The Marshall Institute was founded by Sir Paul Marshall and Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett. They had worked together on the Philanthropy Review and each had a strong commitment to using private resources – of money, time, ideas, and networks – for public good. And each found a dearth of serious research into how to improve the effectiveness of those private interventions. They wished to create a world-class centre of teaching for the acceleration of these approaches that was research-based and that would have a real impact on future leaders. The result was the Marshall Institute.
“Through our work at the Review it became obvious that there was an increasing interest in giving money through philanthropy as well as an increasing desire to become a social entrepreneur. Yet it was apparent that further education and the universities were not devoting money and first class brains to research these trends,” said Sir Tom Hughes-Hallett.
Through Paul Marshall’s generous donation of £10 million and Tom Hughes-Hallett’s commitment of time to serve as the Institute’s first chair, they set out to develop a model that could find solutions to this lack of high-calibre research and teaching.
“Private contributions to the public good of time, talent and treasure will be the crucial ingredients of a successful society and a new, more responsible model of capitalism,” said Hughes-Hallett. “There is great need and demand for an institution that combines practical experience and academic rigour to produce the future leaders of philanthropy and social entrepreneurship.”
Founders
Sir Paul Marshall is chairman and chief investment officer of Marshall Wace LLP, founding trustee of ARK and chairman and trustee of the Education Policy Institute.
Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett is Chair of Chelsea & Westminster hospital, ‘Chair of Chairs’ of all NHS teaching hospital and founder and Executive Chair of HelpForce.
The LSE collaboration
After meeting with a number of distinguished universities, Marshall and Hughes-Hallett chose to collaborate with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The School’s reputation for producing radical thinkers committed to understanding and improving the world was key to their choice. Its world class reputation in management, economics, social science and philosophy made it a natural fit for the two founders’ vision.
“It is a great honour to team up with the London School of Economics and Political Science to launch the Marshall Institute. LSE has always been a pioneer and innovator in teaching and learning, exactly the qualities we are seeking for the Marshall Institute. Sir Tom Hughes-Hallett is one of the most dynamic and thoughtful philanthropists in the country and we are so delighted that he has agreed to act as our first Chair,” said Marshall.
The Marshall Institute will equip the foremost figures in the field and leaders of the future with the knowledge they need to put philanthropic funding and social endeavour to best use. The founders believe the Institute’s success can be measured in producing a significant cadre of future leaders who will look back and attribute their success to the Marshall Institute.