Resource library

CSI Social Impact - Research for Social Impact

Podcasts

The Research for Social Impact Podcast from the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Swinburne features researchers, practitioners and students discussing social entrepreneurship, finance, impact measurement, innovation and employment reform, offering deep insights into Australia’s social purpose ecosystem.

'Cultural Safety in Australia: Discussion Paper', Lowitja Institute

First Nations

White papers

First Nations

Cultural safety is pivotal for achieving equity and inclusion in health and human services. This paper focuses on embedding cultural safety into systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, addressing systemic racism and power imbalances. While primarily health-focused, its insights are applicable across sectors like social enterprise, community development, and governance.

Design for Wellbeing: A Social Enterprise Story

Platforms

This resource showcases findings from Australian Research Council studies on Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE). It emphasises the role of social enterprises in enhancing individual and community wellbeing, particularly in disadvantaged and regional areas. The platform offers tools, insights, and strategies for social enterprises, policymakers, and ecosystem supporters to design workplaces and practices that integrate wellbeing principles, address systemic disadvantage, and foster resilience. Key focus areas include regional community wellbeing, youth health equity, and leveraging organisational design to influence positive social outcomes.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) in the Workplace: A Strategic and Actionable Guide

Guides

This Diversity Australia resource provides practical guidance on integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into workplaces. It explores key concepts, outlines benefits like improved culture and business outcomes, and offers strategies for fostering inclusivity. Highlighting leadership's role and the need for ongoing training, it frames DEI as both a moral and strategic imperative, emphasising that building an inclusive workplace requires sustained commitment.

Doing Business on Country

Webinars

The Land Back Foundation held an interactive webinar exploring First Nations’ worldviews on social enterprise and encouraging actors across the social enterprise sector to reflect on our own worldviews and what they mean for our relationships with community and Country.

Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)

Guides

This is a website and workshop tool for companies to engage with Doughnut Economics. It aims to help transform the deep design of a business e.g. ownership and governance, to ensure it can use the strategies, practices and business models needed to help humanity into the Doughnut.

Doughnut Economics: Core Concepts of Doughnut Economics

Videos

This video introduces Doughnut Economics, a framework by economist Kate Raworth that balances human needs with planetary health. Challenging traditional growth-focused economics, it emphasises well-being within ecological limits. The concept offers a compelling perspective on sustainable development and highlights the role of social enterprises in the impact economy, engaging stakeholders effectively.

Do you know all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

Videos

This article provides a concise overview of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, promoting prosperity while safeguarding the planet. These goals emphasise poverty eradication, economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection to address global challenges effectively.

Driving impact 2026 Unlocking the opportunity for corporate social impact investment in the United Kingdom

Reports

This report explores how companies can use social impact investment to support charities and social enterprises while creating lasting social value. It explains what corporate social impact investment is, why uptake remains low in the UK, and what organisations can do to overcome barriers and unlock impact-first funding models.

Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity

Reports

Earth4All’s two-year research investigates pathways to achieve global wellbeing within planetary boundaries by 2100. It examines two scenarios: ‘Too Little Too Late,’ continuing current economic policies, and ‘Giant Leap,’ requiring bold decisions and investments. The report identifies five critical turnarounds—poverty, inequality, women’s empowerment, food systems, and energy transformation—and calls for active governments, wellbeing economies, and urgent action this decade. Using system dynamics models, it highlights affordable economic shifts and proposes citizens’ assemblies to overcome political barriers.

Empathy Mapping Play

Guides

This guide explains how to run an Empathy Mapping exercise to better understand customers’ needs and experiences. It provides step-by-step instructions for preparing and running a session, using real customer data, and turning insights into practical actions to improve products and services.

Expanding Concepts of Scale

Articles

People often ask if a social enterprise can be scaled. In this blog, Gord Tulloch challenges the idea that scale only means growing bigger or reaching more people. He explains five different ways to create impact, including changing rules, beliefs, social norms, and the conditions that help people take action.

