The Logic of Charity: Great Expectations in Hard Times

What is charity? How does it operate, who does it benefit and what should we expect it to do? This important book helps to tackle the most common misunderstandings and misconceptions of charitable activity in contemporary British society, especially insofar as these affect the thinking of politicians and policymakers. The authors present and discuss over a dozen studies, including public attitudes to giving, large datasets on the geography and funding patterns of third sector organisations, and interviews with a wide range of donors, charity leaders, fundraisers and philanthropy advisers. This data enables them to explore the logic of charity in terms of the distribution of resources across causes and communities in the UK, and the processes behind philanthropic decision-making, to reveal a picture of charitable activity at odds with widespread assumptions.

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction: Is there a 'Logic of Charity'? 2. Who benefits from charitable expenditures? The distribution of charitable resources by cause. 3. Spatial logics: the geographical distribution of charities and charitable resources. 4. The supply of philanthropy in relation to beneficiary demand. 5. How intermediaries affect the distribution of charitable benefit. 6. Conclusion: Where the logic of charity might lead us.

About the Author :
John Mohan is Director of the Third Sector Research Centre at the University of Birmingham, UK. Beth Breeze is Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, UK.

Review :
"Based on current research set out in easily assimilable form, this valuable publication summarises the key issues that define the role of charity in our society. By enhancing understanding of the challenges facing the charitable sector and the potential for change it should make an important contribution to current debates." - Nicholas Deakin, Gresham College, UK "This vitally important book expertly deploys a wealth of data to explain why the logic of charity is not redistributive in the way hoped by many who idealize it as a champion of social justice." - Peter Halfpenny, University of Manchester, UK "This book shines a welcome light onto debates that are often ill-informed, at a time when the very concept of charity is subject to fundamental critique from all sides of the political spectrum. Mohan and Breeze provide an intellectual and empirical basis for those who wish to comment with authority on the modern charity sector." - Karl Wilding, NCVO, UK "Most everyone believes charity is essential to social improvement. But most everyone also has a limited – and many have a false – understanding of what charity is, and what it can or should do. This is why books like this one are so valuable to help us better understand the underlying logic, tremendous benefits – and yes, the real limitations – of charity." -Michael Moody, Grand Valley State University, USA