Perpetual scholarships making a difference to NFPs

Perpetual has announced that applications are now open for 320 scholarships to help not-for-profit (NFP) organisations enhance their governance.

This is the fourth year the Perpetual Foundation and JS Love Trust, managed by Perpetual, have funded the scholarships which are administered by the Australian Scholarships Foundation (ASF). The scholarships are offered to chairs and board directors of charitable NFPs to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors or Not-for-Profit Chairman courses.

A research study by the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia and the Australian Scholarships Foundation, funded by the Origin Foundation, has established links between the scholarship program and improved performance by individual directors and boards.

Specifically, The Social Return on Education and Training Research Project found that program participants reported significantly higher levels of confidence six months after the completion of a course. This systematically improved board members’ performance and had a subsequent positive impact on their NFP organisation.

Perpetual’s General Manager of Philanthropy, Andrew Thomas, said these insights suggest that providing NFPs with help to fund education and organisational development is making a real difference.

“The key roadblock to NFPs accessing education for boards is a lack of available budget to support training and development. By offering a solution to these challenges and funding scholarships, we’re hoping to further enhance governance across the sector,” Mr Thomas said.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors’ NFP Manager, Phil Butler, said the scholarship program is leading to better governance outcomes across the sector.

“Year-on-year we are hearing that governance across the not-for-profit sector is maturing and we believe that an ongoing commitment to individual director and whole-of-board development is critical to this continuing,” said Mr Butler.

The Australian Scholarships Foundation’s CEO, Amy Lyden, said access to this program is having a significant impact on NFPs.

“Governance continues to be an area of high demand for us. With deepening funding constraints and major changes in the regulatory environment, not-for-profit boards need to be sharp. These scholarships help to remove the barrier to much needed education for boards.”

During the past three years, the Perpetual Foundation and JS Love Trust have funded 1,130 scholarships which chairs and board directors in the NFP sector have benefitted from. This number will significantly increase with the additional 320 scholarships to be offered for courses run in 2015.

Applications are open to chairs and directors of charitable NFP organisations until Monday 27 October 2014. The courses will be held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth in February 2015. For more information and to apply, visit www.scholarships.org.au