We’re diving into five Scottish philanthropists and the causes they support.
In honour of Burns Night, we’re looking at five Scots on our database who have made a name for themselves in philanthropy.
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Douglas Craig
Douglas Craig is chairman and managing director of the global shipping and energy services firm Craig International.
The Craig family and the firm have made significant gifts to Aberdeen institutions and abroad, including funding the top floor of the new University Library, gifting a third MRI scanner to Woodend Hospital and sponsoring the 2018 Oman Oilfield Classic.
The family have been featured on The Sunday Times Giving List, and last appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List in 2018 with an estimated wealth of £155m.
James Easdale
Philanthropist James Easdale co-owns McGill’s Bus Group with his brother Sandy. The pair are the 126th wealthiest in the UK, with The Sunday Times Rich List estimating the combined wealth of the brothers at £1.425bn in 2023.
The brothers are proud supporters of several Scottish charities, including the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, the Erskine Motorbike Meet, and Inverclyde Tree of Tranquillity.
Lady Susan Haughey
Lady Susan Haughey and her husband, William, set up City Facilities Management in 1985. The global facilities management business serves healthcare, petrol forecourts, leisure and hospitality, retail, distribution and logistics, commercial property and construction.
City Facilities Management’s OneCity Taking Action Together programme supports local groups and projects by employing local labour and apprentices, donating materials to community groups and teaching schoolchildren about the dangers of construction sites.
The couple also founded the City Charitable Trust, with objectives including the advancement of education, health, arts, heritage, culture or science and the relief of poverty and those in need, including the elderly. Lady Susan was previously a director of KIlbryde Hospice.
The couple appear regularly in the Sunday Times Giving List, and last appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List in 2020 with an estimated wealth of £309m.
Sir Tom Hunter
Sir Tom Hunter is a Scottish businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1998, he sold his Sports Division chain to JJB Sports for approximately £295m and set up The Hunter Foundation to reduce poverty and enable education.
The Foundation’s many partnerships include BBC Children in Need, STV Children’s Appeal and the University of Strathclyde.
Sir Tom has signed the giving pledge, committing to give most of his wealth to charitable causes during his lifetime or in his will.
The Sunday Times Rich List estimated Sir Tom’s wealth to be £700m in 2023. He also appeared on the latest Sunday Times Giving List with donations of £13m.
Alan McFarlane
Alan McFarlane is one of Scotland’s highest-paid financiers. He became managing director of investment management boutique Walter Scott & Partners and owned a 20% equity stake when it sold for £400m in 2006. McFarlane is now a senior partner of Dundas Global Investors, an Edinburgh-based equity investment management company he started in 2010.
McFarlane founded his grantmaking trust, Ryvoan Trust, with a donation of over £5m, focusing on children and young people, and supporting people with either physical or mental health challenges. The Trust has supported multiple projects across Scotland, including Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, Cerebral Palsy Scotland and Back Up.
This is a tiny snapshot of some of the 270,000 plus high-net-worth and well-connected individuals on our Wealth Intelligence database. If you’re ready to take your fundraising to the next level, find out how to get started for free.