Hire us for research consultancy
Allocating resources to the right place can multiply the happiness you produce.
At the Happier Lives Institute we use pioneering evidence-based research to turn money into greater impact, focusing directly on wellbeing.
Or email us directly at
hello@happierlivesinstitute.org
81,387
WELLBYs created
61,610
years of depression averted
2025 WHR
co-authors
Measure what matters. Achieve far greater impact.
Many people aim to improve the lives of others, but few measure whether they actually succeed. Decisions are often based on inputs, outputs, or assumptions about what helps.
Using wellbeing science and cost-effectiveness analysis, our research at the Happier Lives Institute has found the best charities have hundreds, even thousands, of times more impact per dollar than others.
We also offer consultancy services, applying the same expertise, to help foundations, philanthropists, and organisations make better decisions about where their funding can do the most good.
From a question to measurable impact
We help funders and organisations answer one central question: how can your resources make the biggest difference? We offer a range of tailored services to help individuals and organisations have more impact.
Identifying the highest-impact opportunities
We estimate the cost-effectiveness of charities, programmes, and policies in terms of the wellbeing they create. Using rigorous research , we compare different ways of improving lives on a common scale so decision-makers can prioritise the most impactful options.
Measuring and improving programmes
We help organisations measure wellbeing outcomes through survey design, monitoring frameworks, and statistical analysis. This allows charities and funders to understand what works and identify ways to increase their impact.
Synthesising evidence
We conduct rapid reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses to help organisations understand the strongest available evidence on improving wellbeing.
Navigating difficult trade-offs
Many decisions require weighing different kinds of benefits — for example improving mental health versus reducing poverty, or improving quality of life versus extending life. We help organisations think through these questions by combining philosophical analysis with quantitative evidence.
How we work
01
Discover
We begin by understanding your priorities and decision context.
02
Plan
We then develop a tailored research plan aligned with your goals.
03
Analyse
Our team conducts the analysis and delivers clear, actionable recommendations.
04
Implement
If helpful, we can also support implementation and ongoing evaluation.
We’re happy to discuss how we can support you at any stage of your project.
Or email us directly at
hello@happierlivesinstitute.org
Why partner with the Happier Lives Institute
Pioneers of wellbeing cost-effectiveness
We are among the first organisations to systematically compare interventions using WELLBYs, a wellbeing metric endorsed in UK Treasury guidance and widely used in wellbeing research.
Proven research track record
Our work has contributed to the 2025 World Happiness Report, for which we produced a chapter with the first ever global review of published evidence revealing the most cost-effective charities for creating happiness
Measurable influence
Our research has directed around $10m toward high impact charities since 2022, and our recently launched Happier Lives Fund raised $72,585.58 in the first month.
Cross-cause prioritisation
By focusing on wellbeing, we can compare seemingly incomparable interventions – such as mental heath, poverty reduction, and metal poisoning – to identify the best opportunities to improve lives
Independent and transparent analysis
Our methods are publicly documented and designed to meet high standards of transparency, rigour, and replicability and we are advised by a panel of academic experts.
Tailored expertise for different organisations
Our research services support a wide range of decision-makers working to improve global wellbeing. A tailored expertise for different organisations
Philanthropists and advisors
Identify the most cost-effective opportunities to improve lives globally.
Foundations
Strengthen grant-making decisions using rigorous wellbeing and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Corporate philanthropy teams
Direct corporate giving towards programmes with measurable wellbeing impact.
Charities and NGOs
Measure and analyse wellbeing outcomes to improve programme effectiveness.
Think tanks and research organisations
Access specialist expertise on wellbeing measurement and cost-effectiveness.
Case studies of our consultancy work
Custom evaluations for a philanthropic fund
We worked with the Bloom Wellbeing Fund to help prioritise over $2 million in grants by evaluating the cost-effectiveness of different funding opportunities.
“HLI is a world-class research organisation providing exceptional value for money. HLI has supported Bloom’s grantmaking and wellbeing research ecosystem activities through insightful research on WELLBYs, impact evaluations and technical assistance for charities.”
Bringing specialist knowledge to a research organisation
For Founders Pledge, we produced a series of reports exploring ways to increase wellbeing through policies such as increasing immigration, expanding access to pain relief, and reducing exposure to lead.
“HLI’s work as a consultant on subjective wellbeing issues has been valuable to us. HLI created an efficiency for us by evaluating questions that we’d otherwise have had to expend a lot of internal methodological resources developing expertise to answer.”
Helping mental health organisations increase their impact
We have supported several mental health NGOs by analysing monitoring and evaluation data and modelling the cost-effectiveness of potential programme improvements, helping them increase the wellbeing impact of their work.
“HLI has been instrumental in helping Finemind move from assumption to evidence. Like many organisations, we believed we were making a difference, but HLI challenged us to prove it. The team broke down a complex process into clear, manageable steps that were easy to follow and implement in a real-world setting. They are a true thought partner, not afraid to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work alongside you.”
Let’s maximise the impact of your funding.
If you want to ensure your funding is evidence-based and makes the biggest difference to people’s lives, we would be happy to see how we can help.
Or email us directly at
hello@happierlivesinstitute.org