As geopolitical and economic instability are increasingly contributing to creating new threats for people around the world, a parallel movement driven by individuals looking to make a positive impact on society and the planet is growing.
Furthermore, as (U)HNWs increasingly place philanthropy at the heart of their financial strategies, their motivations remain varied, with some being driven by a desire to leave a lasting legacy while others focus their efforts on combating global crises such as climate change.
The philanthropic landscape is, as ever, rich with opportunity. As Morag Gillespie of Stewardship told Spear’s, ‘there is no ‘best way’ to give; there’s no ‘best change’ to leave in the world.’ What matters most is that those with the means to contribute are choosing to act.
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But this openness brings its own challenges. Thoughtful, impactful giving rarely involves simply writing a cheque. Beyond financial capacity, effective philanthropy requires an understanding of the causes being supported, the organisations involved and how contributions are structured within a charity’s long-term financial planning.
This is why many HNWs work closely with philanthropy advisers, professionals who guide them through the process and help identify where their contributions can have the biggest impact.
‘When we’re speaking to clients who have a lot of wealth, we help them be the best stewards of that wealth they can be,’ said Isabelle Hayhoe of Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management. ‘They have an immense opportunity to do something impactful.’
Explore the other rankings within the 2026 Spear’s Business & Entrepreneurship Indices:
- Global Mobility, Residence & Citizenship by Investment advisers
- Insurance Advisers
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This year, Spear’s has brought together a diverse group of leaders from across the philanthropic advisory space – from The Twentieth, which supports the arts and culture, to research-driven consultancies like NPC and Stewardship, as well as organisations like Co-Impact, which focuses on pooling charitable donations to provide grants aimed at strengthening health, education and economic systems across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Philanthropy in 2026
During this year’s research cycle, advisers noted several shifts in the philanthropic landscape. One key trend noted by Spear’s is the influence of generational perspectives on philanthropic priorities. Younger donors increasingly direct their giving toward broad, systemic challenges (such as climate change, global inequality and food insecurity), often seeking to address issues that extend beyond their immediate environments. In contrast, older generations tend to focus on causes shaped by personal experience, including healthcare, education or community-based initiatives.
Advisers are seeing a stronger focus on understanding the ‘why’ behind giving. Clarifying motivations – whether to leave a legacy, to drive social change or to engage the next generation – has become a crucial first step in shaping a bespoke giving plan.
Chief customer office at Stewardship Nicola Johnson told Spear’s she has observed that philanthropy has become part of families’ overall wealth planning, with donors asking ‘”what are we doing with our whole wealth and not just in our lifetime, but in terms of our family planning?’.
Our 2026 research also found that this growing interest (and importance) given to charitable giving has translated into a bigger focus on the practice of measuring the actual impact of philanthropy. ‘Clients increasingly ask “what is it actually doing?”’, Johnson explained, adding that that shift has also brought greater emphasis to impact reporting and the balance between influencing charities’ work and giving organisations the freedom to deliver outcomes effectively.
Finally, in line with trends in the wider ecosystems of wealth, advisers have observed a strong growth in transatlantic philanthropy – especially driven by an influx of wealthy Americans to the UK. Joe Crome, the head of business development at the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) told Spear’s that the UK is increasingly positioned as a hub for international giving due to its regulatory environment and infrastructure. ‘The UK has emerged as a real winner [thanks to] its really great philanthropy structures and charitable regulations,’ he said.
From major private banks to specialist consultancies and research-led think tanks, every Spear’s-recognised adviser brings a unique set of skills and experiences to the table.
Click the links below to jump to a section of this article:
- Methodology
- The best philanthropy advisers: some names to know
- The best philanthropy advisers: the complete list
- Contact us
Methodology
Each year, the Spear’s Research Unit reassesses and refreshes its rankings of the leading providers in each sector by gathering data from and about the advisers and firms themselves, assessing submission forms, collating nominations, carrying out peer reviews, reviewing data from third-party sources, gathering references and recommendations, canvassing experts and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Advisers are evaluated using a proprietary scoring system that assigns different weightings to certain attributes. These scores feed directly into each new set of rankings in the Spear’s Indices. Each of these indices are published first online (according to the research calendar) and then in print. Print publication takes the form of the annual Spear’s 500 directory, which includes the top advisers in every index.
[See also: A guide to The Spear’s 500: Everything you need to know]
Each featured adviser is profiled on spears500.com. The site allows users to search the Spear’s database of more than 4,000 entities to find one (or more) to meet their specific requirements by filtering for specific attributes such as an adviser’s location, their specialist expertise and information about their client base.
