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| Pro Bono Economics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pro Bono Economics |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | |
| Headquarters | London |
| Services | Economic analysis, evaluation, capacity building |
Pro Bono Economics is a United Kingdom–based nonprofit that connects volunteer economists with charity and nonprofit organisations to provide pro bono analytical support. The organisation deploys teams drawn from financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and consultancies like McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Deloitte to advise charities, social enterprises, and public bodies including National Health Service, Local Government Association, and arts organisations such as the Royal Opera House. It operates within a landscape shared by entities such as Nesta, Big Society Capital, and Clore Social Leadership Programme.
Pro Bono Economics was established in 2009 against the backdrop of the 2008–2009 financial crisis and the policy shifts following the 2008 United Kingdom bank rescue package and the 2010 Coalition era. Founders included figures from legal and philanthropic circles such as Baron Woolf, Dame Julia Cleverdon, and investors like Sir Paul Marshall; early governance involved trustees drawn from organisations including Charities Aid Foundation, City of London Corporation, and The Prince's Trust. The charity developed relationships with academic departments at institutions such as London School of Economics, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge to recruit volunteer researchers and draw on methods used in evaluations of programmes like the Troubled Families programme.
The stated mission emphasises improving decision‑making for charities and funders through applied economic analysis, drawing on tools used in evaluations of initiatives such as Sure Start, Teach First, and Turnaround Schools. Activities include rapid evidence reviews for organisations like Barnardo's, cost‑benefit appraisal for healthcare providers affiliated with National Health Service, and impact measurement for social enterprises connected to Big Society Capital. Pro Bono Economics offers capacity building via workshops, mentoring and secondee programmes involving partners such as EY, KPMG, JP Morgan Chase, and HSBC.
Services combine microeconomic techniques used in studies by Institute for Fiscal Studies, Centre for Economic Policy Research, and National Institute for Economic and Social Research with applied evaluation methods Employed methods include quasi‑experimental designs similar to difference-in-differences used in analyses of Minimum Wage Act 1998 impacts, propensity score matching analogous to work on Universal Credit, and benefit‑cost analysis used in public policy appraisals for projects like Crossrail. Data sources often mirror those employed by statisticians at Office for National Statistics and researchers using administrative datasets from Department for Work and Pensions, Public Health England, and HM Revenue and Customs. The organisation publishes technical reports, toolkits, and case notes consistent with practice from Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Nesta.
Governance is overseen by a board of trustees and an executive team with secondees drawn from corporate partners such as Barclays and Goldman Sachs; past chairs and patrons have included senior figures from City of London Corporation, The National Lottery Community Fund, and academic trustees from London School of Economics. Funding streams combine grants from foundations including Big Lottery Fund, corporate sponsorships from institutions like PwC and Morgan Stanley, and philanthropic donations from family offices linked to names such as Wellcome Trust and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The organisation adheres to regulatory oversight from the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Pro Bono Economics has reported contributions to programme redesigns and funding decisions for organisations including Barnardo's, Macmillan Cancer Support, Citizens Advice, and Shelter. Case studies parallel impact evaluations seen in reports by National Audit Office and cost‑effectiveness work such as analyses of NHS Foundation Trusts. Notable projects have included economic appraisals informing local interventions in London boroughs like Tower Hamlets and Lambeth, and analytical support for national campaigns led by Cancer Research UK and Mind. Collaborations with academic researchers have produced outputs comparable to studies published via Economic Journal and working papers at Centre for Economic Performance.
Critiques have focused on reliance on corporate secondees from investment banking and large consultancies, echoing debates surrounding public‑sector procurement highlighted in inquiries such as the UK Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee. Concerns mirror those raised in controversies about private sector influence similar to debates around Austerity in the United Kingdom and subcontracting in programmes reviewed by the National Audit Office. Methodological limits—such as data access restrictions from departments like Department for Education and Ministry of Justice—have been cited in academic discussions alongside critiques voiced by sector bodies including National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Strategic partnerships include corporate alliances with Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Deloitte, and consultancy links to McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group; philanthropic and sector relationships extend to Big Society Capital, Nesta, Charities Aid Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund, and academic collaborations with London School of Economics, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge. The organisation has worked with public bodies including National Health Service trusts, local authorities like Manchester City Council, and sector intermediaries such as CAF and ACEVO.
Category:Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom Category:Charity assessment