OUR EVENTS AND TRAINING
Our agenda is shaped by all of you in our community. If you are interested in any of our events and training below, please submit an expression of interest below or get in touch at info@australianprogress.org.au. We'll be in touch with future dates and further details.
EVENTS
THE PROGRESS CONFERENCE
Progress is our flagship conference - the biggest fathering on Australia’s civil society calendar. Across two days, campaigners, movement leaders and everyone in between come together to build courage, forge connections and sharpen their skills. With cross‑pollination of ideas, lessons and experience, Progress helps deepen civil‑society capability and foster powerful new relationships. We’ve announced Progress 2026, taking place on 24-25 March in Naarm (Melbourne) and online. Find out more and register your teams below.
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Leadership brings together hundreds of Australia’s most influential civil‑society leaders and thinkers. Together we shape bold agendas for change, build cross‑sector collaboration and set strategic direction on issues including First Nations justice, racial justice, climate and environment, health, workers’ rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, economic justice and philanthropy.
FWD+
ORGANISE
FWD+Organise is our conference for community organisers and digital campaigners. Through workshops, panels and briefings, it connects practitioners, encourages collaboration across sectors and shares practical organising tools and strategies.
COMMON THREADS
Common Threads is a summit by and for First Nations people. It is a gathering to build collective vision, strategy and solidarity for First Nations justice. Over two summits, more than 400 First Nations advocates and changemakers came together to yarn, strategise and exchange knowledge on key issues including climate justice, Treaties, and justice.
TRAINING
THE PROGRESS FELLOWSHIP
A five‑month leadership program for organisers, campaigners and changemakers. Through the Fellowship, participants build leadership skills, strengthen cross‑sector ties and learn best practices to advocate for a fairer, more inclusive society. Since 2013, 950+ fellows have graduated.
MANAGEMENT MASTERCLASS
An in-demand two-day training program in best practice management and leadership in advocacy and non-profit contexts. The Masterclass offers a unique suite of skills modules for you to refresh, build and hone your skills to manage for excellence, recruit superstars, and create a culture of impact.
CORPORATE CAMPAIGNING MASTERCLASS
A two-day training on how to win campaigns targeting corporations. In addition to case studies, the masterclass explores corporate structure and corporate campaign strategy, alongside skill building workshops shareholder activism, brand pressure, organising staff and litigation.
ORGANISING ESSENTIALS
A two-day online training program for those new to community organising who want to explore a range of organising frameworks, tools and practices. The program covers the essential frameworks and practices to build people power, drawing on the latest research into effective community organising.
TRAINING OF TRAINERS WORKSHOP
An interactive training designed to improve the collective capacity of the progressive sector in training and facilitation. The workshop will be highly interactive and practical in-person training and online that will focus on the approaches, skills and frameworks for designing and delivering training to others across the movement.
INTRO TO CAMPAIGNING WORKSHOP
A two-day online training for changemakers to develop the foundational skills to create systems change through strategic campaigning. Participants come out of this workshop with the skills to become active contributors in developing and implementing campaign strategies in their organisations and movements.
GLOBAL STUDY TOUR
A training program for civil society leaders to learn cutting-edge organising strategies from around the world and those engaging in deep organising for long-term systems change. Participants hear from and connect with leading international practitioners, thinkers and researchers in community organising.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MASTERCLASS
A two-day masterclass providing community organisers and campaigners with the opportunity to learn a range of practical skills in leading effective government relations and policy advocacy — including the fundamentals of government relations strategy, developing and delivering a compelling lobbying pitch, strategic decision-maker engagement, building relationships with decision-makers, and more.
STRATEGIC COMMS FELLOWSHIP
A five-week training for senior communication practitioners running large-scale campaigns. Participants focus on developing their capabilities to scale their real-life campaigns for social change outcomes, learning practical modules — including conducting campaign and message research, how to develop a winning strategy, and how to roll our messages that shift audiences.
DIGITAL FUNDRAISING FELLOWSHIP
A specialist training program exporting winning case studies, practical tools and leading strategies to grow, diversify and scale your digital fundraising program. This is an in-demand fellowship delivered by digital fundraising experts Michael Whitney and Nicole Aro. Several fellows have gone on to raise millions of dollars and significantly increased their revenue streams as a result of the lessons applied from the fellowship
LEADERSHIp, ORGANISING AND ACTION WORKSHOP
Adapted from the Harvard Kennedy School and delivered in partnership with the Leading Change Network, this training is a unique training providing advocates the opportunity to learn global best practice leadership skills in community organising to create change.
FIRST NATIONS FELLOWSHIP
A campaigning and organising leadership course in public advocacy and senior campaigning curated for First Nations changemakers across Australia and Aotearoa. The program covers best practice modules to mobilise communities and leading winning campaigns with a specific focus on key issues around First Nations justice including criminal justice reform, land rights and deaths in custody.
DIGITAL ORGANISING WORKSHOP
A practical training designed for participants to learn the strategies, models and tactics in best practice digital organising. Participants learn new skills from developing a winning digital strategy to utilising the most effective online tools, with practical case studies in action from organisations and grassroots movements who’ve led winning strategies.
MESSAGING FELLOWSHIP
An intensive training designed to equip participants with the skills to develop new and effective strength-based communications approaches. Participants go on to develop persuasive messages that shift public narratives that build support for their key issues.
WINNING POLICY ADVOCACY WORKSHOP
Delivered with leading experts in government relations, campaigning and academia, this training provides advocacy leaders with a deep-dive into the vital skills, tactics and strategies to win policy reform in the current political context.
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
We welcome you to submit an expression of interest below or get in touch with us at info@australianprogress.org.au and we will be in touch with future dates and more information.