Social Value Investing: a Framework for

Today’s leaders must confront increasingly complex challenges, from climate change to inequality, that demand innovative and collaborative approaches. This course introduces students to the Social Value Investing framework, a five-point management model developed at Columbia University to guide and evaluate cross-sector partnerships (CSPs). Drawing on decades of faculty research, students will examine how leaders across the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors have built effective alliances to address critical social and environmental problems.

Through a mix of theory, case studies, and applied tools, students will gain practical insights into the formation, governance, and performance measurement of CSPs. Emphasis will be placed on organizational design, leadership practices, and techniques for managing impact across sectoral boundaries. Weekly sessions will include lectures, group exercises, short videos, case-based discussions, and applied impact measurement activities.

Note: Students who have taken Public Management Innovation with Professors Buffett and Eimicke are not eligible to enroll.