Making the world a better place: achieving impact through innovation and an entrepreneurial ethos

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate the programme of philanthropy arising from the work of the Shirley Foundation, with particular reference to its impact in addressing issues related to autism. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on the 2017 evaluation of The Shirley Foundation 1996–2016 by Aperio Group (Europe) Limited entitled 20 Years of Grant Making Autism and Information Technology: An Overview of The Foundation’s Impact (Pepin, 2017). The evaluation included interviews with Dame Stephanie Shirley CH (the Foundation’s founder), a documentation review and a survey of key grantees. Findings The evaluation concluded that the funding achieved both grantee purposes and those of The Shirley Foundation. The projects funded generally produced outcomes that made a difference and grant-making and monitoring processes were regarded, on the whole, as efficient. Originality/value The evaluation demonstrates the value of an innovative, catalytic, social entrepreneurial approach to funding to achieve impact.