Australia pioneers a Centre for Social Impact

In a pioneering enterprise – there being few such programmes elsewhere – the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment has contributed a significant part to a large innovation recently announced by the Australian government.

With a government grant of A$12.5m (to be augmented by private funding), the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) is to be established, aimed at building the capacity of Australia’s not-for-profit sector, philanthropic endeavour, and the development of social responsibility in the corporate sector. The Centre draws together three Australian universities: the University of New South Wales – at which it will be based; Melbourne-based Swinburne University, through the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment; and the University of Melbourne through its Business School.

This initiative will draw together and consolidate the growing Australia-wide interest in philanthropy, social investment, the not-for-profit sector, and social entrepreneurship through managerial education, executive support, and research for the not-for-profit sector. The Centre is to be headed by Dr Peter Shergold, who has stepped down from his position as Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia’s most senior public servant) to take on this new role.

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 work in grant-maker education, and the creation of an entirely new graduate programme in fundraising. This work will be in large part informed by research produced in 2007 by the Centre for the Commonwealth government on demand and supply for education in philanthropy and social investment.

Dr Michael Liffman is Director of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment, Swinburne University, Australia.