Financial Management and Governance Guide for Not-for-Profit (NFP) Organisations

Guides

This guide from CPA Australia supports not-for-profit organisations, including social enterprises, to manage their finances effectively. It covers financial management, governance, risk, compliance, and tax. The resource helps organisations build strong systems and make informed decisions to support long-term sustainability.

First Australians

First Nations

Videos

First Nations

First Australians is a seven-part documentary series that tells the history of Australia from the perspective of its First Peoples, from 1788 to 1993. It gives voice to stories that have rarely been told on Australian television. It is relevant to anyone seeking to understand the foundations of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

First Nations Co-Design Platform (AIATSIS)

First Nations

Platforms

First Nations

The AIATSIS First Nations Co-Design Platform supports culturally safe, community-led service design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It promotes Indigenous knowledge, participatory decision-making, and co-ownership to ensure services align with local needs and aspirations.

First Nations Governance, Finance, Land and the Climate Crisis

First Nations

Webinars

First Nations

This open learning webinar, convened by First Nations Affairs, explores what climate leadership looks like when grounded in First Nations governance and worldviews. Speakers discuss co-design, equity, and cultural integrity - calling for stronger accountability, genuine partnerships, and decision-making that centres Country, community wellbeing, and justice.

First Nations Governance, First Nations Affairs

First Nations

Guides

First Nations

This guide explains why genuine Indigenous governance requires real decision-making authority, not just consultation with suggestions for how to embed it. It makes clear the difference between tokenistic advisory roles and legitimate power-sharing structures that respect First Nations authority over Country and culture.

First Nations Principles for Social Enterprise Development

Webinars

Shifting Ground held an interactive webinar with agents of social change representing a cross-section of First Nations social enterprises and businesses. It explored the principle: "If you can get right what you do in relation to First Nations people, your work with all people and communities will benefit."

First Nations Startups Fact Sheets - Legal Guide Australia

First Nations

Guides

First Nations

The First Nations Startups Fact Sheets are practical legal guides from HopgoodGanim Lawyers. They help Indigenous entrepreneurs understand key issues when starting and growing a business. The resource explains topics such as business structures, contracts, intellectual property, funding and risk management. It supports First Nations founders to make informed decisions and to access clear, plain language legal information.

First Nations Systems Thinking – Common Ground

First Nations

Articles

First Nations

This article explains systems thinking from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. It shows how First Nations approaches view the world as connected relationships between people, land, culture and community. The resource introduces key ideas from Indigenous knowledge systems and compares them with Western problem solving methods. It helps readers understand why Indigenous ways of thinking are valuable for addressing complex Australian challenges.

First Nations Worthwhile Ventures (FNWV) Business Portal

First Nations

Platforms

First Nations

The Business Portal from First Nations Worthwhile Ventures (FNWV) is an online hub that supports First Nations businesses. It offers tools, advice, and opportunities to help people start and grow businesses, while strengthening culture, community, and economic self-determination through FNWV’s broader work in enterprise and capacity building.

Five Stages of Social Enterprise Development

Guides

This guide explains the five stages of social enterprise development, from early ideas to more established and growing enterprises. It gives social entrepreneurs and support organisations a shared way to understand progress, identify current needs, and plan the next steps in the journey.

'Food Relief Good Practice Guide', Centre for Social Impact

Guides

This guide, developed by the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Flinders, provides food relief organisations with strategies to move beyond emergency provision by integrating dignity, choice, and community connections. It offers practical approaches to improving service delivery, emphasising people-centered practices, community engagement, and collaboration. By focusing on long-term solutions, the guide helps address the root causes of food insecurity and fosters sustainable change within communities.

FRRR Community Data Tool

Other

The FRRR Community Data Tool is a free online resource that helps local community groups find reliable information about their area. By entering a location, users can quickly access population figures, socio-economic data and regional indicators to support planning, applications for grants and telling their community’s story with strong evidence.

