Philanthropy in Europe : Mapping Research and Data on Donations by Households, Bequests, Foundations, Corporations and Charity Lotteries

This publication presents a comparative overview of philanthropic giving in Europe and is the result of a collaborative initiative of the European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP). It brings together the best available evidence on donations by individuals, bequests, corporations, foundations, and charity lotteries across European countries, reflecting the current state of research and data availability in the field. Using a standardised reporting template, ERNOP researchers have identified and documented the most relevant national data sources. For each country and type of giving, the publication provides the best available estimates of philanthropic giving, which in many cases represent lower-bound calculations. Differences in data coverage, representativeness, and update status are made explicit through a transparent data-quality classification. Together, the country-level estimates, European totals, and data-quality indicators offer both an empirical snapshot of philanthropy in Europe and a clear framework for interpreting cross-national variation and limitations in the available data. As such, the publication serves as a reference point for researchers, policymakers, and philanthropy professionals seeking reliable, comparable information on the scale and structure of philanthropic givingin Europe.