Inside ASI-AP

July 16: Advanced Solutions International Honoured with Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership Award Nomination

Advanced Solutions International (Asia Pacific) has been honoured with a nomination for a 2007 Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership Award by the Fundraising Institute Australia.

The nomination recognises the fruitful relationship between ASI, which provides software to the non-profit sector and the FIA, which represents the sector’s fundraisers. At the heart of the partnership is the innovative ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund which funds training courses, conference attendance and professional development for individuals working in the non-profit sector.

“ASI’s SMART Company Scholarship Fund stands out as a prime example of a practical, focused and powerful community business partnership,” says FIA CEO Dr Sue-Ann Wallace. “This partnerships strengthens us both but more so the non-profit sector which we serve.” State and territory winners will be announced late August.

The nomination has ASI managing director Paul Ramsbottom ecstatic. “I’m actually quite emotional about it,” he says. “But my staff would say I’m always emotional about something. It’s especially rewarding because we’ve worked hard with the FIA to build a genuine partnership – not just swapping money for some logo exposure. We’ve evolved from sponsor to partner. It feels good.”

The ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund is open to Australasian non-profit professionals undertaking study directly relevant to their work. Professional development options available include training provided by the FIA, Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Queensland University of Technology’s Centre of Philanthropy and Non Profit Studies.

Recipients have included individuals from: youth services provider Whitelion, Orana Family Services, AIDS Council of New South Wales, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and St John Ambulance. More than $21,000 in scholarships were awarded in 2006 with 24 individuals from NFPs across Australia and New Zealand benefiting. Funding was increased to $25,000 for 2007.

“ASI SMART Company Scholarships are about building a more powerful non profit sector and so is the FIA,” continued Mr Ramsbottom. “Establishing this partnership has shown me that you achieve more working together than apart. The nomination has inspired me to take it further. This is just the beginning.”

About ASI: ASI (Asia-Pacific has more than 35 staff and over 400 clients from the not-for-profit, charity and association sectors including: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, The Cancer Council Victoria and the Australian Medical Association. They use ASI’s flagship software solution iMIS to manage membership communications, fundraising, events, payments and website content. Media: Paul Ramsbottom is available via Brett de Hoedt of Hootville Communications on 03 9510 0848 / brett@hootville.com More on the ASI SMART Company Scholarship Fund at: www.advsol.com/ap/scholarship