Worth over $1,000 each, the scholarships are open to all chairs of not-for-profit (NFP) organisations and are intended to support good governance in the sector.

The scholarships, funded by the Perpetual Foundation and the JS Love Trust, are expected to provide an opportunity for networking, discussion and collaboration in Australia’s NFP sector.

Perpetual’s General Manager of Philanthropy Andrew Thomas said “The Perpetual Foundation, JS Love Trust and the Australian Scholarships Foundation are striving to improve the effectiveness and capability of this important sector by developing and supporting the best possible leaders.”

Australian Scholarships Foundation Chairman Paul Murnane said the scholarships provide a “timely opportunity to go back to basics on the role of a chair within an NFP, the additional responsibilities over other non-executive directors and the lines between the Board and the executive.”

“Ultimately, if the Board is under the leadership of a confident and capable chair, the rest of the organisation is more likely to be successful. We’re confident these scholarships will set leaders on the best possible path to improving the efficiency and outcomes of their organisations.”

The Not-For-Profit Chairman course will be held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in February 2012.