Founded by ex-fund manager and angel investor Mark Lyttleton, Percent For Good is a new movement that brings together professionals, encouraging them to put their weight behind impactful causes created to build a better world. A registered charity in England and Wales, Percent For Good provides donors with an easy way to give regularly to causes they care about.
Mark Lyttleton came up with the concept of Percent For Good after working in the City of London for more than two decades. Recognising the importance of giving back to society in various forms, he had donated through Payroll Giving schemes throughout his career, enjoying the simplicity of the giving process – albeit without really having the time to research the charities he was supporting. Recognising the dilemma of ‘cash rich’ but ‘time poor’ professionals who want to ensure their donations go to impactful charities and causes they feel connected to, Mark Lyttleton came up with the concept of ‘Cause Portfolios’, an innovation in the giving space that allows donations to be spread, widening the impact of every individual gift.
Percent For Good encourages companies to set up Payroll Giving for employees as the simplest and most efficient way of facilitating regular donations. However, recognising that not all businesses want, or are able, to do this, Percent For Good has opened up its Cause Portfolios to enable anyone to make a donation.
Each Cause Portfolio comprises a selection of carefully curated, high-impact charities, with causes selected according to Percent For Good’s stringent criteria. The organisation focuses on charities with limited resources, i.e. those with an income of £500k to £10 million, which often lack the fundraising capabilities and brand recognition of larger charities.
In handpicking charities for its Cause Portfolios, Percent For Good focuses on causes with a credible operational plan, good financial resources and an excellent leadership team. It also seeks out charities with a compelling vision and the potential to make a big impact on today’s biggest challenges, as well as organisations with strong strategic links, prioritising causes capable of leveraging their partnerships to achieve great results.
Percent For Good’s five Cause Portfolios currently are:
- The Social Mobility Portfolio
- The Education & Arts Portfolio
- The Health & Wellbeing Portfolio
- The Nature & Environment Portfolio
- The Cost-of-Living Crisis Portfolio
Giving to charity not only drives positive change in the world but offers tangible benefits for donors themselves. Studies show that the act of giving stimulates pleasure centres in the brain, triggering a ‘helper’s high’. Altruistic activities lower stress levels, promoting emotional resilience and wellbeing. Giving to causes like Percent For Good provides benefactors with a sense of purpose, enabling them to feel a deeper sense of meaning in life by contributing to causes they care about.