Perthshire businessman Sir Ian Wood has received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy at a ceremony in New York.
The award is given to people who uphold the values of the world’s best-known philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Sir Ian, whose Wood Foundation funds and manages a range of programmes in the UK focusing on education, child poverty and economic development, used his address to encourage others to consider the benefits of international philanthropy and highlighted the issues facing the developing world.
In Rwanda and Tanzania, The Wood Foundation has transformed the livelihoods of tens of thousands of families through investment and training in the tea industry.
Sir Ian said: “American philanthropists are incredibly generous within the US but only about 5% of their giving is international.
“However, I urged them to further consider the impact of their dollars in the developing world where more than half the world’s population faces a different scale of hardship and suffering.
“At The Wood Foundation, I am very proud of the wonderful things the team is achieving in Scotland and I am equally proud to have a professional, focused team delivering real change in Sub Sahara Africa.
“The two portfolios are very different but equally important to us in achieving our main philanthropic goal of reducing inequity by giving people opportunities to help themselves and achieve a sustainable outcome.”
The businessman and philanthropist, the only recipient from outside of the USA to be added to the illustrious list this year, has been heralded by the Carnegie family of institutions on the 100th anniversary of the death of Andrew Carnegie.
Sir Ian added: “I am honoured to have been recognised by the Carnegie family of institutions.
“I feel a particular pride representing Carnegie’s home country on the 100th anniversary of his passing.
“Carnegie’s legacy lives on a century later.
“The programmes and investments our foundation is delivering are all designed to create impact that goes beyond one-off donations to something that is more meaningful and long-lasting, hopefully creating a legacy inspired by Carnegie.”
