Calendar
Explore our training calendar for not-for-profit leaders and board members.
Discover upcoming workshops, courses and events designed to enhance skills in governance, strategy and leadership. Find all upcoming training dates below and register for sessions that align with your goals.
January 2025
The Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) is offering a Diploma of Governance designed for the board members of Australian not-for-profit boards and committees, and the CEOs and other senior staff who work alongside them.
The training materials and assessments for this qualification have been developed by the Institute of Community Directors Australia, which also completes all training and assessments. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be issued with a certificate of completion from ICDA.
Both prospective and current members of boards are eligible for enrolment. Deep knowledge of a not-for-profit organisation is highly desirable.
Start Date: 29 January 2025
Introduction: 5 Feb 2025 - 12.30pm - 1.15pm
Tutorial 1: 12 Feb 2025 - 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Tutorial 2: 12 Mar 2025 - 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Tutorial 3: 9 Apr 2025 - 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Tutorial 4: 7 May 2025 - 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Tutorial 5: 4 Jun 2025 - 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Tutorial 6: 2 Jul 2025 - 12.30pm - 2.30pm
February 2025
Community boards often receive funding for specific one-off projects that are within scope of their strategic objectives but may not fall under the annual operational plan or budget. Boards may also develop projects to investigate an area of concern or solve a problem in the organisation.
In these situations, it’s important for organisations to be able to understand the roles of the board and of management in ensuring the project is managed appropriately in terms of inputs, outcomes and compliance.
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, February 12 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
Developing and maintaining emotional intelligence is crucial for leaders as it enhances their ability to connect with and influence others effectively. This is certainly the case for board directors who required to understand their own community stakeholders, staff, donors and fellow directors in pursuit of overseeing the organisation’s strategy.
Board members with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to understand and manage group dynamics, instigate and participate in constructive debate, and avoid emotional biases that could hinder objective decision-making. Discover top tools for developing and maintaining your emotional intelligence at this webinar.
Key Details
Date: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Certified Community Director (Advanced) is a live, online program that allows you to put your governance skills into action through interactive board scenarios and discussions.
Taking place across four afternoon sessions, the course has been designed to allow you to apply everything learned in the self-paced course to real-life scenarios.
Complete the course and earn the Certified Community Director (Advanced) certification.
Key details
- Live, interactive sessions with experienced facilitators
- Access to the ICDA training team – experts in NFP governance
- Real-world board scenario exercises, covering all topics in the self-paced version of the course.
- Certified Community Director (Advanced) certification upon completion
Dates
This training will take place live on:
- Wednesday 19 February, 4PM-7PM AEDT
- Thursday 20 February, 4PM-6PM AEDT
- Monday 24 February, 4PM-7PM AEDT
- Tuesday 25 February, 4PM-6PM AEDT
Reach the most people at the lowest cost (free!) with the least effort (a phone call!) and the most influence (big audiences) - by gaining media coverage.
Nonprofit PR specialist Brett de Hoedt of Hootville Communications has helped community groups and not-for-profits land 1000+ media hits on a range of issues. He knows how to get coverage for complex, unsexy stories.
In this webinar, Brett offers his top tips and insights on getting noticed by the media, including:
- why media coverage is worth the effort;
- knowing what media wants from you;
- identifying and creating catalysts for media coverage;
- how to prepare your organisation to be shameless media tarts;
- building media relationships without wining nor dining;
- dealing with journalists from first contact to warm afterglow;
- writing media releases - and why they hardly matter;
- story packaging – supplying media the various elements of your story;
- pitching your story to journalists (the moment of truth).
Key Details
Date: Thursday 27 February 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
March 2025
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, 5th March 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Community Sector Secretaries is a three-session program designed to help company secretaries understand their role on the board, and the responsibilities to the board.
The sessions will cover the secretary's role in:
- Regulatory and legislative compliance, decision-making and ethical obligations (session 1)
- Keeping the board on track with responsibilities and timelines (session 2)
- Supporting inclusion and accessibility and ensuring effective induction and onboarding of new board members (session 3)
Participants will learn alongside other community sector secretaries, in sessions designed to enable them to connect and network with their peers. This training takes place online.
