Scholarship opportunity supports not-for-profit sector emerging leaders

Scholarship announcement –

The Australian Scholarships Foundation (ASF) has announced 100 not-for-profit sector scholarships to assist future leaders further develop skills and insights to help them better lead their teams and organisations.

The scholarships to McKinsey & Company’s Young Leaders Forum in October 2022, presents an opportunity for aspiring sector leaders to participate in a three-day virtual event that explores personal leadership, the foundations of leading high performing teams, and how to become a more effective leader in a world of accelerating disruptive change.

Louisa Graham, the Australian Scholarships Foundation CEO, said: “ASF and McKinsey recently conducted research into the organisational health of the not-for-profit sector. The research showed that only 35% of organisations surveyed were above the median in practices required for talent growth and performance management. The not-for-profit sector should have the same leadership capabilities as the for-profit sector for organisations to realise the full potential of their critical work. ”

“Unfortunately, the reality for not-for-profit organisations is they have limited resources and capacity to invest in leadership, learning and professional development. Through the Young Leaders Forum, rising sector leaders will be presented with a wonderful opportunity to advance their leadership capabilities and have a meaningful impact across the diverse not-for-profit landscape.”

Eshna Khadka is an Operations Manager for the NDIS, Castle Personnel Services and a 2021 Young Leaders Forum scholarship recipient. Her experience, particularly through the group conversations, was “powerful, and listening to participants’ stories was inspirational.

“The Young Leaders Forum was not just a leadership program that was four days for me, the takeaway from this program will continue to support me in the long run both personally and professionally,” Eshna said.

Roland Dillon, a Partner with McKinsey & Company, said, “We are thrilled to support ASF and the beneficiaries of these scholarships to help emerging leaders become more effective as they transition into leadership roles.

Through our ongoing engagement with the sector, including this year’s Mission Delivery programs, the need to invest in the sector’s people has only been reinforced. At one of our pro bono training programs this year, more than 80% of not-for-profit leaders indicated they were ‘in the red’ – that is at or approaching burnout given workload and stress.

Against this setting, we are doubling our efforts to strengthen the capabilities of not-for-profit leaders and supporting organisations to prioritise staff development. Through initiatives like the Young Leaders Forum, organisations are offered a great way to help inspiring leaders build their knowledge, improve their cross-sector networks, and ultimately maximise their performance and social impact.”

The program is designed to benefit high potential future leaders with approximately 7-12 years of work experience. Successful applicants will typically be transitioning into people leader roles and taking on greater degrees of responsibility in their organisations.

The Australian Scholarships Foundation is a charity focused on delivering opportunities for training and professional development to the nation’s charities and not-for-profits.

—ENDS—

IMAGE: Eshna Khadka, Operations Manager for the NDIS, Castle Personnel Services and a 2021 McKinsey Young Leaders Forum scholarship recipient.