As a consultancy, it helps donors make more informed decisions on how to give and has been called "the equivalent of an equity-research firm for the philanthropic marketplace.

"[4] NPC also works with charities, helping them to improve their processes and developing tools, such as theories of change, to enable them to measure their own effectiveness.

Other key areas of expertise include strategy development, the use of data and digital in the social sector, user involvement, learning partnerships and systems change approaches.

"[5] NPC started as a charitable organisation in 2002, and was founded by Peter Wheeler and Gavin Davies, two ex-Goldman Sachs employees, as an attempt to fill a gap in the philanthropic market.

Other co-founders were Peter Sweatman, then Vice-President of JPMorgan, and hedge fund manager Harvey McGrath.