Businesses spent R8.1-billion on corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa during the 2014/15 financial year, but what kind of impact did this spend have? This year’s Trialogue CSI Conference, themed “collaboration for impact”, will explore how, if effectively strategised and supported through mutually beneficial partnerships, CSI spend can contribute to meaningful and sustained development.
The Trialogue CSI Conference, taking place on May 24 and 25 2016 at The Forum in Bryanston, Johannesburg, will bring together more than 450 corporate, non-profit organisations (NPOs), government, academic and media delegates, to connect and exchange ideas on how the effectiveness of CSI in development can be enhanced.
Conference topics to encourage reflection and innovation in CSI
Conference topics will include the state of CSI in South Africa, monitoring and evaluation, collaboration in education, fundraising and grant-making strategies, skills development and employability, how and when to appropriately communicate CSI initiatives, and the concept of inclusive capitalism.
While CSI in South Africa is well established and formally driven by the country’s BBBEE codes, the CSI in Africa session will explore what lessons in development South Africa can learn from its neighbours. An audience favourite, Trialogue Donors’ Den, is adapted from the internationally acclaimed Dragons’ Den television series. This interactive session will give three carefully selected NPOs the unique opportunity to pitch a specific project to a panel of donors and receive detailed feedback, empowering them with expert advice about how to hone their pitching and fundraising skills.
To ensure that delegates are able to gain as much insight as possible across a broad range of topics, all sessions will run in plenary, with some sessions carried into breakouts, giving delegates the opportunity to engage topics of particular interest to them in greater depth.
Trialogue will also host two pre-conference workshops on 23 May. Zenex Foundation will present on monitoring and evaluation, and Social Enterprise Academy will present on the journey to social enterprise. Both interactive workshops are targeted at corporate and NPOs.
Last year’s conference in numbers
Last year, 451 delegates including 97 corporate, 210 NPOs and 88 exhibitors attended the conference, with 53 speakers providing specialist knowledge. Eighty-three percent of delegates rated the conference as worthwhile or outstanding; 90% of delegates rated plenary speakers’ input as beneficial or very beneficial, and 80% of delegates found the opportunities for engagement beneficial or very beneficial.
How to attend
Visit www.trialogue.co.za/csi-conference as soon as possible to secure your place among more than 450 corporate, NPO, government, media and academic delegates. Corporate and government tickets are R6 950 (ex VAT) and NPO delegates pay R3 950 (ex VAT) to attend the two-day conference. Refreshments and lunch are included on both days.
For opportunities to sponsor or exhibit at the conference, email Karen Petersen at [email protected]