Those who complete all three sessions will receive a Certificate in Community Sector Secretaryship, a micro-credential accredited by the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Key Details
Session 1: Thursday, March 6, 2025
Session 2: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Session 3: Thursday, March 20, 2025
An organisation which can use its data effectively will be able to tell a compelling story of relevance and success to potential funders, supporters and stakeholders. Impact evaluation does not have to be expensive and can be done on a shoestring by putting a few systems in place. Every organisation collects information, and often, an evaluation can be carried out, using just the information you are collecting anyway.
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, 12th March 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
The Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) is offering a Diploma of Governance designed for the board members of Australian not-for-profit boards and committees, and the CEOs and other senior staff who work alongside them.
The training materials and assessments for this qualification have been developed by the Institute of Community Directors Australia, which also completes all training and assessments. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be issued with a certificate of completion from ICDA.
Both prospective and current members of boards are eligible for enrolment. Deep knowledge of a not-for-profit organisation is highly desirable.
Start Date: 25 March 2025
Introduction: 1 Apr 2025 - 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Tutorial 1: 8 Apr 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Tutorial 2: 6 May 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Tutorial 3: 3 Jun 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Tutorial 4: 1 Jul 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Tutorial 5: 29 Jul 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Tutorial 6: 26 Aug 2025 - 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Not-for-Profit Insurance Week, an initiative of Aon and Our Community, is designed to raise awareness of the importance of insurance and risk management in Australia's $100 billion not-for-profit sector.
The aim of this event, held 24-28 March 2025, is to provide advice, products and support for the staff and board members tasked with overseeing the insurance and risk management of Australia's community groups.
Activities during Not-for-Profit Insurance Week will centre around:
- An information packed series of free webinars, where you can have your questions answered
- The release of new insurance products, advice and support for not-for-profit organisations
Each day during Not-for-Profit Insurance Week we will be releasing more valuable information and materials. Make sure you keep coming back to get it all.
Also, don't miss your opportunity to win up to $25,000 for your not-for-profit organisation! Just fill in this form during Not-for-Profit Insurance Week to get a free insurance quote and you will go into the draw. Competition terms and conditions apply.
Fundraising is the lifeblood of most community organisations, yet it’s an often-neglected task. Most organisations draw the majority of their income from just one or two sources. That’s a dangerous strategy. If one of those sources dries up, you could quickly face a budget black hole.
To survive and thrive in a changing world, a not-for-profit organisation must develop a fundraising plan that rests on these seven pillars of fundraising. This session is designed for grassroots community groups that want to find out where to find funding, and how to win it.
Key Details
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
April 2025
Key Details
Date: Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Key Details
Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025
Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: FREE!
If the board can be considered the mind of a community group, the meetings are the heart. This is where all the major decisions are made and the board comes together as a group to steer the organisation towards its mission. Running a successful board meeting takes work, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Join us for this interactive session which will give you the top tips and tools for running a successful board meeting.
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEDT (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
Human resources law can be complicated. There’s a lot to know, and many organisations don’t have an expert at their disposal.
That’s why we’re staging an Ask Me Anything (AMA) with Maddocks partner Lindy Richardson.
Lindy advises on employment law, with a particular focus on industrial relations, employment, anti-discrimination law, and work health and safety law where it intersects with those matters. She has significant experience in all employment-related litigation, including before the Fair Work Commission, the Federal Court, the Federal Circuit (and Family) Court of Australia and VCAT.
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: FREE!
If embracing diversity is important to your organisation, working out ways to accommodate neurodiversity should be on your agenda. As progressive organisations accept neurological diversity as a feature and not a flaw of human variation, the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) is aiming to help crack open assumptions about people who think differently, while showing you how knowledge of neurodiversity can help you lead better.
Key Details
Date: Tuesday 29 April 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Advanced Leadership for Community Chairs is an online course offered by the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA).
The course consists of five sessions of two hours each that have been designed to build knowledge, skills and confidence in the chairs of community organisations. It is suitable for leaders who are already serving in the role of chair, as well as those who aspire to the position.
The sessions will cover:
- Visionary leadership - ensuring your vision and purpose are at the centre of governance
- Backstage and front of house: using both to make good decisions
- The chair’s relationship with the CEO
- Strategic funding: Developing your case for support
- Ethical board leadership
May 2025
Master the key principles of risk management, compliance, and governance resilience in the not-for-profit sector.
