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Author: Trialogue

What is Corporate Social Investment?

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

Coming soon!

This course is created by Trialogue.

Corporate social investment (CSI) 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 the latest trends in the sector.  

What level is the course?

This is a short foundational course for people in business who work in fields related to corporate responsibility, and for people aspiring to work in these areas. It is also for non-profit leaders and staff who need to understand how the non-profit sector relates to 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. Five modules cover important CSI concepts and trends. It includes valuable insights from CSI experts at Trialogue and leading international experts. 

Learn fast in your own time

Total learning time is approximately 2 hours, and each lesson takes an average of only 5 minutes. 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, from both a corporate and non-profit perspective.  

Module 1: What is CSI?

  • Discover Trialogue’s definition of corporate social investment and related terms and concepts. 
  • Understand the difference between CSI and corporate social responsibility (CSR). 
  • Clarify what socioeconomic development (SED) means and the link between SED and CSI. 

Module 2: Why is CSI important? 

  • Find out why companies do CSI, based on Trialogue’s extensive research.
  • Understand why corporate social investment is important for business and society.

Module 3: What is strategic CSI?

  • 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 4: What are the trends in CSI?

  • Contextualise CSI to its function in South Africa. 
  • Hear the current South African trends in CSI from an expert. 
  • Learn about international trends in corporate giving.  

Module 5: How does CSI relate to the non-profit sector?

  • Find out what the research reveals about CSI support of non-profits. 
  • Understand the benefits of corporate-NPO partnerships.
  • Learn how to pitch effectively to corporates as a non-profit.  

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. 
  • Understand how CSI relates to the non-profit sector.