When philanthropists have an emotional commitment to the cause they are funding, the dynamic it creates can become a powerful driver for sustained giving. The 2008 Times Giving List is full of men and women who have strong personal reasons for supporting — and in several cases founding — charities.
One is Eric Clapton, who, last year raised funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, which helps recovering drug addicts and alcoholics. He staged the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago with, among others, Sheryl Crow, BB King and Steve Winwood. Sales of the DVD are expected to raise £750,000 for the centre, with a further £135,000 coming from sales of a Hard Rock Cafe signature series T-shirt.
The centre was founded by Clapton in 1998, inspired by his own fight with drug and alcohol addiction.
Personal experiences have also inspired Sir Elton’s philanthropy. He has put tens of millions of pounds into his AIDS foundation, providing care and support for sufferers and their families, and education for the public on both sides of the Atlantic. His high-profile support is also estimated to have attracted at least £50m of funding from other sources to help fight AIDS in the past 15 years.
“I have always felt that I have a moral responsibility not only to donate money in a personal capacity but also to motivate other people to do the same,” the songwriter says.
“He regards it as a case of there but for the grace of God go I,” says Robert Key, director of the EJAF. “He gives very much on a personal level. So, because a lot of his girlfriends have been affected by breast cancer, he sends a lot of women for treatment, and pays the cost.”
Indeed, a Breast Cancer Research Foundation concert in New York is now an annual fixture for Elton, this year raising about £2.5m.
Overall, it has been estimated that 20%-30% of his performances are for charity.
