- CEOs and senior leaders are invited to participate in the Centre for Social Impact's first annual Social Economy Survey.
- The resulting Social Economy Report will provide insights to help inform policy, drive growth in the sector and support for-purpose organisations achieve greater impact.
CEOs and leaders from Australia's social economy are invited to join a major new longitudinal study, with results from the Centre for Social Impact's research set to inform policy and help drive growth within the sector.
The CSI Social Economy Report is a three-year study analysing the nature, role and changing needs of the nation's social economy over time.
As part of the study, the Centre for Social Impact is recruiting over 200 for-purpose organisations to participate annually in a new Social Economy Survey.
The study aligns with a global movement to embrace the use of 'social economy' terminology, to better recognise the incredible value and contribution of non-profit organisations, philanthropy, social enterprises, co-ops, mutuals and more.
This shift in perspective gains particular significance when considering not-for-profit organisations make an economic contribution equivalent to 8.5% of GDP, and employ 1.42 million people, making it Australia's second largest employing industry after healthcare¹. In addition, co-operatives and mutuals contribute approximately $90billion towards Australian income levels², whilst roughly 1 in 60 people are employed in social enterprises around the country³.
Despite this incredible contribution, the sector is being held back by a lack of data and evidence-informed insights about what is happening within the social economy.
In a time when Australia's social economy is facing unprecedented challenges, this inaugural survey will identify challenges and opportunities and address knowledge gaps in how we can enable better functioning of the sector as a whole.
The survey will provide us with insights into some of the most critical areas impacting social economy organisations, including;
- Measuring impact and demonstrating evidence of outcomes
- Navigating legal frameworks and adapting to changing regulations for social economy organisations
- Analysis of emerging sources of funding and finance for the social economy
- Exploring patterns of collaboration and partnerships within the sector and beyond
The findings will be used to create a longitudinal report that can support for-purpose leaders and policymakers to make informed decisions, implement targeted strategies, and foster growth within the social economy. After taking part in the survey, participants can join forums to gain first access to the survey results and discuss with other senior leaders responses to evolving trends, those features of the operating environment that enable success, how scale the positive influences they make in communities.
"Social purpose organisations are vital to the fabric and well-being of Australia. Their tireless efforts in addressing social, environmental, and cultural needs contribute to the overall resilience and progress of our nation, providing essential services, championing advocacy, and driving positive change. But a lack of data is holding back knowledge and support for further growth," said Associate Professor Melissa Edwards, Lead Researcher for the Social Economy Report.
"Findings from our research will address this gap by empowering sector stakeholders, providing valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and advocates so social purpose organisations can evolve and deepen their extraordinary contribution to our society."
Directors from the Centre for Social Impact's nodes across Australia have welcomed the Social Economy Report and the opportunities it brings to the not-for-profit sector:
"The Social Economy Report will create a much-needed national review of challenges, trends and opportunities. It will connect to global work and provide important comparative insights for how we can improve policies and approaches in Australia," - Professor Danielle Logue , Director, CSI University of New South Wales.
"Given the high workload of the sector and inadequate resourcing, it is always hard to get data about the challenges facing the sector and the outcomes it collectively generates. However, when we have had this data in the past, we have been able to use it to highlight necessary areas of investment," - Professor Erin Wilson , Director, CSI Swinburne University of Technology.
"The Social Economy Report is a rare opportunity for-purpose CEOs and leaders to shape their sector's future. We encourage all of them to join the collective effort towards building a thriving social economy in Australia," - Professor Ian Goodwin-Smith , Director, CSI Flinders University.
"We know that not-for-profits, social enterprises, philanthropic foundations, and other for-purpose organisations are doing incredible work for our communities. We see this in in the evidence we collect in program evaluations with social purpose organisation, the stories we hear in our workshops, and the data we analyse in our economic analyses. What the Social Economy survey will enable us to do is identify trends and challenges faced by social purpose organisations across Australia which is critical to ensuring the social economy's continued ability to drive positive social change," - Professor Paul Flatau , Director, CSI University of Western Australia.
¹Australian Charities Report (2023), Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
²BCCM. 2021. National Mutual Economy Report BCCM-2021-NME-Report.pdf
³Social Traders. 2023. Pace 2023: Profile of Australia's Certified Social Enterprises
