The challenges facing rural Australia make it increasingly difficult for some of our traditional sponsors to continue to fund scholarship places on the ARLP. Additionally, those who are able to provide a scholarship often require it to be used for an individual from their own industry or company. As a consequence, there are only two scholarships available to support candidates from emerging industries or new areas.

Developing leadership in these spheres is critical for rural Australia and it is to this end that your support is requested. The Foundation urgently needs to establish five or six scholarships that are not tied to a particular industry or group.

You can be part of developing rural Australia's leadership capacity. There are a number of funding opportunities:

1. Sponsor a scholarship on the Foundation's flagship program, the ARLP or one of its short courses, TRAIL and TRAILblazers.
2. Make a donation through the Foundation's DGR facility (See below) to help fund the LEAD Network and its ongoing contribution to rural leadership policy and development.
3. Make a donation through the DGR facility for an Alumni Scholarship for the ARLP.

PLEASE NOTE: scholarship opportunities are limited - there are only 35 spots on the ARLP and only 16 on any TRAIL or TRAILblazers program. If you wish to be a sponsor you'll need to secure your scholarship quickly to guarantee a spot on the program. Contact the Chief Executive Dr Lesley Fitzpatrick on (02) 6281 0680 to discuss your scholarship opportunities.

Why sponsor a Foundation program - our sponsors say:

 

 

1. Broadening the horizons of key people in our organisation
2. Develop a range of networks external to the organisation
3. Deepen the participants' understanding of rural Australia and increases empathy, which has positive impacts when they return to our organisation
4. The skills learned are well-matched to industry needs. We are happy because the graduates contribute to the community and are imbued with a broader social perspective.

 

About the LEAD Network

Each year the Foundation receives applications from candidates to take part in the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) who work in areas where there is no funded scholarship and little capacity to provide one due to the effects of drought and the lack of a funding source.

The Foundation also receives requests regularly from governments, industry, think tanks, etc. to facilitate the involvement of its network of graduates - called the Leadership engagement And Development (LEAD) Network - in policy development and strategic thinking on issues such as environmental sustainability, water management, community development and structural change.

The graduates' Leadership Engagement And Development (LEAD) Network is a vital and largely untapped, national resource, yet the Foundation has no funding to support the engagement of its graduates in development and sustainability challenges facing rural and urban Australia.

The Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation incorporated in 1992 as a public company limited by guaranteee. The Foundation is endorsed as a deductible gift recipient and is staffed by seven full-time and one part-time employees. It is primarily funded by corporate sponsorship in the form of scholarships which enable people from rural, regional and remote Australia to undertake the Australian Rural Leadership Program. The Foundation also provides a range of shorted, targeted programs.

The scholarships are provided by a range of rural industries, industry bodies, state and federal governments and research and development corporations, among others.

This generosity is indicative of the profile and support the Foundation has established and the relevance and value of its role and its programs. However, this approach to funding limits the Foundation's capacity to meet the demand for scholarships during times of drought and industry crisis, and to broaden its advisory activities and strategic engagement in rural support and development.

The Foundation’s deductible gift recipient status make gifts for these purposes tax deductible to the donor. In exchange, the Foundation offers benefits to its sponsors, including acknowledgement in our annual report; on our website and in promotional publications; course directories; and at graduation and other Foundation events.

Sponsorship of the Foundation offers an opportunity to contribute something tangible to rural Australia and to be associated with a highly-regarded philanthropic organisation and Australia’s premier 
rural leadership development program.