PRO BONO Economics research estimates that there are around 230,000 people under 35 in the UK with net financial assets exceeding £100,000
Nearly all wealthy young people surveyed express a strong desire to have a positive societal impact with their money, with 88% already donating to charity
However, around 110,000 wealthy people under 35 may not have a relationship with a financial or wealth adviser at present.

New research reveals that, while a significant percentage of young people in the UK are keen to contribute to good causes, many are not receiving advice on how best to invest their money.

The research, by Pro Bono Economics (PBE)1, found that while there are around 230,000 people under 35 with net assets exceeding £100,000, roughly 110,000 of those may not be in contact with a financial or wealth adviser.2

As well as unlocking large charitable donations, providing philanthropy support for young wealthy clients would be a significant growth opportunity for financial advisers given their ability to understand and cater to the philanthropic inclinations of what PBE has coined the ’generous generation’ and build long-term relationships with the high-net-worth individuals of the future.

To address this issue PBE brought together the Financial Conduct Authority, the Treasury, and the Department of Culture Media and Sport, as well as an alliance of accredited bodies, government entities, and philanthropy experts, to enhance philanthropy training for advisers.3

An estimated £5.5 trillion is expected to be passed down to younger generations over the next 20 to 30 years – the so-called ‘Great Wealth Transfer’. Financial advisers and firms seeking to attract the business of the 230,000 under-35s who already possess net financial assets exceeding £100,000 will need to adapt.

Encouragingly, 88 per cent of wealthy young people already donate to charity and PBE found that 90 per cent of those surveyed expressed a strong desire to have a positive societal impact with their money. With this generation giving more to charity – and in greater numbers – than ever before, financial advisers will need to tap into their philanthropic instincts.4 Last year 38% donated more than £2,000 to charity last year, compared to 5% of over-55s. This makes them eight times more likely to have made a substantial gift to charity or charities. Despite straitened times, 63% of those surveyed said they would consider increasing their charitable donations, compared to 13% of over-55s.

While this generation is also more likely to seek financial advice – 78% compared to 61% of those over 55 – more than half of wealthy under-35s also indicated they would be more likely to choose a financial adviser who offers philanthropy advice.

One compelling route to engaging with younger clients and potential clients on their giving is through Donor Advised Funds, a convenient charitable giving vehicles which can be funded through cash, shares or third-party entities. Encouragingly, 65% of under 35s5 said they would be interested in investing in a DAF in the future.

Sisters Lauren Gupta and Becky Holmes founded the Helvellyn Foundation, which provides philanthropic grants to individuals and organisations involved in biodiversity and the education of young people. When they first started they found almost no philanthropic advice from financial advisers.

Becky said:

“I found that most advisers focused on just growing your money, with philanthropy always being a secondary consideration. That immediately lost me because that’s not the go-to motivation for everyone. It’s a big deal to push against the status quo – it’s very difficult to get out of that box. A lot of wealth advisers will also not talk about the impact of how money is invested for fear of offending clients, such as whether it will be to the detriment of a habitat or a community.

“My advice to people wanting to give philanthropically is to speak to foundations in the UK and other people who have had that experience before speaking to advisers.”

Lauren said:

“We all live in a society affected by global issues, and advisors need to talk about how wealth management can impact, positively or negatively, these issues. But they don’t seem to offer that, it’s presumed that you are looking to preserve and grow the wealth regardless of the impact – there’s such a protective mindset on it.

“I have also been speaking to advisers about how they engage the next generation of wealth holders, because we were not engaged by the advisers around our family. My caveat is that advice should be more holistic and impact-focused; we are probably more progressive because we didn’t get that engagement and ended up seeking more forward-thinking advice elsewhere! One thing that helped us early on was a wealth coach who talked us through the emotional as well as the planning side of wealth, which we had not seen anywhere else. To anyone thinking about giving money away, you don’t have to start big. Initially a large sum seemed scary, but now we feel more secure and are braver in what we are doing.”

David Clarke set up a project called Wealth Shared which saw 12 people decide how to spend his £100,000 inheritance.

David said:

“My mum died in 2014 and I inherited this amount of money and I had this feeling of not being comfortable with inherited wealth – I don’t think it’s how the world should work so I decided to give it away.

“I went through a thought process of wondering what to do with it, and sent out 600 letters in my local area. The task was they could do anything with the money – and they had to give it away rather than having any lasting relationship with that money – but it could go to any individual or organisation in the world. In the end the money went to organisations in the L8 postcode – an area where there’s a lot of deprivation.

“A lot more people are in a position like me and the amount of wealth inherited is going to massively increase over the coming decades. We’re also in a time where people are more socially aware. “If you’re ever in a position about what to do with the money there’s power in democratising that decision and dispersing the pressure so it’s not all on the individual.”

Nicole Sykes, Director of Policy and Communications at Pro Bono Economics and co-author of the report, said:

“This is an opportune moment for financial advisers with the Great Wealth Transfer, and the time to act is now. By championing philanthropy, advisers can ensure they remain relevant and tap into the significant good will of the generous generation.

“Firms and advisers that do not currently offer philanthropy services or limit their philanthropy offerings to the ultra-wealthy risk being left behind by demographics, demand, and by governmental action. But by evolving and embracing this challenge they can attract the next generation of clients in a competitive market and contribute to a more giving, socially-conscious society.”