This course equips board members and senior leaders with practical strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risks while ensuring compliance with regulatory, financial, and governance obligations. Learn how to develop and implement risk frameworks, safeguard your organisation’s reputation, and navigate crisis scenarios. You’ll gain insights into the latest legal and compliance requirements, ensuring your NFP meets industry standards and operates effectively.
Key Details
Date Thursday 1 May 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)'
Managing unsatisfactory performance is one of the most challenging yet essential responsibilities for leaders in the not-for-profit sector. Addressing performance issues constructively not only ensures a productive and harmonious workplace but also helps organisations meet their legal and ethical obligations.
Key Details
Date Wednesday 7 May 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register.
The NFP Leadership Certificate is an online program that will equip leaders with the skills, knowledge, tools and connections required to take the next big step in their leadership journey.
Leaders who want to get more done need to start doing less.
But when you're so used to doing the doing, it can be difficult to take a step back and start leading.
ICDA's NFP Leadership Certificate provides space for middle and senior managers to lift their gaze and look at the big picture.
Taking place each Monday across 4 weeks, we'll be bringing together leaders from across Australia, via Zoom, to hone their leadership skills and explore what it truly means to lead.
May cohort
Session 1: Thursday, 8 May 2025. 9am-Midday AEST.
Session 2: Thursday, 15 May 2025. 9am-Midday AEST.
Session 3: Thursday, 22 May 2025. 9am-Midday AEST.
Session 4: Thursday, 29 May 2025. 9am-Midday AEST.
Find out more.
Join ICDA for a free webinar exploring the latest trends in cyber safety and the evolving role of boards in protecting organisational assets. This session is designed to provide directors with critical insights into the current threat landscape and actionable steps to strengthen their organisation's cyber resilience.
Key Details
Date Wednesday 21 May 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: FREE!
Register.
This webinar will provide guidance for boards and organisational leaders wishing to open a respectful dialogue with First Nations peoples and communities, or consider how to recognise First Nations' culture on their board and in their organisation.
Key Details
Date: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Who really has time for strategic planning? There is so much going on within our organisations that demands our attention. It's tempting to leave strategic planning languishing on the back burner.
But strategic planning shouldn't be an afterthought. Decisions we make in today's board meetings will reach well into our future. In the absence of a clear strategic plan, its unlikely to be a well-informed decision-making process. If you're not forward planning, the future may not thank you!
Key Details
Date Thursday 29 May 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
Register.
June 2025
Community Sector Secretaries is a three-session program designed to help company secretaries understand their role on the board, and the responsibilities to the board.
The sessions will cover the secretary's role in:
- Regulatory and legislative compliance, decision-making and ethical obligations (session 1)
- Keeping the board on track with responsibilities and timelines (session 2)
- Supporting inclusion and accessibility and ensuring effective induction and onboarding of new board members (session 3)
Participants will learn alongside other community sector secretaries, in sessions designed to enable them to connect and network with their peers. This training takes place online.
Those who complete all three sessions will receive a Certificate in Community Sector Secretaryship, a micro-credential accredited by the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Key Details
Session 1: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Session 2: Thursday, June 19, 2025
Session 3: Thursday, June 26, 2025
ICDA are joined by the experts at Moore to provide an update on everything you need to know before reporting your organisation’s finances at the end of the financial year.
Key Details
Date: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
Overseeing the finances is probably one of the most important tasks you have as a board member. Financial literacy will put your organisation in the best position to promote and fulfil your organisation’s mission. If you don’t understand how the finances work, you’ll be at risk of getting caught up if anything goes wrong
Key Details
Date Wednesday, 25 June, 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
The prospect of taking minutes at your organisation’s board meetings may make you feel a little overwhelmed, but there’s no need to worry. If you’re well prepared, know what needs to be recorded and know what you need to do with the minutes after the meeting, then you have nothing to worry about. Join us at this webinar to learn everything you need to know to become an expert at taking minutes.
