Wealthy people donate almost € 8000 to charities

Paul Smeets appeared in het Financieele Dagblad, Telegraaf, Metro and nu.nl with the 2016 research report on philanthropy of Dutch millionaires. According to Paul, donors see their donations as an investment: ‘Philanthropy is often traditionally associated with giving by heirs, but our research shows that entrepreneurs and employers are the primary active donors. They see their gifts as investments and are actively involved in charities. For example, they may sit on the board of a philanthropic institution. Although heirs do indeed give less to charity, they are most definitely committed to society. They express that commitment through sustainable and impact investments, for example. An impact investment not only aims for financial returns, but also for social returns.’