Plus One In A Nutshell

 What is Plus One?

Charities often struggle to access high quality professional development. Consequently, leaders don't get the development they need and this in turn limits the impact that charities can have in the community.

To help address this issue, Plus One, a pro bono initiative, has been launched. Plus One offers high-potential, well-supported leaders employed permanently by registered charities, free access to high quality, relevant professional development opportunities usually reserved for executives at some of Australia's best regarded companies. These opportunities are generously supplied by Plus One's corporate partners, who offer places at their own internal talent development activities on a 'plus one' basis.

How it works

Following an application and selection process, a cohort of 10 individual charity leaders are confirmed to participate in a 12-month program of activities. In our inagural year, the program was launched in August 2019 and will end at the end of August 2020. This period will be followed by four months of post-program evaluation activity. 

The program offers a mix of face-to-face and digital learning opportunities, plus formal coaching.  In addition, some of Plus One’s corporate partners have offered charity-sector specific training, some of which are open not just to cohort members, but to everyone who applied to be part of the program. 

For the first cohort, all face-to-face opportunities are taking place in the Sydney Metro area and applicants had to confirm their ability to attend all activities and otherwise complete the program. 

Each cohort member is given the chance to attend four face-to-face development opportunities during the 12 month program. Available opportunities are allocated according to individual development needs, on a best endeavours basis.

It is possible that cohort members may attend four opportunities at four different companies. Each of the four opportunities will involve one or more cohort members participating in a development activity hosted by a Plus One corporate partner, at which the cohort member(s) will learn alongside the corporate’s own employees. 

With a few exceptions, face-to-face opportunities will be between half-a-day and two days in duration. 

To help cohort members get the most out of their experience, each participant has been assigned an experienced coach. Coaches consult with cohort members on a 1-on-1 basis regularly during the 12 month program period. 

Participation is free but total commitment to the program offered is expected.  Applications must be submitted by charities rather than individual employees.  Charities must confirm their nominee’s suitability and a commitment to fully supporting their participation. Individual nominees must be able to attend face-to-face learning activities in the Sydney Metro area. If a nominated individual fails to complete the program to the satisfaction of Plus One, the individual and the charity that nominated them may forfeit their involvement and may also be ruled ineligible for subsequent application rounds.

Who is Plus One targeted at?

The program is aimed at individuals who, with the support of their employer, have the potential to create impact for the charities and causes they work for. Individuals at an executive-level or talented individuals who are capable of getting to executive level within three years will be most suited to the opportunities offered. Necessarily, Plus One will favour individuals whose development needs align closely with the training opportunities available and individuals who are in a position to commit to attending multiple events and activities between our stated program year.   

What content will be covered?

Development opportunities will be focused around Plus One's key themes of PEOPLE, STRATEGY and OPERATIONS. Additionally, there will be a fourth category where corporate partners will offer up high-impact opportunities that may not fit into the three categories, but which Plus One considers valuable and relevant nonetheless.

Content will be informed by available research and knowledge, including recent academic studies*, surveys and consultations carried out during Plus One’s pilot phase, and the collective experience of the people who have led the development of Plus One to date. 

Corporate commitment

Opportunities are offered thanks to the generosity of participating companies. They commit to delivering free access to learning and development activities they organise for their own employees.

*Studies include Learning for Purpose: Researching the Social Return on Education and Training in the Australian Not-for-profit Sector, Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia and the more recent Not-for Profit People Management & Analytics: Changing the Nature and Narrative of Capacity Building, Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia.