Global Research and Consulting Group

What Global Research and Consulting Group does

Global Research and Consulting Group (GRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, that delivers pro-bono consulting, research, data analytics, and technology services to non-profits, social impact startups, and governmental organizations. Founded in 2016 at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, GRC operates through a federated model of 20+ student-led university branches at elite institutions across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Singapore (Harvard, MIT, Wharton, Columbia, Berkeley, Northwestern Kellogg, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, Duke, Cornell, Brown, Sciences Po, Imperial College London, NUS, NTU, among others). The organization reports 1,000+ active members globally and executes 200+ social impact projects annually, with notable engagements for UNESCO, the World Bank, WWF, Oxfam, Wikipedia, Kiva, BRAC, the American Cancer Society, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore, and Greenpeace International.

GRC's service portfolio comprises four core offerings — Strategic Advisory, Data Analytics, Tech Solutions, and Research — delivered by student consultants who leverage university-provided databases and expert networks. The organization does not operate a software product or proprietary technology platform; its technology footprint is conventional (Wix-based website, standard social channels, and a Substack publication). Complementary revenue-generating programs include an annual Social Impact Essay Competition (expanded to 48+ countries in 2024), a Case Competition, and High School and University Branch Programs that extend the volunteer pipeline.

GRC's business model is structurally pro-bono: client consulting services are delivered at no cost, with sustainability funded by donations (via Donorbox), competition entry fees ($20-$30 per submission), and volunteer labor. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and a Global Management Team (2025-2026 Co-CEOs Audrey Yeung and William Leung) and runs on student leadership that cycles annually with academic turnover.

Name

Global Research and Consulting Group

Legal name

Global Research and Consulting Group

Website

https://grcglobalgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Global Research and Consulting Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers pro-bono strategic advisory, data analytics, tech solutions, and research services to non-profits, social impact startups, and governmental organizations through 20+ student-led university branches worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

ESG, Sustainability Reporting & Compliance (BPAEAPAM)

Keywords

• Pro bono consulting
• Nonprofit advisory services
• Social impact consulting
• Student-led consulting
• Data analytics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Pro-bono Consulting Services: GRC provides free consulting services to non-profits, social impact startups, and governmental organizations. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization relies on donations, volunteer student labor, and competition fees for sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Research and Consulting Group (GRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides pro-bono strategic advisory, data analytics, technology solutions, and research services to non-profits, social impact startups, and governmental organizations. Services are delivered by student consultants from university branches at elite institutions worldwide, supplemented by essay and case competitions for high school students and an Insights research blog.

Product overview

Global Research and Consulting Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a consulting organization with four core service offerings: Strategic Advisory, Data Analytics, Tech Solutions, and Research. These services are delivered by student consultants from university branches worldwide. In addition to consulting services, GRC operates educational programs including the Social Impact Essay Competition and Case Competition for high school students, and manages a network of university and high school branch chapters. The organization does not appear to have a software product; its offerings are service-based consulting and educational programs rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ social impact projects completed annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImperial GRC is a sub-branch of Imperial's largest student consulting group, Imperial College Consultancy Society (ICCS). Home to over 800 students, Imperial GRC employs diverse technical backgrounds in medicine, engineering, science and business to empower international NGOs and social impact startups.
• Sciences Po ReimscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSciences Po Reims campus branch operating as an independent club within the GRC network.
• Sciences Po Le HavrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSciences Po Le Havre branch functioning as an independent club within the GRC network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Idealist: Online nonprofit job and volunteer matching platform connecting mission-driven talent with social impact opportunities. Adjacent ecosystem player — not a consulting firm — but serves the same audience of students and professionals pursuing social impact careers and overlaps with GRC's member-recruitment funnel.

Broad incumbents

• FSG: Global social impact strategy consulting firm advising nonprofits, foundations, and corporations on social strategy. Comparable client base and social impact focus, but FSG is a paid, professional-staff consulting firm operating at materially larger scale than GRC.
• Bridgespan Group: Established nonprofit and philanthropic advisory firm serving many of the same types of organizations (NGOs, foundations, social impact funders) that GRC serves. Broader incumbent offering paid strategy consulting at scale; relevant comp for the paid-advisory pivot in GRC's bull case.
• McKinsey Social Sector Practice: McKinsey's dedicated social sector practice serving nonprofits, foundations, and government clients globally. Comparable in client type and consulting scope; relevant comp for the kind of work GRC alumni go on to do and the scaled version of GRC's mission.
• Bain Social Impact Practice: Dedicated social impact consulting practice within Bain & Company serving NGOs, governments, and social enterprises. Comparable end customers and advisory scope; represents the destination employer for GRC alumni and a benchmark for what paid social-impact consulting at scale looks like.

Direct peers

• Taproot Foundation: Pioneering nonprofit that pioneered the structured pro-bono consulting model for nonprofit capacity building, connecting skilled professionals with nonprofits on scoped engagements. Closely comparable mission and delivery structure, with deeper institutional history.
• Catchafire: Skills-based volunteering platform matching professionals with nonprofits for project-based consulting engagements. Comparable pro-bono consulting delivery to nonprofits, though Catchafire operates a tech-mediated marketplace rather than a chapter network.
• Common Impact: Nonprofit that connects skilled corporate volunteers with nonprofits for pro-bono consulting engagements. Directly comparable end-customer (nonprofits receiving consulting) and pro-bono delivery model, though Common Impact relies on corporate volunteers rather than students.
• Net Impact: Global professional and student network focused on social impact careers, with university chapters that run pro-bono consulting projects for nonprofits. Highly comparable in target audience (elite-university students), service offering (pro-bono consulting), and member-driven operating model.
• 180 Degrees Consulting: Largest global student-led pro-bono consulting organization, operating chapters at elite universities worldwide to deliver free consulting to non-profits and social enterprises. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping mission, university-branch distribution model, and elite-talent pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/grc.global
• Facebookfacebook.com/GRCGlobalGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grcglobalgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/grc.global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Research and Consulting Group