The best philanthropy advisers: some names to know
Alex Day
- Focus: Match funding
- Ranking: Recommended
- Firm: Big Give
Big Give was launched by the late Sir Alec Reed as an online portal to help philanthropists discover charities and promote intelligent giving. Fast forward to June 2026, and Big Give has raised more than £448 million for over 22,900 charity projects since 2008.
Managing director Alex Day attributes Big Give’s success to its match-funding model, which allows donors, trusts and foundations to match donations made by the public.
He reports that funders appreciate Big Give’s ability to multiply impact, as well as the fact that the organisation carries out due diligence on the causes it supports. It’s also about the opportunity to be part of something bigger. ‘Big Give is a great example of the sum being greater than the individual parts,’ enthuses Day. ‘Everything we do is about bringing charities, philanthropists [and] the public together at a moment in time.
‘It means that, collectively, we create a lot more impact and a lot more value for everyone.’
Read Alex Day’s full profile on Spears500.com
Morag Gillespie
- Focus: Grant Making
- Ranking: Recommended
- Firm: Stewardship
Morag Gillespie is head of philanthropy at Stewardship, where she provides a bespoke service for individuals who are looking to establish a charitable fund with £500,000 or more.
While some of her clients have already set up a charitable trust and want to simplify towards a donor advised fund structure, others are just beginning their conversations about philanthropy and impact. ‘There are some families where their circumstances are particularly bespoke or complex; that frequently correlates with the size of their wealth, but not always. That’s the space we sit in,’ Gillespie tells Spear’s.
Gillespie’s team – lawyers, financing specialists and many other experts – helps clients to build a robust giving strategy that fulfils their personal motivations, but which also benefits charities. ‘We want to see every single act of generosity stewarded to its fullest potential, and so that means for the giver that their generosity becomes joyful, becomes meaningful and becomes transformational,’ she says.
Read Morag Gillespie’s full profile on Spears500.com
Mark Greer
- Focus: Establishing philanthropic vehicles
- Ranking: Top Recommended
Mark Greer is managing director of the Charities Aid Foundation, which works with wealth managers, family offices and professional advisers to plan and execute clients’ philanthropic endeavours.
Greer and his team ‘take away the hassle’ of the administrative, governance and compliance requirements needed to set up foundations and other philanthropic structures, allowing clients to focus on the causes that mean the most to them.
He tells Spear’s that the most common mistake he sees clients making is spreading themselves too thin – giving across too many different causes. ‘They end up saying yes to lots and lots of different things … We want people to rationalise and streamline their giving so it’s a bit more focused.
‘We can help educate clients on the value of long-term support,’ Greer adds, noting that unrestricted funding ‘is often the most catalytic funding for many charities’.
Read Mark Greer’s full profile on Spears500.com
Nicola Johnson
- Focus: Christian Philanthropy
- Ranking: Top Recommended
- Firm: Stewardship
‘People don’t always realise how difficult it is to give lots of money away well,’ Nicola Johnson tells Spear’s.
Johnson is chief customer officer at Stewardship, a philanthropy advisory firm founded on Christian ethics. She has publicly called for greater use of vehicles such as donor advised funds, a wrapper for individual giving with less of an administrative burden than that of a trust or foundation, and which simplifies the process of supporting good causes.
‘It can be a very complex and personal journey,’ she says, noting that it is important for clients to develop a robust giving strategy early on. Thankfully, she adds, in recent years philanthropy has become part of families’ overall wealth planning, rather than a separate endeavour.
Read Nicola Johnson’s full profile on Spears500.com
Russel Prior
- Focus: Intergenerational Planning
- Ranking: Top Recommended
HNW families who are clients of HSBC Private Bank can count on Russell Prior OBE for support in successfully navigating intergenerational wealth transfer.
Prior, recognised for his contribution to the charity and philanthropy sectors in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, is head of family governance, family office advisory and philanthropy for the EMEA region at the bank. In this role he is chiefly concerned with advising families on the next steps for their businesses and their assets, as well as their wealth aspirations, values and areas of interest.
A transition period is often a good time to talk about philanthropy strategies, as it is ‘an area that starts with a common interest as opposed to a difference of opinion’, bridging the gap between generations and starting the conversation ‘about wealth and about the purpose of wealth’, Prior says.
‘[Philanthropy] is a very purpose-driven activity; there is no financial reward in philanthropy. But that sense of purpose can be a really sound basis and anchor for wider conversations about intergenerational wealth,’ he tells Spear’s.
Read Russell Prior’ full profile on Spears500.com
The best philanthropy advisers: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles of each adviser on The Spear’s 500 website. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically by surname.
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