This year, there are six award categories: Start-up Leader, Established Leader, Treasurer, Social Entrepreneurs, Board Members and Partnerships for Purpose. Each award recipient will receive financial and educational support valued at more than $12,000.

“As Australia’s first bank, Westpac has a long history of helping communities when they need it most. And we know that for communities to really prosper, we need great, local leaders – leaders with the courage and the passion to make a difference in the areas where they live and work. Our Community Leaders Awards are about recognising these individuals and supporting them with the training and resources they need to continue creating brighter futures and inspiring others to action,” says Jason Yetton, Group Executive, Westpac Retail & Business Banking.

Launched by Westpac in 2013, the Community Leaders Awards were developed to ensure community leaders have access to financial and social impact education so they can continue to empower and grow their organisations.

Award recipients of the 2014 program will be awarded $5,000 for their organisation, $5,000 worth of Davidson Institute training and enrolment in a Social Impact training course from Net Balance worth $1,595, as well as a thought leadership course prepared specifically for Community Leaders Awards in conjunction with the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM). The individual will also receive a $500 MasterCard gift card.

“In addition to the prizes offered to the award recipients, finalists for the 2014 program will also be invited to attend the exclusive thought leadership event in Sydney run with the support of the AGSM on the day of the awards presentation, which will be extremely rewarding – for both the finalists and the communities they support,” says Yetton.