The Harvard Club of Australia (HCA), in partnership with the Australian Scholarships Foundation, is pleased to once again support not-for-profit leaders with an opportunity to study at Harvard Business School in the United States.
Program overview
In recognition of the strong social and economic significance of the non-profit sector to the Australian community, The Harvard Club of Australia is offering two Fellowships to attend the highly regarded six-day course Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management in July 2022 at the Harvard Business School.
The Harvard Club of Australia Ferris Family Fellowships help fulfil the increasing demand for managerial skills and strategic decision-making within the not-for-profit sector. The course will assist participants to examine their missions, develop new strategies and improve the effectiveness of their organisations.
About the course
Today’s nonprofit organizations are faced with shifting demands for services, resource constraints, and diverse operational challenges. They must also learn to navigate the advent of new technology and new sources of funding. To fulfill their missions, nonprofit leaders must step up their game and create organizations that can thrive in the midst of change. Exploring crucial concepts and skills for nonprofit leadership, this program will prepare you to strengthen management and accountability while leading the evolution needed to create an effective, high-performing organization.
This program delivers the strategic perspectives, practical frameworks, and leadership skills you need to drive high performance across the organization. You will leave prepared to take decisive action and create a more responsive, successful, and sustainable nonprofit organization.
What you will learn
Through a rich learning experience that includes faculty presentations, case studies on nonprofit organizations, group exercises, and structured and informal group discussions, you will explore how today’s nonprofit leaders are tackling a broad range of challenges. As you enhance core skills crucial to leading nonprofit organizations, you will prepare to implement new strategies and drive change across your organization.
Who should attend?
Not-for-profit executive directors and chief executive officers who are responsible for shaping the direction, mission, policies, and major programs of their organisations – and who have been in their current role for at least one year by the program start date. Participating organisations must be public-serving nonprofits, fully operational, and out of the startup phase; they typically have operating budgets in excess of US$1 million.
Course details
Recipients of the 2022 Ferris Family Fellowships will attend the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management course in July 2022 over 7 days.
Course location: Harvard Business School campus, Boston, United States
Course dates: Sunday 10 – Saturday 16 July 2022
Key dates
| Applications open | Monday, 22 November 2021 |
| Applications close | Sunday, 13 February 2022, 11.59pm AEDT |
| Shortlist interviews | From Monday, 14 March 2022 |
| Scholarships awarded; all applicants notified of outcome | Friday, 25 March 2022 |
| Ferris Family Fellowship Awards luncheon | Early/mid May 2022 (Sydney) |
| Course dates | Sunday, 10 July – Saturday, 16 July 2022 (Boston, US) |
Save these important dates in your calendar.
Scholarship inclusions
There are two Ferris Family Fellowships available for 2022.
The award of $A15,000 each covers the course fees, accommodation, meals and travel to/from Boston. HCA also encourage Fellows to visit kindred organisations while in North America.
Eligibility requirements
Applicants for the 2022 Fellowships must:
- Be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident
- Be the full-time head of their organisation (Chief Executive or equivalent, such as General Manager or Executive Director)
- Have been in that organisation in that role or directly reporting to it for at least 12 months
- Be committed to full-time attendance at the 2022 SPNM course, to live on campus and to arrive no later than 9 July 2022 (course dates are 10-16 July 2022)
- Have not previously attended this or any similar course
- Commit to attend the Harvard Club’s Awards event to be held in Sydney in May (date TBA), at noon
The applicant must lead a not-for-profit organisation that:
- Has at least 5 full-time employees and an operating budget greater than AUS$1.5 million
- Directly serves the Australian community and is not principally a fundraising, advocacy or coordinating entity
- Has a functioning Board of Directors; is audited and produces an Annual Report
- Meets the Australian definition of a Nonprofit, with Deductible Gift Recipient 1 (DGR1) status
Selection of Fellows will be based on the same basis as Harvard uses to select course participants. Particular emphasis will be placed on:
- The specific challenge/opportunity the applicant wishes to address at the SPNM course
- The applicant’s overall goals and vision in attending the course
- The organisation’s and the applicant’s ability to have impact in the community
- The applicant’s ability to improve nonprofit leadership skills within Australia
Application process
The Australian Scholarships Foundation is proud to support the Harvard Club of Australia by facilitating and managing the application process on its behalf. To apply for a Harvard Club of Australia Ferris Family Fellowship, please complete the online application process via the Australian Scholarships Foundation application portal. Follow these five simple steps:
- Click the ‘APPLY NOW‘ button at the top of the page
- Follow the prompts to sign in or create a profile (this will be a hub from which you can apply for any scholarships in future)
- Complete the online application form
- Follow the prompts to upload an endorsement letter* and your organisations structure chart
- You will receive an automated confirmation email once you’ve submitted your application successfully
*Endorsement letters should be written by the chair of your organisation. Please see #12 of our FAQ’s page for some tips on what to include.
If you need assistance with the application process, please contact Australian Scholarships Foundation before the application deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
Assessment process
The Harvard Club of Australia will be managing the assessment, interview and selection process for this scholarship. If you have any questions about this process, please contact HCA directly.
Past Fellows
Hear previous Harvard Club of Australia fellowship recipients speak about the impact of the scholarship on their not-for-profit organisations, and their careers.
More information on last year’s winners, and the Ferris Family Foundation, can be found here.
More information
For more information about the program, please click here. For fellowship queries and assistance with the application process, please contact the team at Australian Scholarships Foundation before the application deadline.
