Social Finance Research & Position Papers
Bridging Academic Rigor with Social Finance Realities
As a doctoral researcher studying the banking and wealth industry’s history and impact on underserved communities at the University of Southern California. I also examine the complex challenges facing financial institutions attempting to work for social good. I always closely align my academic research with the real-world challenges that senior leaders in the finance sector face.
My unique dual perspective as a doctoral researcher and external communications consultant informs all the work I produce. When drafting research papers, position statements, or policy briefs, my intention is to address directly the genuine challenges and opportunities leaders in social finance CDFIs, sustainable and socially responsible banks and social impact wealth management firms face. Through case studies and interviews with practitioners, I ensure theories are grounded in their daily realities.But, academic rigor and practical impact are mutually reinforcing strengths I leverage to advance solutions. In my research work, I constantly bridge theory with pragmatic insights from the domain to develop strategies that resonate with senior communications executives, guiding organizational purpose and community impact.
Bridging Theory and Practice
My goal is to work with my clients fuel progress toward a more equitable and just financial system through meaningful partnership between academia and impact-oriented organizations in social finance and impact investing. With extensive experience communicating complex topics, I am well-positioned to shape discussions in the social impact sphere.
I'll provide your organization with research content can equip leaders in this ecosystem with purpose-driven approaches to advancing their missions. Through narrative-shifting content conversations, I can support you in advancing solutions that may enhance their community impact.
Whether as doctoral researcher or external communications consultant, leveraging my blended academic and practical strengths can help you create tactics with your thought leadership content that resonate with your core community partners. I can help you disseminate those strategies in with a messaging plan that helps advance the financial equity movement and can lead to social change.
Academia Meets Mission: Research Papers at the Intersection
In the social finance sector, maintaining credibility as a thought leader requires more than just communicating the impact of your organization's mission. It demands actively advancing new sector expertise that resonates with practitioners in the social finance sector and addresses the real challenges they regularly face.
Through my dual role as both an established financial communications consultant and doctoral researcher, I am uniquely positioned to craft research papers that bridge the divide between academia and mission-driven practice. As both an academic and skillful finance industry communicator, I analyze my findings with both scholarship and communications strategy in mind. Then, I help you convey them clearly to sector professionals using my storytelling skills.
Leveraging Multi-Faceted Expertise for Strategic Insight
Effective research demands posing insightful questions, employing rigorous analytical frameworks and presenting results that offer both intellectual honesty and pragmatic value.
My methodology blends practitioner insights, data analysis, and expertise to create deliverables that educate and fuel change.
Through qualitative research like stakeholder interviews and case studies, I gain a deep understanding of lived realities and opportunities of your core community stakeholders.
By analyzing the narratives shared through qualitative research, I can identify themes, challenges, and programs or strategies shown to create positive change.
My research provides a senior leaders with a human lens through which they can see how their efforts affect the diverse stakeholders in their communities. These perspectives also become content assets you can share with other professionals in social finance sector.
They also become strategic tools for facilitating outreach, partnership, and progress. Whether supporting advocacy, fundraising, measurement, or communications efforts, my work equips mission-driven organizations with actionable intelligence that drives their advocacy forward and strengthens community ties.
Transforming Insights into Strategic Impact Through Messaging
Crafting strategic analyses and recommendations is typically the starting point. These research briefs, reports and papers can inform revised program approaches, spark community partnerships, or influence how the sector views key issues.
Their findings may result in better aligned organizational priorities for sector professionals and facilitate ongoing progress for organizations committed to financial equity.
I'm skilled in stakeholder relations, external communications, and advocacy. So, after delivering your research, I can assist in crafting a content strategy for broad dissemination of their findings.
Social finance organizations gain not only intelligence through my work, but also an experienced ally for guiding and disseminating ideas into impact beyond simply sharing the content on your website.
Beyond initial delivery, my work aims to create and sustain momentum that reinforces both organizational missions and the communities they affect.
Well-crafted content strategy that aligns seamlessly with your external communications plan while amplifying your voice through this thought leadership facilitates that.
Partnering for Strategic Progress
My goal is a collaboration that uses our collective strengths to further your mission. If you're looking to empower stakeholders with actionable intelligence, let's discuss how customized research can enhance your initiatives.
Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to explore a potential thought partnership.
(c) 2022-2023. Dahna M. Chandler for The Financial Communicator, a division of Thrive Media Collaborative, Inc. All rights reserved. This page content may not be reproduced or reposted in whole or in part or used for AI applications without express written permission from the author.
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