Why Britain's Rich Are Getting Richer, Giving Less to Charity

The annual Sunday Times Rich List is a reminder that, for a select number of our fellow citizens, money seems to fall like confetti. The chance to compare the wealth of billionaires with plain old multimillionaires doesn’t come along that often. It is a strangely compelling reading.

My eye, however, is quickly drawn to the "Giving List." This data, covering 200 of the richest philanthropists in the U.K., tells us how much the country’s super-rich have chosen to give away to help others. It’s compelling stuff, too—but for very different reasons.

The figures demonstrate something that we’ve been arguing for some time: Big givers could be much, much better at philanthropy.