Social Investment and Philanthropy
Overview
The unit aims to introduce the foundational concepts and current issues in the growing field of social investment and philanthropy. Students critically explore the key social, political, and economic drivers that are reshaping social investment and philanthropy in Australia and internationally and organisational responses to these changes. Topics include: the historical context; the regulatory and legal context; the sectoral context (the ‘third’ sector, the not for profit sector, and the social economy); emerging models and approaches to social investment and philanthropy; fundamentals of grant-making; fundamentals of social impact investment and social finance; key debates, and the relationship of social investment and philanthropy to public policy.
Requisites
13-April-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply coherent and advanced knowledge of concepts and debates in the field of social investment and philanthropy
- Apply problem solving and decision making methodologies to social investment and philanthropy issues
- Critically evaluate models of social investment and philanthropy
- Critically analyse and evaluate current and future trends in social investment and philanthropy
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Online Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1 | Individual | 40 - 60% | 1,4 |
| Assignment 2 | Individual | 40 - 60% | 1,2,3 |
Content
- Fundamental concepts, issues and debates in social investment and philanthropy
- Current forces shaping the sectoral context – the ‘third sector, the not for profit sector and the social economy
- The legal and regulatory environment
- Patterns of giving and philanthropy in Australia
- Ethical and philosophical perspectives
- An international historical overview
- The foundations of grant-making
- Social impact investment and social finance
- Controversies and future directions
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.