Key Details
Date Thursday, 26 June, 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
July 2025
The AGM is an important event for every organisation. It gives its members, the general public and the committee a broad overview of the organisation’s current directions and financial health, and confirms its purpose. To run a great AGM, you need to be prepared. Join us at this webinar and start getting ready for your 2024 AGM.
Key Details
Date: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
Working on a board means navigating diverse viewpoints. This can make it hard to work together and get things done. Without a plan, even small arguments can become big issues, leading to stress and less trust amongst the board.
Key Details
Date: Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
Register now.
This Cyber Governance Principles training will shift your focus from mere cyber security – a strategy designed to protect data and systems – to cyber resilience. This comprehensive session will equip directors with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of cybersecurity governance. Tailored for board members, this session will focus on practical strategies to oversee, understand, and manage cyber risks effectively.
Key Details
Date: Thursday, 24 July 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
Underperformance at the executive level can have serious consequences for an organisation’s success and stability. As a board member, navigating this delicate issue requires a clear understanding of your responsibilities, as well as the legal and practical frameworks for addressing the problem effectively.
Key Details
Date: Monday, 28 July 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
The Google Ad Grant offers eligible nonprofits up to $10,000 per month in free Google Ads to boost their visibility and drive traffic to their websites. However, many organisations find it challenging to make the most of it. This webinar is designed to help you understand the ins and outs of the Google Ad Grant and how to leverage it effectively for your cause. Take your ad grant performance to the next level with practical solutions and expert advice!
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: Free!
Register now.
August 2025
We’ve gathered a panel of very rare marketers from some very special organisations.
Each of their brands has risen above the riff raff to attract millions in donations and purchases, drive political change, pause multi-billion industries and set the national agenda. They rattle cages, make change happen and put the occasional person in jail!
Key Details
Date: Thursday, 14 August 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
As Peter Drucker famously said, "What gets measured gets managed."
Is your organisation’s CEO reviewing process as effective and aligned with your organisational values as it should be? Ensuring your CEO meets expectations and steers your organisation in the right direction is crucial for success. But how do you plan and conduct an impactful CEO performance review?
Key Details
Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
Key Details
Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Time: 1pm to 2pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $88 (normally $110)
Register now.
Community boards often receive funding for specific one-off projects that are within scope of their strategic objectives but may not fall under the annual operational plan or budget. Boards may also develop projects to investigate an area of concern or solve a problem in the organisation. In these situations, it’s important for organisations to be able to understand the roles of the board and of management in ensuring the project is managed appropriately in terms of inputs, outcomes and compliance.
Key Details
Date: Thursday, 28 August 2025
Time: 1pm to 4pm AEST (check the webpage for your local time).
Price: ICDA members can attend this webinar for just $175 (normally $245)
Register now.
October
The NFP Leadership Certificate is an online program that will equip leaders with the skills, knowledge, tools and connections required to take the next big step in their leadership journey.
Leaders who want to get more done need to start doing less.
But when you're so used to doing the doing, it can be difficult to take a step back and start leading.
ICDA's NFP Leadership Certificate provides space for middle and senior managers to lift their gaze and look at the big picture.
Taking place each Monday across 4 weeks, we'll be bringing together leaders from across Australia, via Zoom, to hone their leadership skills and explore what it truly means to lead.
October cohort
Session 1: Thursday, 9 October 2025. 9am-Midday AEDT.
Session 2: Thursday, 16 October 2025. 9am-Midday AEDT.
Session 3: Thursday, 23 October 2025. 9am-Midday AEDT.
Session 4: Thursday, 30 October 2025. 9am-Midday AEDT.
Community Sector Secretaries is a three-session program designed to help company secretaries understand their role on the board, and the responsibilities to the board.
The sessions will cover the secretary's role in:
- Regulatory and legislative compliance, decision-making and ethical obligations (session 1)
- Keeping the board on track with responsibilities and timelines (session 2)
- Supporting inclusion and accessibility and ensuring effective induction and onboarding of new board members (session 3)
Participants will learn alongside other community sector secretaries, in sessions designed to enable them to connect and network with their peers. This training takes place online.
Those who complete all three sessions will receive a Certificate in Community Sector Secretaryship, a micro-credential accredited by the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Key Details
Session 1: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Session 2: Thursday, October 23, 2025
Session 3: Thursday, October 30, 2025