The National Lottery Community Fund appoints Dr. David Halpern CBE as advisor to its Board
Today, The National Lottery Community Fund has announced that it has appointed Dr. David Halpern CBE as advisor to its Board. David’s extensive experience of evidence-based policy making, behavioural economics and place-based investment across senior government will enable him to support the Board in strengthening the use of evidence to back communities - an ambition made clear through the Fund's Impact Strategy launched earlier this year.
On the appointment, David Knott, CEO of The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
“When we launched our Impact Strategy in May, in support of our broader strategy 'It Starts with Community', we set the blueprint for how we will use data, insights and learning to strengthen our support of communities in the most accessible, collaborative and meaningful way. David’s appointment will help ensure we’re doing just that. I’m delighted to welcome Dr. David Halpern to The National Lottery Community Fund and look forward to working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for communities in every corner of the UK.”
David Halpern CBE is President Emeritus at the Behavioural Insights Team having previously been the team’s Director then CEO (2010-2023) and President & Founding Director (2023-2024).
Prior to BIT, David was the Founding Director of the Institute for Government and between 2001 and 2007 was the Chief Analyst at the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. David was also appointed as the What Works National Advisor in July 2013, a position he held until 2022 through which he led efforts to improve the use of evidence across the UK government.
Before entering government, David held tenure at Cambridge and posts at Oxford and Harvard. He has written several books and papers on areas relating to behavioural insights and well-being, including Social Capital (2005), the Hidden Wealth of Nations (2010), Online Harms and Manipulation (2019) and co-author of the MINDSPACE report. In 2015, David wrote a book about the Behavioural Insights Team entitled Inside the Nudge Unit: How Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference.
David was awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours in January 2023 for Public Service in his role as What Works National Adviser.
His appointment will help ensure The National Lottery Community Fund continues to strengthen its support for communities across the UK through robust evidence and learning.