The Centre for Social Impact was established in 2008 with funding from the Commonwealth Government.  The Centre also acknowledges the considerable support offered by its founding partners.  The University of New South Wales has provided a first-class administrative headquarters for the Centre in the new Australian School of Business building. The Melbourne Business School has provided matching funds of $1.5m for the Chair of Leadership for Social Impact.

It's a great start but not nearly enough to meet our ambitions (a familiar refrain in not-for-profit organisations!).

OUR PRIVATE INVESTORS

A number of individuals have already committed substantial funding over four years. We sincerely thank the following:

Robin Crawford | Director, Macquarie Capital Alliance Management Ltd

"Sometime in my twenties I reached the conclusion that I was born very lucky. My ticket in the genetic lottery seemed to be much better than average. Some prison visiting whilst a student provided a graphic contrast. Meanwhile my luck continued - Keating deregulated banking and a group of us formed Macquarie Bank. Giving a bit back seemed only fair. I served on various not-for-profit boards over more than 20 years (The Autistic Children's Association, Schizophrenia Foundation, Clean Up Australia and now the Sydney Cancer Centre Foundation).

I recognised the need to strengthen and lift the effectiveness of the not-for-profit sector. Round 1 - in conjunction with inspirational friends Michael Traill (Social Ventures Australia CEO) and Greg Hutchinson (Bain and Company Australian Charities Fund) - was to launch Social Ventures Consulting. This is a management consultancy dedicated to improving outcomes in the not-for-profit sector. Round 2 - the Centre for Social Impact. This concept arose from discussions with Fred Hilmer and some terrific input from Greg Hutchinson. The working group grew and strengthened, we lined up some money and hired Peter Shergold. We must now help him build a truly great and effective institution."

David Gonski AC | Chairman Investec Bank (Australia) Limited / Chairman Coca-Cola Amatil (Australia) Pty Ltd

"I have got enormous joy, great personal development and a feeling of well-being from my involvement in not-for-profits. Over the last thirty years or so I have learned a lot about the sector but not in a formal way. I know that I would have found a national centre that can assist me in learning, understanding and developing my role in the sector, of enormous value.

That is why I was very keen not only to assist in the establishment of the Centre as Chancellor of the University of New South Wales and as an individual but also to provide it with some funding from the resources of my own private philanthropic fund. We are incredibly fortunate to have been able to get Peter Shergold as our initial Chief Executive and I feel very confident that the Centre is both in good hands and in an area where it can make great contributions."

Warwick Negus | Chief Executive Officer, Colonial First State Global Asset Management

"I have long been a supporter of various charities in Australia. When UNSW developed the idea for the Centre, and attracted a leader of the calibre of Peter Shergold, I felt very strongly that this was an effective vehicle for my family to channel our support for charitable causes. I look forward with great anticipation ultimately to charities raising and deploying funds efficiently and with the benefit of support and guidance from the Centre for Social Impact."

Daniel Petre AO | Executive Chairman, Netus

"The Petre Foundation committed $1m to the Centre for Social Impact as it believes that a strong not-for-profit sector requires world class academic resources focused on associated research and education. In establishing the Centre, the University of New South Wales, has, in collaboration with the University of Melbourne and Swinburne University of Technology, created a footprint for what will become a globally recognised centre of excellence in the academic support of the not-for-profit sector. By supporting the Centre the Petre Foundation hopes, in a small way, to help advance this effort."

OUR CORPORATE INVESTORS

A number of companies and foundations provided generous support to the Centre:

AMP

AMP has provided a grant of $1 million to the Centre.  This  is used to fund AMP scholarships for employees and volunteers of not-for-profit organisations to attend CSI courses.  Some funds will also be used to develop an indigenous program. AMP also has a philanthropic foundation which is active in the social economy.

"CSI continues to impress us with the way it has speedily established a position as a thought leader in the Australian social economy."

Matthew Percival, General Manager Public Affairs

Macquarie Group Foundation

The Macquarie Group Foundation has provided $2 million over ten years to fund a professorial chair to be known as the Macquarie Group Foundation Professor, Peter Shergold.

Professor Shergold said this long term strategic investment would help drive the Centre's achievement of its core objectives in promoting socially responsible business management and building the capacity and capability of not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises.

"It will help CSI to meet its corporate commitment to building a socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable Australia and place our social innovations on the world stage."

Julie White, head of the Macquarie Group Foundation, said the vision started with combining the commitment and resources of the private, community and government sectors.

"Both CSI and Macquarie Group Foundation believe it is imperative to help build the capacity of Australia's not-for-profit organisations in order to bring about positive change. We look forward to a long, productive and outcomes-driven collaboration that is focused on finding solutions to some of Australia's most pressing issues."

See video of Julie White talking about the partnership with CSI

See video of Peter Shergold talking about the partnership

National Australia Bank

The National Australia Bank is providing $1 million over five years to fund the NAB Social Innovation Research Program. The funds will initially be used to support the appointment of three NAB social innovation research fellows.

"NAB is delighted to partner with the Centre for Social Impact and more effectively connect corporate responsibility, community enterprises and social innovation. Through the NAB Social Research Innovation Program we hope to encourage both practical and research collaboration to enrich business and community life."

Michael Ullmer, Deputy CEO 

PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is providing $1 million over five years to support the Centre for Social Impact. This partnership reflects PwC's commitment to playing a leading role in achieving a sustainable future for our communities, promoting responsible business practices, and supporting innovative collaboration between business, government and not-for-profits to achieve social change.

PwC is proud of recent partnership achievements including:

- The PwC Transparency Awards which are undertaken in partnership with CSI and the Institute of Chartered Accountants. The Awards recognise and encourage improvement in the quality and transparency of reporting in the not-for-profit sector, and are conducted annually,
- The 'Managing in a Downturn' and 'Managing for Recovery' reports were the result of cooperation between PwC, CSI and the Fundraising Institute Australia. The reports reflected the results of surveys into the impact of the financial crisis on the not-for-profit sector in Australia,
- 'The Giving Business' report produced by PwC, CSI and the Australian Charities Fund, aimed to encourage greater levels of payroll giving in Australia.

"PwC regards our partnership with CSI as a great opportunity to demonstrate that innovative collaboration between the sectors can create positive change in Australia. We are proud of our role in supporting this agenda, and look forward to further partnering initiatives with CSI".

Rick Millen, Australian and Global Corporate Responsibility Partner

The Centre also benefits from the support of philanthropic trusts. We acknowledge with gratitude the generous endowment from the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust of a Chair of Not-for-Profit Management at the Melbourne Business School.

Bain & Company

"Bain & Company has a long record of assisting not-for-profit organisations meet their goals. We see the emergence of a new national institution, the Centre for Social Impact, as a crucial way of i mproving the capacity of Australia's social enterprises. I am delighted that o ur team have been able to offer skilled assistance in getting the Centre established on a sound financial footing and will continue to support the Centre's growth and development."

Greg Hutchinson, Senior Advisor

Helen Macpherson Smith Trust

"The Trustees of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust are proud to assist the advancement of leadership in philanthropy by providing a grant of $1.5 million, the largest in the Trust's 56 year history, to establish a Chair of Leadership for Social Impact at the Melbourne Business School. The Chair will play a major collaborative role in the Centre for Social Impact, helping CSI to develop strong leadership in the third sector."

Darvell Hutchinson AM, Chairman of Trustees