PRESTIGIOUS FELLOWSHIP FOR CAMPAIGNERS and ADVOCATES
THE PROGRESS FELLOWSHIP IS A
PROGRAM FOR LEADERS
We train and empower advocates, campaigners, organisers and changemakers across civil society with the leadership skills, cross-sector connections and winning best practices to advocate for a more inclusive, diverse and fairer world.
THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The program covers a deep-dive into best practice advocacy from a wide-ranging suite of skills including campaign tactics and strategy, messaging frameworks, lobbying and decision-maker engagement, community organising, digital campaigning, media engagement, building inclusive and intersectional movements, and much more.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
Campaign strategy, tactics, approaches and tools
Case studies of major campaigns presented by the experts
Develop a story-based strategy
COMMUNITY ORGANISING
Approaches and models of organising your members and supporters
Detailed case studies of models in practice
Practical skills for recruitment, relationships and leadership development
DIGITAL CAMPAIGNING
Elements of successful digital campaigns including engagement and fundraising
Practical workshops on email and social media best practice
Case studies and examples from digital practitioners
ENGAGING DECISION MAKERS
Target-centred campaigning
Navigating parliament and lobbying politicians
Briefing and meeting decision makers
MESSAGING
Introductions to framing and language analysis
Identifying key audiences
Message testing at all scales and budgets
Experts presenting case studies on messaging in practice
MEDIA
ENGAGEMENT
Media and communications strategy
Broadcast interview skills
Approaches and practical skills to drive strategic media coverage that reaches your audience
MEET THE FELLOWS
920+ leading change makers in Australia have taken part in the Fellowship. Meet more of the fellows here.
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Neelu Memon — Blind Sport NZ
Neelu has a masters degree and worked with the NZ government in disability policy. She's also keen on running, cycling and winter sports. To raise awareness about the capacity of people with disabilities, she crowdfunded her way to the World Paracycling Champs in France, climbed Mt. Aspiring, and earned the title of the first legally blind person to complete the Coast to Coast.
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Nathan Meteoro — Black Dog Institute
Nathan is the Senior Project Officer at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience Centre and has worked at the Black Dog Institute for the past 4 years. Nathan has a background in psychology and has worked in various settings including research, disability support, and notably on LifeSpan, a systems approach to suicide prevention.
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Rachel Deans — Market Forces
Rachel is a former Melbourne Uni environment officer and started an internship with Market Forces in 2016. This quickly led to a campaigning position, with a particular focus on working with and empowering shareholders. She was the shareholder action campaigner for five and a half years and is now the superannuation fund campaign. She works with super fund members to hold their companies accountable to action on climate.
MEET THE TRAINERS
A program delivered by leading Australian campaigners and non-profit experts.
ANITA TANG
Anita is passionate about building people power to secure public policies that benefit the community, with a particular focus on people needing care and support due to their disability or life circumstances. At Cancer Council NSW, Anita led the development of the grassroots advocacy approach that led to significant campaign wins on smoke-free legislation, cost of chemotherapy, access to treatment and policies to protect people from known cancer risks. Now her focus is on increasing the impact of the advocacy work of NGO’s by helping them unlock the potential of their grassroots supporters.
TE RAUKURA O’CONNELL RAPIRA
Te Raukura (they/them/ia) is an experienced campaigner, community organiser, facilitator, trainer, people and project manager. They have over 12 years experience in the not-for-profit sector in the UK, Australia and Aotearoa. They are Māori and Irish. Te Raukura was the Executive Director of Movement Building at the Foundation for Young Australians, a charity that backs young people with lived experience of systemic injustice to transform the future. Before that, they were the Director of ActionStation Aotearoa, an independent community campaigning organisation that influences political decisions so they are better for people and the planet. Having joined the founding team in 2014, they helped grow ActionStation to a community of over 300,000 people with a track record of winning strategic and impactful campaigns.
Te Raukura is the co-founder of the Youth Movement Fund Aotearoa, a participatory grant-making trust that backs youth movements to change the world. They are also in the process of co-founding a new movement training organisation called The Pod: Centre for Healing Justice.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
2025 SPRING PROGRESS FELLOWSHIP
We are taking expressions of interest for the 2025 Spring Fellowship, which will run from August to November. It will a hybrid program with in-person intensives delivered in Naarm (Melbourne).
WHAT DOES IT COST?
The cost for participation in the Fellowship program is often paid by employers, and fees are priced according to the type of organisation and the annual budget. Large non-profit organisations, social enterprises and for-profit organisations cover more of the costs of the program, providing opportunities for smaller non-profit organisations, grassroots community groups and participants eligible for scholarships who experience higher financial barriers to accessing the program.
The cost of running the program remains heavily subsidised by Australian Progress. Program fees vary across various fellowships taking into account retreats, preparation, length of the program and location.
