Mark Greer

Spear’s Review

Mark Greer is managing director of giving and impact at the Charities Aid Foundation, where he works with ‘wealth managers, family offices and professional advisers to provide world-class philanthropy services to UHNW clients and their families’.

Greer enables clients to set up their own foundations by taking on the administrative, governance and compliance tasks to make giving as seamless as possible. ‘We take away the hassle,’ he says.

Greer joined the firm in 2015 from UK Community Foundations and is adept at understanding a client’s objectives and turning them into concrete impact.

‘Properly backing charities, attaching as few strings as possible and giving them the flexibility to do their work all adds up to a recipe for good philanthropy,’ he says.

Adviser Profile

Mark Greer is described by peers as ‘incredibly knowledgeable about the charity and social enterprise finance sector’ with an ‘outstanding record of success’. Indeed, his work with the Charities Aid Foundation makes it easier for individuals, corporations, trusts and foundations to give to charity.

As Managing Director of Giving and Impact Services, Mark leads CAF’s work with businesses, individuals, social entrepreneurs and government to multiply their generosity and achieve life-changing results for the end beneficiaries of their donations. ‘Our philanthropy clients inspire our teams at every turn, stepping forward with generosity, advancing their giving plans and seeking our counsel on how to achieve the most impact through their donations.’

This notion of ‘good giving’ is central to CAF’s philosophy. ‘Good philanthropy always has a clear understanding of what it’s designed to achieve,’ says Greer. You also need the humility and flexibility to learn things along the way – for example, many are reluctant to fund overheads or salary costs, ‘but charities need those things to operate’, says Greer. ‘Properly backing charities, attaching as few strings as possible, and giving them the flexibility to do their work all adds up to a recipe for good philanthropy.’

Greer follows a ‘friendly but professional and reliable’ mantra, which is key in guiding clients through the experience of philanthropy, as it is such a personal journey. ‘Philanthropy is a great opportunity to get to know clients, and their families, in a deeper, more personal way,’ he says. ‘This is key to developing a more personal relationship and really understanding what the client wants to achieve with their giving.’