ASI gives back with its SMART Company Scholarship Fund
- Five recipients able to further their career for the benefit of their not-for-profit -
Melbourne, 11th November 2010: Advanced Solutions International (ASI) today announced the third round of the ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund, which will provide financial support for the professional development of five dedicated people working in the not-for-profit sector.
The ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund encourages the professional education and development of individuals working in the not-for-profit sector. Established in 2006, it provides much-needed financial assistance and education subsidies of up to $25,000 each year.
Kate Topp, Acting Coordinator - Membership and Fundraising at Carers Victoria, received her second fully funded educational scholarship. After completing the FIA Skills 1 course last year with the assistance of the Scholarship Fund, Kate will further her professional abilities through FIA Skills 2.
Kate recognised the benefits the fund provided not only for her own professional development but also for Carers Victoria. “The Scholarship Fund has given me the opportunity to build my knowledge, learn new skills and bring a fresh approach to our fundraising department,” Kate said. “I’m really passionate about Carers Victoria, and the further education that helps me to do my job better is only going to benefit the work that we do and the people we help.”
The ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund has assisted more than 100 people from the not-for-profit sector since its inception. Paul Ramsbottom, managing director of ASI Asia-Pacific and chairman of the fund, recognised the difficulty many not-for-profits faced in budgeting for professional development . He established the fund not only to grow the careers of people working in not-for-profit organisations, but to ensure that this professional education contributed to the ongoing advancement of the sector.
“I’m continually inspired by the passion and commitment of those working in the not-for-profit sector,” Paul Ramsbottom said. “Professional education and development is a vital part of organisational growth, and we think it particularly important when that advancement has a direct effect on the sector and those people who rely on the excellent work done by not-for-profits.”
Jodie Martin and Sandra Cavanagh of Guide Dogs Queensland also received fully funded educational scholarships from the ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund, which they will use for FIA Skills courses.
Jonathan La Nauze at Friends of the Earth received an education subsidy to assist in his Graduate Certificate in Business Philanthropy and Non Profit Studies at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Rebecca Thomas of Local Government Managers Australia used her education grant to attend the NiUG Asia Pacific 2010 Discovery Conference.
The next round of funding closes on 10 December 2010 and further information can be found at www.advsol.com/ap/scholarship.
ASI’s flagship software product iMIS is used by more than 280 not-for-profit organisations in the Asia Pacific region including Cancer Council Victoria, National Breast Cancer Foundation, The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, The Royal Australian College Of General Practitioners, Surf Life Saving Foundation and The Tax Practitioners Board.
Ends
For more information or to organise an interview with Advanced Solutions International, please contact:
Jocelyn Hunter
Bench PR
Phone: +61 03 9531 6782
Email: Jocelyn@benchpr.com.au
About ASI
Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is the largest, privately owned global provider of software for member and donor-based non-for-profit organisations and has served nearly 3000 customers and millions of users worldwide since 1991.
ASI is the developer of iMIS, an upgradeable software solution for managing associations, membership, non-profits, and fundraising. iMIS 15, the latest evolution of iMIS, leverages Microsoft’s .NET development platform to provide a flexible and open web-based solution.