Pro Bono Economics uses economics to empower the social sector and to increase wellbeing across the UK. We combine project work with individual charities and social enterprises with policy research that can drive systemic change. Our vision is for a United Kingdom with high wellbeing for all.

Experts and economists at PBE work on a wide range of issues related to wellbeing, including mental health, education, employment, poverty, volunteering and civil society. The charity was founded in 2009 by Andy Haldane, former Chief Economist of the Bank of England, and economist Martin Brookes. PBE is chaired by former Cabinet Secretary Lord Gus O’Donnell.

The services PBE provides to small-to-mid-sized charities help them measure, understand and better articulate their impact, influence and inform policy and make best use of their data. Volunteer economists from across government, regulators and the private sector work in partnership with PBE to provide these services to charities on a pro bono basis. Whether they benefited from short-term support or in-depth evaluation, 94%​ of the charities that PBE has worked with say they would recommend us​.

In 2020, the Law Family Commission on Civil Society was created by Pro Bono Economics with the generous support of Andrew Law and the Law Family Charitable Foundation. The Law Family Commission on Civil Society is an ambitious programme of groundbreaking research into how we can unleash the potential of civil society, to harness and enhance the powerful community bonds that exist in our nation.