About us
The Marshall Institute works to improve the impact and effectiveness of private action for public benefit. By private action we mean the activities of philanthropic foundations, social entrepreneurs, charities, NGOs and individual citizens, donating their time, money, ideas, knowledge and skills to serve the public good. By public benefit we mean activities that serve an explicitly social goal. Often these interventions involve risk and involve outcomes that are hard to measure. They are always improved by understanding.
Domains of private action for public benefit include:
- Philanthropy - the private giving of resources for public purposes.
- Social entrepreneurship - people who pursue an innovative idea with the potential to solve a social or environmental problem and who are willing to take on the risk and effort to create positive changes in society through their initiatives.
- Impact economy – broadly defined as the application of market-based mechanisms for intentionally and measurably contributing to a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world. This emerging domain can encompass concepts like impact investing, social enterprise, purpose-led business, and the circular economy.
The Marshall Institute informs and coordinates the efforts of citizens, researchers, private sector organisations, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs and policy makers who are working to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. We equip the leaders of the future in the theory and practice of how philanthropic funding and social endeavour can be put to best use.
The Marshall Institute draws upon the exceptional global reach and expertise at LSE and collaborates with existing departments, research centres and institutes within the School. The Marshall Institute focuses on three areas: research, teaching and learning and catalysing action.