recipient per year. Over time, these annual gifts can meaningfully reduce the size of a taxable estate while offering real-time support to family members. Additionally, retirees can take advantage of direct payments for qualified education or medical expenses. When paid directly to an institution, these gifts do not count against the annual exclusion limit. Buffett's philanthropic strategy centers around meaningful, high-impact giving. Retirees can emulate this by focusing on causes they care about and exploring tax-efficient methods such as: Generosity is admirable, but it shouldn't come at the cost of long-term financial security. Before making substantial gifts, retirees should review their financial plan to ensure they have sufficient income for healthcare, lifestyle expenses, and potential long-term care needs. Financial planning tools can model different gifting scenarios to strike a balance between giving and preserving financial independence. Consulting with a financial advisor or estate planning attorney can help ensure that gifts align with broader financial goals. Warren Buffett once said he wants to give his kids 'enough money so that they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing.' It's a powerful reminder that gifting is about empowerment, not entitlement. For retirees, gifting during their lifetime—whether to family or charities—can be one of the most meaningful parts of the retirement journey. With a thoughtful, tax-efficient approach, gifts can leave a legacy that lasts far beyond a balance sheet.