Gari Yala 2 (Speak the Truth) Full Report: Centreing the Work Experiences of Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander Australians in 2025-2026

First Nations

Reports

First Nations

Gari Yala 2 (Speak the Truth) is an Indigenous-led national survey report from the UTS Centre for Indigenous People and Work. It finds that racism and cultural unsafety remain widespread in Australian workplaces, with little improvement since 2020. It is essential reading for employers, HR professionals, and anyone working in diversity and inclusion.

Global Footprint Network: Measuring Humanity’s Impact on the Planet

Platforms

The Global Footprint Network is an international nonprofit organisation focused on measuring and tracking ecological footprints. By providing tools and data, it supports governments, businesses, and individuals in making informed decisions that promote sustainability and help live within Earth's ecological limits. The organisation works on ecological footprint accounting, policy support, and public education, offering resources to guide sustainable living and ecological resilience.

Greening Australia: Large-Scale Environmental Restoration

Platforms

Greening Australia addresses key environmental challenges through reforestation, habitat restoration, and climate resilience projects. By combining scientific research, community engagement, and innovative solutions, it works to restore degraded ecosystems. Its efforts include reforestation, carbon sequestration, waterway protection, and collaboration with local communities and Traditional Owners, strengthening environmental resilience and restoring Australia’s natural habitats on a national scale.

Growing with Purpose

Webinars

This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.

Having Better Conversations about Data: Tips for Social Enterprises

Webinars

The Data Conversation led a practical webinar exploring how social enterprises can feel more confident and capable when working with data. With tips, tools and analogies to ease data anxiety, the session offered a friendly entry point to building a data-informed culture, regardless of organisational size, experience or starting point.

Health Justice Australia

Platforms

Health Justice Australia integrates legal services into healthcare to address social factors affecting health. Through partnerships, resources, and training, it supports healthcare and legal professionals in delivering holistic care, particularly for vulnerable communities.

'How Communities Awaken', Vivian Hutchinson

E-books

“How Communities Awaken” by Vivian Hutchinson explores active citizenship, community development, and Māori cultural wisdom. Based on the Taranaki Masterclass and Community Conversations, these essays provide insights on fostering connection, creativity, and social change.

How Legal Structures Shape Impact Investing

Webinars

This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.

How Social Entrepreneurs Make Change Happen

Articles

This article by Sally Osberg and Roger Martin examines how social entrepreneurs drive systemic change, highlighting Andrea and Barry Coleman’s Riders for Health. By addressing transportation gaps in African healthcare, the Colemans exemplify how leveraging expertise and engaging stakeholders can create sustainable impact. The authors argue that successful social entrepreneurs focus on specific needs while aligning broader ecosystems, enabling transformative change that goes beyond business-driven outcomes.

How to Be a Super Board Chair

Articles

This Stanford article shares nine practical strategies for strong board leadership in social enterprises. It explains how board chairs can build a positive culture, clarify roles, support executive leaders, plan for succession, recruit the right members, and address underperformance to create a respectful and effective board.

How To Have Challenging Conversations. Tips From Organisational Science

Articles

This resource, adapted from the teaching profession, provides social enterprise leaders with strategies for navigating challenging management conversations. It highlights the ineffectiveness of "hard sell" or "soft sell" approaches in driving change and maintaining relationships. Instead, it introduces the "Open to Learning" framework, emphasising validity, respect, and commitment. Leaders are guided to approach conversations with shared decision-making and an open mindset, offering a practical tool for addressing performance issues and implementing change in dynamic work environments.

How to revive a neighborhood: with imagination, beauty and art

Videos

Theaster Gates is a potter and community leader who shares how he transformed empty, run-down buildings into places where people can connect and create. In this talk, he shows how to see problems as opportunities, start with what you already have, and use art and culture to bring communities together and create positive change.

Human Rights is Our Business

Webinars

This webinar, marking World Human Rights Day, explores the role of human rights in business. Featuring sector leaders and advocates, it shares insights on the importance of embedding safety, dignity, fairness and inclusion into everyday business operations. It outlines Australia’s current human rights framework, and highlights opportunities for social enterprises to lead rights-respecting business practices.

