Letter: An obligation to keep faith with the donors
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: There can be few charitable trustees who do not sympathise with the dilemmas faced by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and other donors (including Sir Philip himself) to the now-aborted Sir Philip Harris House at Guy's Hospital ('Whose money is it anyway, Virginia?', 1 June).
The earliest health facilities were themselves charities, and since the advent of the NHS, charities have remained important supporters of medical research and innovative treatment facilities. But charitable grants, now equivalent to about 1 per cent of the NHS budget, cannot support basic health infrastructure. Where that infrastructure is undermined by closures and reorganisations, as at Guy's, so is the viability of charity-funded special facilities.
For a charitable funder to pull out of an agreed project is rare, but without the guaranteed stability of the host institution, Sir Philip and the ICRF trustees had little choice. Let their withdrawal be a warning that the acceptance of charitable funds brings an obligation to keep faith with the donors
Yours etc,
NIGEL SIEDERER
Director, Association of
Charitable Foundations
London, WC1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments