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What is Corporate Social Investment?

Written by Trialogue on . Posted in Uncategorised.

What is Corporate Social Investment?

Gain an understanding of corporate social investment (CSI), and grasp related concepts in responsible business.

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This course is created by Trialogue. 

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What is CSI? Corporate social investment is the practice of companies contributing to social development. Now, CSI is becoming more strategic, with companies focusing more on how they can make a valuable and sustainable impact.  

“What is Corporate Social Investment?” is a short course that gets you up to speed with definitions, key concepts and trends, and how CSI is part of responsible business, with great potential to contribute positively to society.

TESTIMONIALS

Mike Panashe Mberi

Founder and director of Building Leaders Across Continents (BLAC)

The ‘What is CSI’ course surpassed my expectations, offering a profound strategic insight into Corporate Social Investment (CSI) that I deem exceptionally valuable. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to fellow professionals aiming to seamlessly integrate social impact initiatives into their organizational strategies.

What level is the course?

This is a short foundational course for people in business who work in fields related to CSI and corporate responsibility, and for people aspiring to work in these areas. It is also for non-profit leaders and staff who want a deeper understanding of how businesses see  corporate social investment.  

An overview for corporates and non-profits

The course was created using Trialogue’s extensive experience in corporate social investment research and consulting. Three modules cover important CSI concepts and trends. It includes valuable insights from CSI experts at Trialogue and leading international experts.  

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Learn fast in your own time

Total learning time is approximately 2 hours. Additional resources are provided to guide you to dig deeper and learn more. At the end of each module there is a short quiz to help you cement your learnings from the module. 

What will you learn in this course?

You’ll discover the foundational concepts of CSI and how it relates to responsible business concepts such as shared value. 

  • Module 1: What is CSI and why is it important?

    • Define corporate social investment and understand why CSI important for business and society.
    • Understand the difference between CSI and corporate social responsibility (CSR). 
    • Clarify what socioeconomic development (SED) means and the link between SED and CSI. 
    • Keep updated with CSI trends in South Africa and globally.

  • Module 2: Strategic CSI and shared value

    • Get familiar with the concept of strategic CSI and Trialogue’s CSI positioning matrix. 
    • Understand the concept of shared value, and how it relates to CSI. 

  • Module 3: What is responsible business?

    • Understand how business is an integral part of society and its potential for making a positive impact.
    • Explore the concepts that make up responsible business and the relationships between them.

    What will this course do for me?

    By the end of this course you will: 

    • Understand what CSI means and why it’s important. 
    • Learn how CSI relates to CSR, SED, shared value, and responsible business. 
    • Gain relevant insights from top experts on the trends in CSI. 
    • Explore the concepts that make up responsible business and how business can positively impact society.

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    This course is created by Trialogue.

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    NPO Resilience

    Written by Trialogue on . Posted in Non-profit organisations.

    Nonprofit Resilience  

    Build the capacity to lead, adapt and sustain your organisation through uncertainty

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    This course is created by Trialogue

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    This course is created by Trialogue.

    The Nonprofit Resilience course is a self-paced online programme designed for nonprofit leaders, managers, board members and executives who need practical tools to build, lead and manage more resilient organisations in an increasingly uncertain environment. 

    The course is also of value to corporate funders and CSI practitioners who want deeper insight into what healthy, resilient nonprofits look like, and how to apply this understanding when designing, supporting or assessing corporate social investment strategies.

    TESTIMONIALS

    • Alastair

      “At U Can Recover, we believe that healing is possible, dignity is restorable, and purpose can be reignited. Our journey is one of courage, collaboration, and faith-driven transformation. From the heart of Stutterheim to the broader Eastern Cape, we serve those navigating recovery, rebuilding their lives, and rising into their full potential. Every service we offer, every partnership we build, is a step toward wholeness.” — U Can Recover, Community Rehabilitation, Counseling & Skills Development Centre Contact Person: Alastair Jacobs, Chairperson; U Can Recover Rehabilitation, Counselling, and Skills Center. I thank you” 

    • Amita Malviya

      Founder and Director, Merakiwww

      ‘The course material is extremely relevant and valuable. And you have also included real case studies and interviews from experts to make it more interesting and insightful”

    • Botshelo Ramonne

      “I am more informed and ready to tackle all challenges and ideas that we have for our organization and i highly recommend people to take this course.”

    • Ofentse Tladinyane

      “The Non-Profit Resilience Programme by Nedbank Private Wealth was transformative. It strengthen my understanding of responsible business and long-term sustainbility. I found the content relatable, practical and directly applicable to my upcoming and current projects.”

    • Coreen Hickman

      Chief Resources Officer, National Institute for the Deaf

      “I learnt the importance of providing monthly mental health days to prevent staff burnout, and about moving away from the old thinking that you have to be at work for 8 hours. The productivity when you are at work is more important than the amount of hours at work.”

    • Amy Lategan

      Fundraiser, Living Through Learning

      “I learnt how to fundraise with a difference, to reach more donors and to think of more innovative ways to reach fundraising goals.”

    • Mfundo Mpathani

      Chairperson, Mbhashe Community Radio Station Eastern Cape

      “The course made move out of what I thought was a comfort zone of knowledge, and think out of the box, based on examples given. I learnt almost everything in this course, not to be just a leader and see your team as just any other employee, but to understand the human behind the employee.”

    Course description

    This course provides a comprehensive, research-informed toolbox to help strengthen non-profit organisations while planning for and managing future threats. Rather than focusing on crisis response alone, it takes a whole-organisation approach to resilience, recognising that financial health, leadership, systems, partnerships, and organisational culture are deeply interconnected.  

    Drawing on Trialogue’s research and real-world case studies, the course equips participants to anticipate risk, respond to disruption, and build long-term organisational sustainability. 

    Who is this course for?

    This course is suited to: 

    • Nonprofit leaders, managers and senior staff 
    • Founders and directors of small to mid-sized nonprofits
    • Programme, operations or finance managers seeking a more strategic view
    • Board members who want to strengthen organisational resilience
    • Funders or partners looking to better understand nonprofit sustainability challenges  

            No prior technical expertise is required. The course is designed to be practical, accessible and grounded in real nonprofit contexts. 

            A practical toolkit for nonprofits

            Developed in partnership with Nedbank Private Wealth, this course offers comprehensive, applied training on nonprofit resilience. It supports participants in identifying risks and opportunities, making informed and meaningful changes within their organisations, and responding more effectively to the complex and evolving challenges of supporting and uplifting society.  
             
            The emphasis throughout is on practical application, with structured reflection exercises and tools that can be used directly within participants’ own organisational contexts. 
             

            Real world insights from leading organisations

            The course was conceptualised using lessons learned from the Nedbank Private Wealth Innovation Awards for Nonprofits and includes insights from some of the most resilient and innovative organisations in the sector.  

            Participants engage with real-world case studies, alongside Trialogue’s research and selected international perspectives, to understand what works in practice and how these lessons can be applied to build stronger, more resilient organisations. 

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            Course format and time commitment

                                  • Format: Self-paced, online 
                                  • Total learning time: Approximately 8 hours, plus optional additional resources
                                  • Structure: Short lessons (5-15 minutes), reflection exercises and a downloadable workbook 
                                  • Access: 90 days from enrolment 
                                  • Certificate: Awarded on completion of all lessons and reflections 

            Course modules

            • Module 1: Understanding nonprofit resilience (~95 minutes)  

            • Module 2: Risk management for nonprofits (~75 minutes)  

            • Module 3: Financial resilience for nonprofits (~50 minutes) 

            • Module 4: Strengthening leadership and teams (~70 minutes) 

            • Module 5: Collaboration for nonprofits (~70 minutes) 

            • Module 6: Managing operations and systems for business continuity (~40 minutes) 

            • Module 7: Agility and innovation (~90 minutes) 

               

            What you’ll learn

            Across seven modules, you’ll explore how to build resilience into the core of your organisation: 

            • Understanding nonprofit resilience and what it means in today’s complex, unpredictable environment.
            • Managing risk by identifying, analysing and treating organisational risks.
            • Strengthening financial resilience through reserves, diversified funding and innovative finance models 
            • Building strong leadership and teams with a focus on succession planning, staff wellbeing, capacity and organisational culture  
            • Working collaboratively across nonprofits, business and government to amplify impact.
            • Managing operations and business continuity so services can continue through disruption .
            • Developing agility and innovation, including the strategic use of technology and digital tools 

                        The course includes practical reflection exercises, real-world case studies and tools you can apply directly to your organisation. 

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                        Professionals having a strategic CSI meeting in an office

                        Strategic CSI Masterclass

                        Written by Trialogue on . Posted in Uncategorised.

                        Strategic CSI Masterclass

                        Gain the practical tools to make your CSI programme more strategic.