Humans of Purpose

Podcasts

The Humans of Purpose Podcast features weekly conversations with purpose-driven leaders exploring impact, purpose and meaningful work. Hosted by Mel Greblo, each episode brings insight into leadership, systems change and community-centred innovation.

ILO Decent Work Agenda

Platforms

The ILO Decent Work Agenda promotes fair, secure, and productive employment worldwide. It provides policy guidance, resources, and best practices to support job creation, labour rights, and social protection.

Impact Boom Blog and Podcast

Podcasts

Impact Boom has undertaken 100s of interviews with social entrepreneurs and change-makers from across Australia and around the world. Produced as podcasts and blogs, their platform provides an amazing range of impact insights and stories.

Impact Investing Hub Playbook

Guides

This self-guided Playbook supports Australia’s impact investing ecosystem. It offers practical modules on impact investing, impact measurement, and revenue diversification. Designed for investors, advisors, and organisations seeking funding, it helps users understand how impact capital works and how to prepare for investment.

Impact-led design 2.0

Articles

Impact-led design 2.0 is a way to create programs and projects that are built around the change we want to see, not just around funding or activity. It uses evidence, lived experience, co-design and systems thinking to make solutions stronger and more effective across sectors such as government, philanthropy, business and not-for-profits.

Impact Measurement Journeys for Social Enterprise

Webinars

Social Good Outpost hosted a webinar sharing how social enterprises begin and evolve their impact measurement. With insights from TABOO, Echo Impact, and Native, the session explored practical ways to track what matters, centre community outcomes, and embed ethical, meaningful measurement into everyday business practice.

Inclusive Business Playbook, Acumen-EY

Guides

This playbook by Acumen and EY provides a framework and case studies for building inclusive businesses that benefit low-income and marginalised communities while remaining financially sustainable. It offers practical guidance on strategy, governance, workforce inclusion, and impact measurement.

'Inclusive Service Standards', Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing

Platforms

The Inclusive Service Standards provide a framework for culturally safe and inclusive service delivery, particularly in aged care. They offer training, self-assessment tools, and case studies to help organisations embed inclusivity and improve service practices.

Inclusive social innovation for hospitality employment

Journals

This research explores how a disability-inclusive social enterprise in hospitality can create meaningful jobs and lasting social change. Using Hotel Etico as a case study, it shows how inclusive design, strong relationships and co-creation with people with disability can transform workplaces, attitudes and employment systems.

Indigenous Governance Toolkit

First Nations

Platforms

First Nations

The AIGI Indigenous Governance Toolkit supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to build strong and culturally grounded governance. It provides practical tools, case studies, and guidance to help communities strengthen leadership, decision-making, and accountability while respecting culture, tradition and self-determination.

Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs)

First Nations

Other

First Nations

Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs), operated by the State Library of Queensland, empower Indigenous communities to preserve culture, share knowledge, and integrate modern technology. They support local leadership, digital access, and cultural innovation.

Indigenous Knowledge Research Publications – Old Ways, New

First Nations

Other

First Nations

This collection of research publications from Old Ways, New explores Indigenous knowledge systems and how they inform modern technologies, design, governance and cultural practice. The work highlights Indigenous perspectives on artificial intelligence, patterns of knowledge, equity, inclusion and deep connections to Country. The resource brings together reports, papers, chapters and research outputs that centre Indigenous expertise and guide ethical engagement with complex systems.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab – Deakin University

First Nations

Platforms

First Nations

The Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab (IKS Lab) is a research and public-facing platform centred on Indigenous ways of thinking, knowing and doing. It brings together Indigenous practitioners and researchers to explore how Indigenous knowledge systems can inform complex global issues, policy, design and culture. The Lab creates space for relational, respectful approaches to research, knowledge sharing and collaboration across disciplines.