90 Scholarships Powering Nonprofit Leaders
Efforts to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the not-for-profit sector have received a significant boost through a new partnership between Melbourne Business School (MBS) and WISE Employment, a leading not-for-profit employment services provider. The collaboration includes funding for 90 scholarships in the MBS Emerging Social Purpose Leaders program, totaling $1.1 million.
WISE Employment will also join the MBS Centre for Social Purpose Organisations as a partner. Libby Ward-Christie, the Centre's director, highlighted that the Emerging Social Purpose Leaders Program is designed to address the unique challenges and operational complexities of social purpose organisations. She explained that by equipping emerging leaders with best practices in management, the program aims to help these organisations achieve sustainable social impact and long-term financial stability.
Ward-Christie emphasized the importance of collaboration between academia and industry to drive meaningful social change. Beyond the leadership development aspect, the partnership will also support vital research initiatives. The Centre plans to undertake a research project focused on WISE Employment’s growth, with the findings aimed at helping other social purpose organisations expand their impact in a financially sustainable manner.
The research will provide valuable insights that could inform future educational programs for the sector. Ward-Christie noted that this collaboration brings together MBS's business education and research expertise with WISE Employment's practical experience in driving financial growth and scaling social impact.
Matthew Lambelle, the group CEO of WISE Employment, shared that both his organisation and MBS share a common vision of advancing the social purpose sector to create a more equitable and sustainable world. As part of the partnership, WISE Employment is also funding employees to complete the Emerging Social Purpose Leaders Program. Lambelle emphasized the importance of leadership programs in addressing the unique challenges faced by the not-for-profit sector, helping organisations build capacity and better serve their communities.
Applications for the 2025 Emerging Social Purpose Leaders Program are now open.
