SILA leadership program opens for applications in NSW and ACT

The influential professional development program aimed at for-purpose leaders is calling for CEOs from NSW and ACT to apply to undertake its comprehensive and fully funded program. The course is designed to boost leadership capabilities and drive greater impact for participants’ organisations and the sector.

Created by the Centre for Social Impact and funded by philanthropy, the Social Impact Leadership Australia (SILA) program is a unique, world-class initiative, offering CEOs of for-purpose organisations personalised leadership development.

In 2025, Snow Foundation will join The Myer Foundation, the Sidney Myer Fund, the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation and the Paul Ramsay Foundation to support the SILA program. To date, the program funders have committed $9.8 million over five years to build the capabilities of Australia’s for-purpose leaders.

As Australians grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, for-purpose organisations face unprecedented demand. SILA supports leaders with a 10-month educational immersion, providing them with the tools and networks to maximise their impact for the people and communities they serve. Nearly 100 for-purpose CEOs from every state and territory across Australia have taken part in the program.

External evaluation from Nous Group showed every SILA participant since 2021 has gained clear ideas on applying their new skills, with 100% saying the program has made a difference in their organisation. CEOs from the most recent cohort gave the program an exceptional net promoter score of 95 out of 100 – building on a world-class score of 85 from earlier cohorts.

SILA graduate Negaya Chorley, CEO of Results International (Australia), said the program had exceeded her expectations with its multidimensional benefits for CEOs, boards and whole organisations. “The SILA program afforded me the space to think differently about how our organisation achieves its mission to end global poverty,” she said.

“Additionally, the program supported our organisation to think more deeply and concretely about how we’re achieving impact at scale. Historically we’ve had some big audacious goals, but the SILA program enabled us to think more systematically and strategically about how we’re advancing those goals.

“In particular, we’ve been working on the issue of tuberculosis (TB), which kills over a million people every year, mainly people living in conditions of poverty. As a result of the SILA program we were able to deepen our partnerships and sharpen our influencing strategy all with the aim of convincing the Federal Government to step-up investment in TB. At our Parliamentary event in 2024, in the midst of a tough fiscal environment, we welcomed the Government’s announcement of a $17 million investment in tuberculosis programs for the Asia Pacific region, funding that will help save countless lives.”

Georgina Byron AM, Philanthropy Australia Board member and Snow Foundation CEO, said the SILA program’s focus on excellence had resulted in strong outcomes for individual participants and organisations but also the broader sector.  “We know there is a huge need, and we have witnessed the transformative impact of the SILA program on our partners who have participated,” she said.

“The partnership aligns seamlessly with our broader capacity-building strategy to support and grow leaders through every stage of their journey so they can create lasting impact in their communities.”

The Centre for Social Impact’s CEO, Arminé Nalbandian, emphasised the transformative impact of SILA in empowering leaders nationwide.  “At a time when organisations are often under-resourced and facing complex issues, SILA equips leaders with the tools to adapt and guide systems change, drive social impact and feel confident that they can face any challenges.

“The impact of SILA has and continues to be far-reaching, as these organisations grow from the learning and development of their leaders and offer crucial services to communities around Australia.”

Paul Ramsay Foundation CEO and Program Lead, Professor Kristy Muir, said SILA was groundbreaking in its ambition. “These CEOs and their organisations are doing incredible work alongside people, families and communities across Australia. I am proud that PRF is supporting this program for a stronger for-purpose sector, and better outcomes for people across the country.”

This year’s program is for for-purpose leaders based in NSW and the ACT. Applications opened on 3 March and close on 6 April 2025. For more information, please visit the SILA website.