ERNOP to Release Philanthropy in Europe: A comprehensive Cross-National Mapping of Philanthropy Across the Continent
Philanthropy in Europe. Mapping Research and Data on Donations by Households, Bequests, Corporations, Foundations and Charity Lotteries in Europe
Member release: 3 March | Public webinar: 24 March | Open Access
Amsterdam / Stockholm, 18 February 202— The European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP) announces the forthcoming publication of Philanthropy in Europe, a comprehensive cross-national mapping of philanthropic giving across Europe.
Bringing together nearly 50 researchers and covering 20 European countries, the volume provides the most extensive comparative overview currently available of philanthropic giving in Europe. The findings show that philanthropy represents a substantial and diverse contribution to European societies — while also revealing important structural gaps in how this activity is measured and understood.
“At a time when European societies face profound uncertainty, private initiative is increasingly expected to contribute to the common good,” says Barry Hoolwerf, Director of ERNOP and co-editor of the volume. “Yet we cannot responsibly debate the role of philanthropy without understanding its scale, structure, and limits. Europe does not lack philanthropic commitment. What it lacks is a shared and durable system to understand it. Strengthening Europe’s philanthropic data infrastructure is essential for informed public debate and sound policy.”
Why this matters now
European societies are navigating geopolitical instability, economic volatility, democratic strain, and shifting public priorities. While governments have responded with significant public investment, expectations for private initiative have intensified.
Yet philanthropic activity across Europe remains unevenly documented. Some countries maintain robust and representative data systems; others rely on fragmented surveys or partial estimates. Differences between countries often reflect differences in data infrastructure as much as differences in generosity.
Philantropy in Europe therefore maps not only giving itself, but also the quality, comparability, and transparency of the data that describe it.
A continent-wide research effort
The publication provides country-level analyses of:
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Individual donations
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Bequest giving
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Corporate philanthropy
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Foundation giving (endowment-derived)
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Independent charity lotteries
In addition to estimating volumes of giving, the study systematically assesses data quality, representativeness, and methodological approaches across countries.
A central conclusion is clear: philanthropy in Europe is significant and multifaceted — but its visibility remains structurally uneven.
Open Access and public discussion
Philantropy in Europe will be released to ERNOP members on 3 March and made available as an Open Access publication, ensuring that researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the public can freely access the findings.
On 24 March, ERNOP will host a public webinar in which editors Barry Hoolwerf and Johan Vamstad will present the main insights and discuss implications for research, policy, and practice. Representatives from across the European philanthropy sector will reflect on the findings.
Registration for the public webinar is possible here.
About ERNOP
The European Research Network on Philanthropy connects researchers and practitioners across Europe to advance, promote, and coordinate comparative research on philanthropy and charitable giving. Through cross-national collaboration and evidence-based dialogue, ERNOP works to strengthen understanding of philanthropy’s role in European societies.