                        Don’t miss the next Strategic CSI Masterclass — happening 4 May.
                        Unlock practical insights, sharpen your strategy, and stay ahead.
                        👉 Secure your spot below.

                        Register now

                        More and more, companies realise that corporate social investment (CSI) is moving beyond traditional corporate philanthropy.

                        CSI is becoming an increasingly professional sector in Africa. Trends show that it’s progressing from once-off projects that create only reputational benefit, or the reactive donation of funds. CSI professionals need to strategise carefully to ensure their CSI initiatives balance high business value with meaningful development impact. But how do you achieve this? Which questions should you be asking? How do you evaluate your programmes and know you are achieving optimal outcomes?  

                        It’s easy to get stuck managing complex CSI programmes. Now it’s easy to get unstuck. 

                        Responsible business leaders want to create a positive impact for their business and for society. This is a notoriously difficult challenge. During this course, you’ll be able to solve problems with experts and exchange workable solutions with other CSI practitioners. Wherever the pain points exist with your current CSI initiatives, it’s time to take a step back and create a strategy that moves your CSI goals forward.  

                        What level is the course?

                        The Strategic CSI Masterclass is for senior leaders and decision-makers working in CSI, including CSI managers, trustees of foundations, and heads of foundations. The course is suitable for delegates engaged in CSI across Africa.  

                        Course description

                        The Strategic CSI Masterclass provides you with the tools to think strategically about CSI in your organisation and to make choices that optimise the business and development value of your CSI initiatives. 

                        Learn about strategic CSI in online classes with industry leaders

                        Trialogue has been engaged in industry research and supporting corporates and non-profits on CSI strategy and thought leadership for more than two decades. The Trialogue Strategic CSI Awards have evaluated and celebrated lead practice in CSI for over five years. And Trialogue has been running in-person CSI courses in-person for more than a decade.  

                        Now, these tried-and-tested approaches are available to you online, through interactive video sessions, case studies and research. The course allows you to apply the concepts you learn to your business and take practical steps to apply them to your projects. 

                        TESTIMONIALS

                        Yumna Mathese

                        Social impact manager at V&A Waterfront

                        “To be honest, I have learnt so much from this course than from any other. Thank you for putting me on the spot and for encouraging me to participate so actively.

                        I’ve learnt to understand shared value so much better. I’ve learnt to think more strategically about my role, projects and my portfolio in its entirety. I am currently applying this knowledge by rethinking and reshaping all this.”

                        Katie Andrews

                        Managing Director, Nahana Foundation

                        “I found everything very beneficial and it’s given me a lot to work on going forward. I look forward to developing and drafting a clear and focused CSI strategy for 2023 and beyond.”

                        Portia Oduro-Morrison

                        External Communications and CSI Officer, Stanbic Bank Ghana  

                        “Everything I learnt will be applied, from shared value to outcomes of our CSI programmes going forward.”

                        What will this course do for me?

                        By the end of this course you will: 

                        • Possess the knowledge and skills to derive shared value from your CSI initiatives. 
                        • Learn from other CSI projects through analysing case studies. 
                        • Evaluate your company’s CSI programmes. 
                        • Know how to drive change in your CSI initiative.

                        Created for CSI professionals in Africa

                        This is the only course that teaches strategic CSI in an African context. Modified from a popular in-person course, taught only in South Africa, the online version allows delegates to join from across Africa. 

                        Who are your course instructors?

                        • Nick Rockey

                          Nick Rockey is the managing director of Trialogue, having started the business as founding director approximately 20 years ago. He was one of the early pioneers in the field of corporate sustainability, overseeing Trialogue’s first publication in this field in 2006, The Good Corporate Citizen. Nick has over 20 years of consulting and research experience across many market and industry sectors, and plays a lead consulting role in the fields of sustainable business and CSI. He has worked with a wide range of corporate clients, providing support for strategy development and implementation, stakeholder engagement, and reporting.

                        • Cathy Duff

                          Cathy Duff joined Trialogue in 2008, was appointed a director in 2011, and manages Trialogue’s Johannesburg office. Her experience includes almost 20 years of research and advisory work in the corporate responsibility and philanthropic sectors and five years in strategy consulting. Prior to Trialogue, Cathy was research and development manager at Tshikululu Social Investments, research manager at New Philanthropy Capital in the UK, and manager at Deloitte Consulting. Cathy oversees the research, content and production of the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook and the Trialogue Business in Society Conference. She has worked with numerous corporate clients on their CSI and sustainability strategies, reports, and project reviews.

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