About Us

The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, formed in 1992 and currently holds gift deductibility status. The Foundation is a successful and respected vehicle for building capable leaders for and from Rural Australia. The vision is of a growing group of outstanding Australians, developed through the ARLF, playing vital roles in their rural communities and in rural businesses, and thereby becoming a national resource and network sustaining rural Australia and our nation. The Foundation currently has over 500 Fellows.

The Foundation’s flagship product is the Australian Rural Leadership Program, a 17 month course, delivered in six sessions,run for up to 35 people, every year.

The Foundation currently has eight staff. See 'Staff' for more details.

Foundation Vision

Resilient rural communities.

Foundation Mission

Developing leadership excellence to build resilient rural communities.

Foundation Focus

The Foundation works with individuals, businesses, communities and organisaitons that are part of the primary sector of the Australian economy.

The sector includes agriculture, agribusiness, fishing, forestry, and all mining and quarrying industries. The manufacturing industries that aggregate, pack, package, purify or process raw materials from these activities are considered part of the sector.

The Foundation also works with those with a commitment to the development of the viability of rural Australia including individuals, businesses, groups and organisations that:

• Facilitate primary production or the sutainable use of resources;
• Provide infrastructure, products, and services of a material, social, cultural, economic or environmental nature;
• Offer policy support, advocacy, research or expertise that contributes to development and resilience in primary industries and rural communities.

Foundation Values

• Independence, neutrality and objectivity in our approach
• Respect, tolerance and recognition of the worth and capacity of all persons
• Honesty and integrity in our dealings
• Professional and ethical behaviour in our activities
• Positive engagement with opportunities, challenge and change
• Lifelong learning based in authentic educational experiences
• Partnering and teamwork to continuously improve our products and effectiveness

The Australian Rural Leadership Program

The Program has been established since 17 November 1992. The Foundation has completed fourteen courses, and will commence the sixteenth course in May 2009. To date over 450 rural leaders have graduated from the Program and many of these already have achieved influential leadership roles. The Program is part time conducted in six sessions over a fifteen-month period in various locations throughout Australia and overseas.

The Leadership Engagement And Development (LEAD) Network

The Foundation has a large network of highly effective and motivated leaders working at regional, state, national and international levels. These leaders have and are continuing to make a difference in Rural and Regional Australia - see network overview.

Short Courses

The Foundation also delivers a number of shorter, open enrollment programs for different markets - TRAIL -for emerging leaders, and TRAILblazers for seasoned leaders.

The Foundation occasionally works with specific industry groups to design and deliver a customised short leadership program.

See "programs' for more details.