Please note that all participant fees listed below are specific to the hybrid format of the program, and also excludes GST.
Full Price | $6,250
For government, businesses, social enterprises, B-corps, education and government bodies servicing the non-profit sector.
Large Nonprofit | $4,600
For registered nonprofits with an annual revenue in Australia of over $3 million and local government offices.
Regular Nonprofit | $3,600
For registered nonprofits with an annual revenue in Australia between $500,000 and $3 million and political offices.
Small Nonprofit | $2,350
For registered nonprofits with an annual revenue in Australia of less than $500,000.
SCHOLARSHIPS
We offer scholarships to ensure the diversity of participants in the Progress Fellowship by providing partial ($1,300+GST) or fully subsidised places for organisations and individuals facing financial barriers to participating in the program. For every fellowship progress, we offer up to five subsidised places.
We typically prioritise scholarships for First Nations people, people with disability, people of colour, people with lived experience seeking asylum and unwaged changemakers.
THE FELLOWSHIP ALUMNI NETWORK
More than a program, a lifelong network.
Upon graduation, fellows join the Fellowship Alumni Network of 800+ leading changemakers and supportive peers who together provide each other with support, advice, collaborations and friendships for many years to come as they continue their careers working different roles across civil society movements.
Our alumni actively participate in closed online spaces, organise regular catch-ups, attend exclusive alumni events and share their expertise to future cohorts of the fellowship program.
FAQ
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Australian Progress exists to strengthen the capacity of civil society, so the fellowship program is primarily designed and curated for those working in civil society organisations. Typically, organisations pay all or most of the fee with fellows occasionally covering part of the fees themselves.
The fee is typically priced according to your type of organisation and the annual budget of your organisation, even if you are paying for the fellowship (partially or entirely) yourself. We usually require employers to make at least some financial contribution, to demonstrate their commitment to the professional development of the participating fellow.
If you are not employed by an organisation and don’t receive a salary, you are encouraged to apply for a scholarship. We offer limited scholarship places. In some instances if you are not offered a scholarship place we may offer you a place at an alternate fee.
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The program is primarily designed for people in full-time roles, however it is a time-intensive program that requires a significant time commitment. The program runs over 4-5 months and includes 8 full days of intensive retreats as well as a total 30 contact hours for evening seminars. Additionally, participants are expected to commit to 2-4 hours of homework, reading and reflection each week.
We expect participants to be available for every retreat and 80% of seminars when they participate in the program, and catch up on any content when absent.
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The opening retreat is essential as it covers foundational content critical for participants to engage with the remainder of the program. If you cannot attend the opening retreat, we are unable to accept you into the program.
We require at least 80% attendance. This means missing one or two seminars is acceptable, if it is absolutely necessary. If you have commitments which you know will affect your attendance, but are still interested, please get in touch to discuss ways you can still participate in the program.
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The program is typically designed for mid-to-senior level staff as well as changemakers with experience in public advocacy and campaigning. Often participants in our program hold various roles including Coordinators, Managers and Directors from different areas of expertise including campaigning, organising, digital, policy, media and more. However if you have some experience in advocacy, we encourage you to submit an application.
For each cohort, we aim to ensure diversity across seniority, experience, sectors and identity to offer a space for changemakers in the fellowship program to learn from a diversity of perspectives.
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The next program will be run entirely online, with four 2-day intensives and twelve evening seminars.
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Applications for the Progress Fellowship are now open, please submit your interest here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us by email: info@australianprogress.org.au.
ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS
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The breadth of the topics covered and the calibre of the facilitators and speakers reflect the thoughtfulness and care that went into designing this Fellowship. It provided a space for me to not only up-skill and connect with a new network of fellow campaigners, but more importantly feel part of a genuine community where I did not feel ‘othered’. I felt truly seen, uplifted, and supported in ways that affirmed my humanity.
Kaz Uy, Democracy in Colour
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The Progress Fellowship was four months of connecting with extraordinary campaigners and organisers, being challenged and tested, building and rebuilding your skills, and leaving with fresh eyes and fresh ideas. It gave me the chance to reflect on what it is I do, and try to do, and think more deeply about my work, than I have, in a long time, and I left with a clearer perspective on things, some new tools -- with more energy! The classes were all very stimulating, the readings always hit the mark, and most of all, miss the terrific companionship of an inspiring group of activists from across the country.
Pas Forgione, Anti-Poverty Network SA
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The Progress Fellowship offered a comprehensive program that significantly enhanced my campaigning knowledge and practices. I continue to refer back to the program's content and skillset when planning next steps within my daily work. Learning amongst fellows from across the country who are working within diverse organisations was the best part of the program as you meet driven, like minded people who have now become long-term friends and a great cohort of people in which you can exchange knowledge.
Ashley Dobozy, NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association
