Broadly defined, corporate social investments are initiatives undertaken, funded, or otherwise supported by companies, where the intended primary beneficiaries are external to the company, yet there is a benefit for companies in making such an investment. Examples include donations and other contributions to civil society groups and organisations, direct funding and delivery of social programs, under-writing the cost of social infrastructure (e.g. schools, hospitals and housing), setting up foundations, funding directly or in partnerships with others livelihood, income generating, skills and capacity development programmes and payments to externally-controlled funds that are earmarked for social purposes (e.g. improving education and health outcomes).