New Centre for Social Impact
24 January 2008 at 3:15 pm
2008 will see the establishment of a major new initiative drawing together and consolidating the growing Australia-wide interest in philanthropy, social investment, the Not for Profit sector, and social entrepreneurship.
The Centre for Social Impact (CSI) will bring together Swinburne University
(through the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment), the University of Melbourne, and the University of New South Wales, and will provide managerial education, executive support and research for the Not for Profit sector.
The Commonwealth has provided an endowment of $12.5 million (to be matched by other funds).
The Centre’s head, to be located at the UNSW, will be Dr Peter Shergold, currently Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Dr Michael Liffman, the Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment says this development is a huge step forward both in recognition of their own work and for the field of social investment in Australia and beyond.
Dr Liffman says that while exact details are still to be finalised, the prime responsibility of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment within this consortium will be the further development of its pioneering work in
Grant-maker education and the creation of an entirely new graduate program in fundraising.
He says the new graduate program, to be undertaken in association with the Centre for Philanthropy at Indiana University, will meet a longstanding demand.
He says their future work will continue to be guided by the distinguished Working Party, led by Peter Fritz AM, which guided the research produced for the Commonwealth government on training in philanthropy and social investment by the Centre in 2007.
Dr Liffman says one consequence of this is that, pending the development and accreditation of the new programs, there will be no new intake of students in 2008.
Instead, he says there will be an active program of executive programs and single subjects over the year. Details will be posted on the website
(www.swinburnephilanthropy.net).
He says this development is the culmination of a great deal of effort, not only from within the Centre but also from many others including the continuing financial support of the Pratt and Myer Foundations, and of the Yugilbar Foundation, Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, the Gandel Group, the Ross Trust and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC.
