Crash Course on Corporate Social Investing

  November 8, 2021     14:00 -  17:00     Online

What is this course about?

It’s no secret that companies have started to understand the role they must play in our wider society. The current pandemic has further accelerated this awareness leading to increasing the number of companies to revisit their corporate social investment strategy and define their business purpose.

Corporate social investors (e.g. corporate foundations, impact funds, impact accelerators, social businesses) support social organisations (NGOs / enterprises) deploying patient capital through long-term and high engagement investments, both financially (grants, equity or debt) and equally important non-financially. Their primary objective is to create societal impact and they play an increasingly role in making their company business more sustainable and inclusive.

In that crash course, we will help you understand What is corporate social investing? How can corporate resources be mobilised for societal impact? What are the latest trends and best practices? What type of strategic alignment of Corporate foundation is willing to adopt with its company’s core values and business? Their positioning and complementarities? How they contribute to the common impact vision and purpose of their company?

During this crash course, we will dive into

  • The unique characteristics of corporate social investing compared to traditional corporate philanthropy as well as corporate social responsibility/sustainability teams.
  • The key success factors of an efficient Corporate Social Investment strategy discussing questions like Which type of strategic alignment for a Corporate Foundation with its related company to enhance their social impact? In the case of multiple Corporate Social Investors, how they complement each other? How they contribute to the common impact vision of the company and their purpose?
  • Real-life cases will illustrate different Corporate Social Investment strategies identified by EVPA Corporate Initiative. Two seasoned speakers will explain the reasoning behind their strategic and how it could apply to your context.

Methodology

This online course is divided into two parts:

  1. Self-paced e-learning: Through our e-learning platform you will have access to short tailor-made readings, videos and interactive learning materials to build the necessary knowledge base on Corporate Social Investing needed to enable you to interact with your peers and speakers during the online live session on Zoom.
  2. Online live session on Zoom: This session will complement your e-learning. You will not only have the opportunity to discuss real-life cases with Corporate Social Investors and how they create more impact using different strategic alignment strategies. You will also be able to exchange and learn from your peers and discover how you can apply the principles of Corporate Social Investing and use the tools presented to clarify your impact strategy.

Who should attend?

  • Corporate Social Investors (e.g. corporate foundations, impact funds, impact accelerators, social businesses)
  • Corporate Social Responsibility professionals
  • Representatives of Corporate Business Units
  • Impact Investors
  • Newcomers in the Corporate Philanthropy & Social Investing space

Important dates

  • Start of the e-learning phase: 2 November 2021
  • Online live session on Zoom: 8 November, 14:00-17:00 CET (Brussels time)

Registration and deadlines

Deadline for registration: 4 November (noon).

Should you have a question at this point, please get in touch with the Training Academy Team.

Speakers

See bottom of the page for the confirmed speakers.

Tickets

  • Regular fee = €200
  • EVPA Member fee = €100

Meet the speakers

Christophe Poline

Director of Solidarity Investments, Schneider Electric

Vincent Faber

Director, Trafigura Foundation

Sophie Faujour

Lead European Corporate Initiative & France Iberia, EVPA

Nicolas Malmendier

Corporate Initiative Associate, EVPA

Florian Tuder

Training Academy Coordinator, EVPA