Background Philanthropists, charity leaders and policy-makers have increasingly recognised that the process of giving resources needs to be grounded in evidence—sometimes referred to as ‘evidence-based’ or ‘data-driven’ philanthropy. Yet few philanthropists practise evidence-based philanthropy, and some contend that there is insufficient evidence on which to base their funding decisions. This review aims to identify factors that promote or limit the use of evidence by philanthropists and to rigorously evaluate all existing research on this issue. Objectives To identify, synthesise, and evaluate appropriate and rigorous research, examining factors which act as barriers to or facilitators of the use of evidence by philanthropists. Methods This review was conducted according to Cochrane standards and reported following PRISMA guidelines. The review protocol was pre-registered ( dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.wbsfane ). We searched 10 interdisciplinary databases using a highly sensitive search strategy, developed in consultation with an information scientist. We also contacted experts and searched a range of websites. Studies were included if they comprised primary research into or systematic reviews of the barriers to and facilitators of the use of evidence by philanthropists or funders when determining which charities (including health charities or programmes) to fund. All studies were appraised for quality, and the results synthesised using thematic analysis. Results Of 686 studies identified through database and hand searching, nine met inclusion criteria. The thematic summary identified three main barriers to philanthropists or funders using evidence: (1) inadequate knowledge transfer and difficulties accessing evidence, (2) challenges in understanding the evidence and (3) insufficient resources. The three key factors that expedite the use of evidence are (1) improved knowledge transfer and more accessible/relevant high-quality information, (2) access to professional advisors and networks and (3) broadening the definition of what counts as credible evidence along with standardisation of reporting. Conclusions The authors of this review found several compelling arguments for promoting the use of evidence by philanthropists to inform their philanthropy. If evidence-based philanthropy is to flourish, then they recommed the following actions: Firstly, philanthropy should be underpinned by a commitment to 'do no harm'. Secondly, the definition of evidence should be expanded and funding decisions based upon consideration of 'all available evidence'. Finally, there should be more investment in synthesizing evidence and in the infrastructure for knowledge transfer.

Whilst there is growing recognition across the non‐profit literature, that the giving of resources ought to be informed by rigorous evidence, few studies to date have examined how high and ultra‐high‐net‐worth donors use evidence to inform their philanthropy, the type and quality of the evidence they utilise, and how they measure the performance of the charities they support. The primary objective of this study was to examine whether and how philanthropists employ evidence to inform their decision‐making. We employed in‐depth qualitative research methods to elicit the perspectives of philanthropists on how they engaged with evidence and, in so doing, filled a gap in the data. We found barriers to utilising evidence included challenges in accessing evidence, difficulties in assessing the quality and appropriateness of evidence and insufficient resources to capture evidence. Facilitators of evidence use included: making evidence more accessible and enhanced access to professional philanthropy advice and advisors. Despite growing awareness of the importance of evidence, few donors employed sound evidence‐based models of philanthropy.

Today there is increasing recognition amongst philanthropists, charity leaders and policy makers, that in order to be effective, the process of giving resources needs to be grounded in evidence. However, it is often suggested that there is insufficient evidence upon which philanthropists can rely, in part because 'good quality data on successful interventions is still not widely published' (Kassatly, 2018 p.1). This review aims to identify limiting and promoting factors regarding the use of evidence by philanthropists and to evaluate and synthesise existing research on this issue. This will include:Primary research or systematic reviews investigating the perceptions and/or experiences of philanthropists relating to their use of evidence. Studies investigating the perceptions of professionals (such as charity CEO's; philanthropic advisors and philanthropic consultants) as to how evidence is used by philanthropists.All study designs will be eligible for inclusion provided they examine factors affecting the use of evidence by philanthropists however, such factors need not be the primary focus of those studies.