June 20, 2010; Source: Channel 4 News | A British group has proposed a novel way the English can begin catching up to the generosity levels of their American cousins. It is urging that Queen Elizabeth use her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012 to persuade everyone to give at least one-percent of their income to charity.

The SCA Institute says what it calls the “Diamond Dividend” could help push donations closer to U.S. figures, where charitable giving is double that in the United Kingdom. According to Channel 4 News, the proposal calls for the Queen to “use her influence to persuade business, civic and religious leaders as well as star footballers and singers to sign up to the cause.” The report says, if successful, “It would be bigger than Live Aid, Band Aid and Comic Relief. It would be looking for a new social norm, a fresh civic revolution that would unleash £4 billion of new charitable revenues to establish a legacy for the Jubilee year—a Diamond Dividend.”

In addition to calling on the Queen to make giving a routine part of everyone’s civic duty, the report asks newly elected Prime Minister David Cameron and his Cabinet ministers “to set an example by being among the first to commit to giving up a set part of their pay to charity.”—Bruce Trachtenberg