Not-for-Profit Leadership Scholarship

About the Scholarship

The Stanford Australia Foundation (SAF), with the support of Dyson Bequest, is pleased to again support not-for-profit leaders with two scholarship opportunities to study at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) in the United States.

Stanford University is one of the world’s leading universities and the GSB is consistently ranked as one of the world’s top business schools. Located in Palo Alto, California, the GSB prepares leaders to “change lives, change organisations, change the world”. The Stanford Australia Foundation (SAF) is a not-for-profit organisation with the mission to enable more Australians to share the exciting experience of a GSB Executive Education program for the benefit of the Australian community. This year, with the support of the Dyson Bequest, Stanford Australia Foundation is offering two scholarships for study in the 2024 calendar year.

To be eligible for the SAF scholarship, recipients must be employed by an Australian non-profit organisation with Deductible Gift Recipient Status 1 (DGR1) and plan to remain with the organisation, and be an Australian citizen or have permanent or temporary residency in Australia. Please note that candidates are required to be in organisational leadership roles. Those who are solely in non-executive director or board roles are not eligible.

Scholarship overview

The 2024 Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarship covers the costs for each NFP leader to attend an Executive Education program at the Stanford GSB. SAF awards each scholarship winner with up to AUD $22,000 to cover course fees, economy travel to/from Palo Alto, California, and incidental study tour expenses subject to SAF approval. Costs beyond this amount must be covered by the recipients and/or their supporting NFP organisation. The scholarship also includes six months of mentoring from a Stanford alumnus living in Australia, and a one-year complimentary membership in the Stanford Australia Association (SAA).

Scholarship recipients are able to attend the Executive Education course of their choice held at the Graduate School of Business located at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA, between January 1st and December 31st, 2025. A full list of Executive Education programs can be found here, although applicants are encouraged to consider the six-day Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders (EPNL).

In preparing an application, candidates should review course outlines and consider how the Executive Education program will contribute to fulfilling personal and professional objectives.

Guidelines for eligibility for Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarships
  • Candidate is an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or temporary resident of Australia.
  • Candidate is currently employed in a leadership position at an Australian NFP organisation with Deductible Gift Recipient 1 status (DGR1). Please note that non-executive directors who do not hold a line leadership role are not eligible for SAF scholarships.
  • Scholarships will be applied to a course held at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA between January 1st and December 31st of the scholarship year (2025).
  • Candidate understands that they are solely responsible for gaining entry through any required application process for their selected course. Scholarship awards are conditional on program entry.
  • Scholarship winners will provide 2 short written reports (one within 1 month of completing their course, and one after 12 months of completing their course) describing the impacts of winning the scholarship.
Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria
  • Candidate’s potential for leadership.
  • Benefits to the candidate’s professional development.
  • Potential positive impact to the candidate’s organisation.
  • Potential impact for the wider Australian community.
Indicative Scholarship Timeline

Date

timeline

28th August 2024
Applications open
6th October 2024 at 5pm AEST
Applications close
27 October 2024
Shortlisted candidates are notified and invited to interview
8-9 November 2024
Shortlisted candidates are interviewed*
10 November 2024
Candidates are notified of outcome
*Interviews will ideally be conducted in-person in Sydney, however may be conducted virtually.
Assessment Process

The Stanford Australia Foundation will be managing the assessment, interview, and selection process for this scholarship. When the time comes, you will be notified by SAF about the outcome of your scholarship application. If you have any questions about this process, please contact SAF directly.

For more information, or if you have problems with your application, please contact us directly at stanfordaustralia@gmail.com