Four major Australian foundations – The Myer Foundation, the Sidney Myer Fund, the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation and the Paul Ramsay Foundation, have come together to fund the five-year, $9 million SILA program. In doing so, these organisations have unlocked potential to improve the wellbeing of all Australians.
Excitingly, CSI (Centre for Social Impact) have allocated a large portion of the funding to rural and regional participants. CSI strongly encourage participants in regional and rural parts of Australia to apply and will provide travel assistance. There is also funding to support people from diverse backgrounds to participate in SILA.
The program is first launching in ACT and NSW. This means that social impact leaders from Forbes, NSW are eligible SILA participants and are provided with the opportunity to further influence the for-good space.
“It is critical that we develop a truly national program. By broadening our reach in this way, we are ensuring we will be available to a diverse group of leaders and organisations from across Australia,” Jenny Wheatley, CEO of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation said.
For too long, rural and regional parts of Australia have been under-recognised in such spaces. CSI is excited to ensure that leaders from rural and regional areas are adequately represented in the sector and that the impacts of their work are amplified on a national level.
The program will include a series of immersive and dedicated training opportunities, all focused on supporting not-for-profit leaders to build their capacity and continue driving positive change.
More information about SILA can be found here: https://silaprogram.com.au/