Top not-for-profit leader training now available anywhere, any time

Australia’s best qualification for not-for-profit leaders just got better.

As workers amp up their internet connections and improve their home offices in response to the pandemic, the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) has rebuilt its training to suit the times, and now delivers its premier course to people’s homes.

The Diploma of Governance (BSB52318) has always been 100% focused on not-for-profit boards and the senior staff who work with them. Now it is going fully online. And the only nationally recognised diploma qualification designed for not-for-profits continues to rise above similar courses with study that is now accessible anywhere, any time.

Classes have just re-opened after a total revamp in response to COVID-19, with the first two intakes already booked out.

Our Community group managing director Denis Moriarty said he was eager to help the not-for-profit sector meet some of its toughest challenges since World War II in the wake of the pandemic.

“We know it’s tough right now for not-for-profits – whether it’s managing finances, raising funds, finding volunteers or hosting meetings – and that’s where this diploma will make a difference.

“An estimated 600,000 not-for-profits across the nation are the heart and soul of our communities, and the important work they do for the most vulnerable among us must continue. Good governance is the foundation of a well-run organisation – we know this based on our extensive research and from witnessing the best rise and the worst fail over two decades in this business.

“So whether you’re logging on under the fans at a community centre in the Top End, or finding time for weekend study in front of the fire in your Tassie loungeroom, all students now have equal access to the best we have to offer. I couldn’t be prouder of the course content, which will make a difference to board members and senior managers alike.”

Hosted by regional tertiary trainer TAFE Gippsland, the revised diploma continues to be informed by:

• the Institute’s Not-for-profit Governance Roadmap 2020
• Our Community’s recent COVID-19 Community Sector Impact Study
• the Community Directors Council, chaired by former Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission chief and adjunct professor Susan Pascoe AM.

Ms Pascoe said the council had drawn on studies enabling it to understand and target deficits in the NFP sector, such as the understanding of diversity, induction, fundraising and performance review.

“The organisations meeting and exceeding their goals are well-governed by competent boards with a healthy culture and a commitment to continual improvement”.

New Diploma students include Eloise Page, corporate services manager at the Garnduwa Amboorny Wirnan Aboriginal Corporation, based in Broome in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region.

It is the first time students from such far-flung corners of the country have been able to study with ICDA without travelling to a big centre, and Ms Page couldn’t be happier.

Winning a $1000 part-scholarship targeting rural and regional participants was the icing on the cake.

“I am really excited about starting the Governance Diploma, because it’s something I have wanted to do for a long time,” Ms Page said.

The revamped courses feature:

• NFP-related case studies, role-plays and simulations – all hosted live
• A suite of video presentations that can be reviewed at leisure
• Totally updated workbooks and learning materials
• Online discussion boards and “breakout rooms” for students
• Additional web resources
• Access to TAFE Gippsland student resources

New course intakes start frequently. Class sizes are small, and entrance requirements acknowledge prior experience in the sector.

The Institute of Community Directors Australia study offers the following benefits for students:

• An affordable, career-changing opportunity with pathways to university study
• Practical knowledge instantly applicable to NFPs
• Confidence in dealing with a complex political and legal environment
• Membership of ICDA’s alumni network of not-for-profit professionals
• Credentials as a “responsible person” in the eyes of the Australian Taxation Office
• Access to a stack of online resources, policies and help sheets aimed at NFPs