How you can help rural Australia thrive

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.

 Broadening the horizons of key people in our organisation

Develop a range of networks external to the organisation 

Deepen the participants' understanding of rural Australia and increases empathy, which has positive impacts when they return to our organisation 

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.