The Art Fund supports philanthropy manifesto

25th April 2008

The Art Fund's Director, David Barrie, has shown his support of today's launch of 'Private Giving for the Public Good', a new manifesto to encourage a culture of giving to the arts and heritage.

He said: "The Art Fund has long campaigned for an income tax incentive to encourage lifetime gifts. We fully support this manifesto and call on government to look again at how it can use the tax system better to promote philanthropy."

Related links:

'Private Giving for the Public Good'

Notes to editors:
1. There are currently no incentives in the UK to encourage gifts of art and artefacts to public collections in a donor's lifetime.  The UK is the only major Western country that doesn't offer such incentives.  More details about the tax incentives available in other countries can be found in The Art Fund's research 'Private Collections in the Public Domain' at: http://www.artfund.org/pdf/Private.pdf
2. There are a number of tax incentives already available to encourage giving to the cultural sector for example, 'Gift Aid' for cash gifts and 'Acceptance in Lieu', which allows a gift of a work of art to the nation in order to satisfy an inheritance tax bill. 
3. The Art Fund is the UK’s leading independent art charity. It offers grants to help UK museums and galleries enrich their collections; campaigns on behalf of museums and their visitors; and promotes the enjoyment of art. 
4. It is entirely funded from public donations and has 80,000 members.  Since 1903 the charity has helped museums and galleries all over the UK secure 860,000 works of art for their collections.
5. Recent achievements include:  helping secure Anthony d’Offay’s collection, ARTIST ROOMS, for Tate and National Galleries of Scotland in February 2008 with a grant of £1million; putting together a unique funding package to ensure Dumfries House in Ayrshire and its contents were secured intact for the nation in July 2007; and running the ‘Buy a Brushstroke’ public appeal which raised over £550,000 to keep Turner’s Blue Rigi watercolour in the UK.
6. For more information contact the Press Office on 020 7225 4888 or visit www.artfund.org