CSI Update Issue 8

 the Centre for Social Impact
Academic Excellence fit for Social Purpose

CSI Update, Issue 8, April 2009

Message from Peter Shergold 

Is it Easter already? CSI is setting a cracking pace for 2009 with a packed calendar of events and executive courses. The forums in Sydney and Melbourne, held in partnership with the Melbourne Community Foundation and featuring Peter Hero (founding President and CEO of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley from 1989 to 2007) were particularly memorable and not just because of Peter's stimulating presentation. National Australia Bank, joint host of the forums with CSI, marked the occasion with the extremely welcome announcement by Deputy Group CEO Michael Ullmer of a commitment to CSI of $1 million over five years for an NAB Social Innovation Research Program. I am delighted that this has allowed us to appoint Dr Debbie Haski-Leventhal as NAB Social Innovation Research Fellow. Other opportunities will follow at Melbourne and Swinburne. Stay posted.

Our executive program is underway with a great range of courses on offer. We hope you’ll take the opportunity to browse the offerings and take a course. Remember our generous AMP Executive Course Scholarships are available to approved candidates from the nonprofit sector.

I was delighted to be involved in our first in-house training, crafted by CSI for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Director of Learning Cheryl Kernot, Associate Professor Gianni Zappala and I enjoyed a highly stimulating day-long seminar with 30 Ronald McDonald House managers and some of their invited guests from not-for-profits. The topics included managing stakeholders, the emergence of social enterprises and effective advocacy. One of the highlights was an energetic role-play in an imaginary minister’s office in which some of the group had to advocate a change in legislation while others put themselves in the government’s shoes. It was fun. We look forward to providing similar educational experiences to other organisations in the future.

Our exciting new dinner series, Yakety Yak, kicks off this month. At a dinner for invited guests, the well-known journalist and TV presenter Peter Thompson will be talking with David Gonski, UNSW Chancellor, Chairman of the CSI Board and Chairman of Investec Bank. The topic is “The Current Global Financial Crisis: Will Philanthropy Run Dry?”. We will repeat this format featuring prominent participants in the third sector throughout the year in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Each interview will be recorded and made available on the CSI website.

It was a privilege to have been a member of a blue-ribbon panel established by the Lowy Institute for International Policy last year to examine the state of Australia's diplomatic service. The panel's report, “Australia’s Diplomatic Deficit”, was released last month. My key area of interest was the growth in importance of non-government actors in the international arena, sponsored in part by private philanthropy. It's vital that Australia play a leading role in working with NGOs overseas to ensure that they are assisted to provide sustained, informed and properly resourced advocacy. This is not presently the case. Indeed, as the report explained, inadequate staffing of our overseas posts means that even opportunities for contracts with civil society organisations overseas are far too constrained.

Finally, our first CSI Annual Report will soon be available. It will provide a comprehensive overview of our eventful first year. It also gives me an opportunity to highlight how important the donations of individuals and small businesses are in supporting the Centre’s activities. A case in point is the $888 donation made by social entrepreneur Tony Abrahams. Tony understands the importance of financial support in providing scholarships, funding programs and supporting research. In the Annual Report I will show how donations (from $500 to $15 000) can have a real impact on promoting CSI activities.

Peter Shergold,
Macquarie Group Foundation Professor
 
www.csi.edu.au