The Macquarie Group Foundation has donated $2 million towards an endowed chair in the UNSW-based Centre for Social Impact (CSI). The Macquarie Group Foundation Chair, Centre for Social Impact, will be held by Professor Peter Shergold, the Centre's Chief Executive.

Professor Shergold said: "The Macquarie Group Foundation's long term strategic investment in CSI will enable the Centre to promote socially responsible business management and build 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 a world stage," he said.

CSI aims to drive social innovation, which according to the Macquarie Group Foundation Head, Julie White, is a shared vision.

"Both the 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 social change. And, it starts with combining the commitment and resources of the private, community and government sectors.

"This partnership - via The Macquarie Group Foundation Chair, Centre for Social Impact - reflects the Foundation's commitment to supporting strong leadership and innovation in the not-for-profit sector. 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," said Julie White.

Based at UNSW, CSI's founding partners are the Australian School of Business at UNSW, Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne and the Asia-Pacific Centre for Philanthropy and Social Investment at Swinburne University of Technology.

"CSI will provide leadership through its graduate programs, executive education and research in the areas of not-for-profit management, social enterprise, philanthropy, social investment and corporate social responsibility," said Professor Shergold.

"It will be an advocate, engaging with government on public policy in these areas. It will also provide a meeting place for the private, public and 'third' sectors to generate new ideas together," he said.

With the support of Macquarie Group Foundation, CSI will become an influential national institution, taking its place alongside the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Stanford, Berkeley, Northwestern University and Harvard as part of a global network of business schools committed to corporate citizenship and the support of social enterprise.

Media Contact: Marie Kelly | 9385 5895 | mariek@unsw.edu.au