ICDA fast-tracks scholarships for community leaders

While ICDA has offered scholarships in the past for Australia's premier diploma-level governance qualification, rounds this year will offer opportunities to more groups across more sectors, providing a leg-up to the most under-represented groups in the country.

The $1000 part-scholarships* have been fast tracked to allow students from any of the targeted sub-sectors to apply immediately, with decisions on eligibility to be made within 10 days of submissions. While applications are rolling – they can be made any time during the year – places are strictly limited, and subject to terms and conditions.

• LGBTIQ+
• Young people on boards
• Women
• Community health
• Rural and regional
• Going green
• Board diversity
• Faith-based charities
• Indigenous Australian
• Local government
• Sport

More information about each round will be announced during the relevant themed week of the year-long Festival of Community Directors.

Our Community group managing director Denis Moriarty said the new scholarships lowered the barriers to training, while enhancing diversity, resilience and innovation in organisations that needed it most.

“Our top priority is to deliver practical, accessible and affordable training. These scholarships will help us to more quickly reach more of the groups that will benefit most,” Mr Moriarty said.

Informed by the findings of the ICDA Not-for-profit Governance Roadmap, Australia’s biggest non-government not-for-profit study, the diploma was one of the most effective ways organisations could tackle the pressing issues identified in the report, Mr Moriarty said.

He also pointed to the Centre for Social Impact’s study of the social return on not-for-profit education and training which revealed that every dollar spent on governance training reaped six dollars in value for an organisation.

“Whether it’s greater diversity, better reviews, more effective inductions, preventing fraud or measuring progress, a scholarship can open the door to a future leader,” Mr Moriarty said.

“Too often we hear about failures of governance in the corporate, government, charity and not-for-profit spheres. Twenty years of delivering the diploma confirms my view that proper training can help cut off these problems at the pass.

“That’s why we’re expanding our scholarships program.”

ICDA has struck various partnerships to deliver the scholarships across diverse subsectors.

Past supporters have included the Trawalla Foundation, the Australian Scholarships Foundation, Women’s Leadership Institute Australia, the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), Greening Australia, and Sports Without Borders.

*The full cost of the Diploma is $4,495 (inc GST), comprising enrolment, student iPad, assessment and administration. Scholarship recipients are liable for the remainder ($3,495).