Volunteer with Opportunity
Volunteers and interns are an integral part of Opportunity International Australia and we are thankful for every person who donates their time, skills and expertise to support us and help people out of poverty.
Our volunteers are a wonderful resource and we recognise that our work would not be possible without their assistance. In 2012, Opportunity volunteers donated more than 10,521 hours of work – providing administrative support, organising fundraising activities, undertaking research, sharing skills and contributing to our various projects.
An Opportunity Alumni group has been established for current and past volunteers/interns and staff. Opportunity alumni are invited to keep in touch by way of a six-monthly newsletter, updating them on current programs and Opportunity news. In May 2012, we held a volunteer and intern appreciation night to honour our past and present volunteers and interns during National Volunteers Week, and we look forward to hosting this event again this year. Read more in our Alumni Newsletter.
Why volunteer at Opportunity?
There are many great reasons you should volunteer at Opportunity, here are just a few:
- You’ll provide invaluable help and enable Opportunity to make a greater impact on the lives of people living in poverty
- You’ll receive valuable on-the-job training and gain an understanding as to how the ‘back office’ of a development organisation operates
- You’ll work alongside a great team and build your skills whilst assisting on interesting projects
- You’ll be using your skills and time to contribute to our goal of solving the problem of poverty
- You can meet new and interesting like-minded people, from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Who can volunteer?
Opportunity welcomes volunteers from all backgrounds, recognising the varied skills and abilities they bring with them. We recruit volunteers and interns based on their skills and interest in microfinance, poverty alleviation and development.
Our mission is to provide opportunities for people living in poverty to transform their lives. Our vision is to see millions of people lifted out of poverty permanently. Opportunity is motivated by Jesus Christ’s call to love and serve the poor. We believe in the potential of people regardless of their gender, ethnicity or religious affiliation. Successful candidates will be aligned to our mission and our values and understand our motivation.
About the volunteer program
Volunteers are recruited on a needs basis to assist our various departments in our Sydney office. Available roles are advertised here on our website, through social networks and also on the ACFID website.
We generally require a commitment of 1 day per week for 4-6 months and all positions are based in our Sydney office. Please consider the commitment asked of you and if you feel you have a flexible ‘can-do’ attitude and are willing to help out wherever needed, please view our vacancies below.
Those who volunteer their time are treated in the same way as other employees and are provided with equal exposure to see how Opportunity functions as an organisation and how different departments interact with one another. In addition to their regular duties, volunteers are invited to participate in staff meetings and office celebrations.
Each volunteer will be inducted by the relevant department. They are invited to attend internal training and information sessions that are scheduled and they also have regular meetings with their supervisor. Prior to their departure, all volunteers attend an exit interview to provide us with their valuable feedback to ensure that our volunteer program continues to bring mutual benefit.
Opportunity is not able to provide volunteers with:
- Monetary allowances or remuneration
- Accommodation or accommodation allowances
- Travel allowances
Current vacancies
There are no current vacancies.
If you are able to volunteer more of your time to Opportunity, you might like to consider interning with us. Please visit our internship page for program details and our current vacancies.
Please note: Opportunity International Australia works through locally based organisations in India, Indonesia and the Philippines. This helps us better understand the needs of the poor and empowers local people to help their own communities. Therefore, in order to support local capacity building, we are not able to offer volunteer or internship positions outside of Australia and all volunteer positions are based in Opportunity's Sydney office.