Bursary Opportunity for HR Professionals in the Charity Sector

Nonprofits rely on great people practices delivering impact, yet HR teams often have the smallest training budgets. This bursary reduces the cost barrier so you can: 

• Gain an industry recognised qualification (e.g., CIPD, Foundation in People Practice) and practical skills you can use immediately. 

• Improve recruitment, retention and wellbeing across your organisation. 

• Champion inclusive hiring, and equity within your team and volunteers. 

• Engage with a peer community of purpose led HR professionals. 

You must: 

• Be over the age of 18
• Have not started a CIPD qualification.
• Work in the UK for a registered charity, CIC, social enterprise or community organisation
• We welcome applications from everyone, and we’ll prioritise those from people who work or volunteer with smaller charities (with an annual income under £1 million).

• Be volunteering, employed, or on a fixed term contract at a charitable organisation for at least 6 months at the time of application. 

• Be able to evidence HR responsibilities as a core part of your role description. 

• Have limited access to organisational training funds (we may request confirmation from your manager/finance lead). 
• Intend to work in the charitable sector for the duration of your studies. 
• Commit to completing your programme within 12–24 months and sharing learnings with your organisation.  

Please note that funds are limited and are awarded on a discretionary basis, based on the decision of the application panel, which is final.  Not every applicant will receive funding towards their course and applicants should factor this into their individual planning and situation.

We encourage applications from candidates who bring diverse perspectives and who are under-represented in the HR profession and facing barriers to their progression. 

Not working in the charity sector? You may qualify for our other bursary fund. Learn more here.

We’re looking for: 

• Need: clear financial or structural barriers to training. 

• Impact: how your learning will benefit your organisation’s people (staff and volunteers) and the communities you serve. 

• Commitment: a realistic plan to complete the course and embed learning. 

• Inclusion: intent to strengthen inclusive workplaces. 

• Choose your course & study centre. Use our Find a study centre portal to find the best provider for you. 

• Complete a joint application. You and your study centre complete a short bursary form together (the centre will provide the form). When it’s ready, the study centre submits it to us on your behalf. You will need to provide a CV with your application.
• Attend a short online interview. If shortlisted, we’ll invite you to a 15–30 minute conversation on Microsoft Teams or Zoom to understand your goals, context and financial need. You will need access to a device with video capabilities. Please note interviews will be recorded for review purposes and promptly deleted within 14 days of the interview.
• Decision & award. We aim to notify you within 14–30 days of receiving your application. We recommend applying at least one month before your course start date. 

• Payment & enrolment. If you are awarded a bursary, funding is paid directly to the study centre.

Please note that this is only a guide and not a guarantee.

We’re committed to making our application and interview process accessible to everyone.
If you need the application form in a different format, please let us know and we’ll provide it.

If you’re invited to interview, we’ll work with you to make any adjustments that help you succeed. This could include (but isn’t limited to):

• Sending interview questions in advance
• Having a peer from your centre or a job coach attend
• Providing speech-to-text support

If you require adjustments to complete your studies, we recommend discussing these with your study centre before applying.

Email info@cipdtrust.org for support.

We are on hand throughout your course to support you with updates on CIPD conferences, resources and how to make the most of your membership. We’re also keen to capture your thoughts on how the bursary has impacted your situation and made a difference. We’ll ask you to share your thoughts with us so that we can support others in a similar situation to reach their potential. We also want to stay connected to help you as you establish and progress your career in the People Profession.