Pick My Project – See the team in action
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Good Governance Mentor(s)
About the Role
Helping community organisations be their best
Good Governance helps to create strong, cohesive and more resilient communities by boosting good governance practices in community organisations.
The initiative matches trained volunteers skilled in governance with community organisations. These volunteers act as mentors over 12 months, working with the entire committee or board to empower the organisation to develop policies, processes and the culture that facilitate good governance. Through this direct partnership, mentors can support organisations with the individualised assistance they need to overcome their unique challenges and reach their specific goals.
Mentors may support organisations to develop good governance practices in areas such as:
- identifying and minimising risk
- navigating complex reporting and compliance requirements
- ensuring the efficient use of resources
- evaluating whether or not the group is succeeding
- reducing the social cost of unsustainable organisations
- building organisational capacity
- creating strong, cohesive and resilient communities.
How you can make a difference through Good Governance
By sharing your expertise and becoming a mentor, you have an opportunity to help contribute to local organisations, shape your community, and enhance your own professional skills. Full training and support is provided for all mentors, and there is also a Community of Practice available for mentors to further develop their networks and professional learning.
Apply for this Position
For details concerning this role , please contact
Alistair Shaw
Phone :Â 0401 857 441
Pick My Project – Community Connection Cafe
Presently there are limited educational and workforce pathways throughout our region for young people with a disability leaving school and culturally and linguistically diverse women.
In partnership with disability advocates Woodbine and Horsham Special Developmental School and the migrant community, Centre for Participation is working on a new social enterprise project to help students and migrant women connect to long-term employment in their chosen field.
If successful in the Pick My Project, the cafe will provide opportunities for engaging with diverse groups and link students and migrants with potential employment opportunities.
Benefits to the community include:
âą Increased aspirations of participantsÂ
âą Sense of belongingÂ
âą Active social networksÂ
âą Breaking down barriers amongst the communityÂ
âą Community inclusion and self worthÂ
âą Reduced youth suicidesÂ
âą Less supported employment and more opportunities in open employment.Â
âą Less welfare dependenciesÂ
âą Greater connection to communityÂ
âą Social enterprise that builds a model for potential further development of empty spaces in rural and remote areas.
To vote for the cafe project please visit https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au
Way2Go
Hassle-free, online training for Volunteer Managers/Coordinators looking to make establishing and maintaining compliant volunteer systems easy.
Making volunteer management easy
In conjunction with the Albury Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau, Centre for Participation is providing Way2Go training in September.
Way2Go is an online Managers Training and Resource Toolkit which makes establishing and maintaining compliant volunteer management systems easy.
Way2Go volunteer management training takes the hard work out of developing, reviewing and updating volunteer management systems and the toolkit provides a suite of hard copy and electronic templates that can be effectively “cut and paste” and customised for your organisation.
Templates include volunteer policies, volunteer registration forms, induction procedures, dismissal procedures and more.
Way2Go templates have been tried and tested over the course of nine years of program
delivery so you can be confident of their usability in the real world.
And all Way2Go materials are fully compliant with the Statement of Principles
So, who should enrol?
- Any not-for-profit organisation engaging volunteers
- Organisation leaders and volunteer coordinators/managers
- Organisations needing to establish volunteer management policies, procedures and systems
- Organisations needing to review and update volunteer management policies, procedures and systems
Training will take place at the Centre for Participation on September 17 and 18 – please visit the events calendar for more details.
Myths debunked!
SPIRITED discussion about customer service and myths energised Volunteer Coordinators attending workshops hosted by international volunteering expert Rob Jackson at the Centre for Participation on June 25.
During his third visit to the region, following a guest speaker appearance at the 2018 National Volunteering Conference in Sydney, Mr Jackson was engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience, including discussions on first impressions, communication and how simply increasing volunteer numbers may not always be the best solution.
In the morning session titled âCustomer service and volunteeringâ, which attracted a crowd of 17, Mr Jackson explored the importance of good customer service in volunteer programs, and what coordinators can do to improve the service their organisation provides.
âWhether we like it or not, our societies are increasingly consumer-driven and we all now have higher expectations of our interactions with business and service providers than we did a decade ago,â Mr Jackson said.
âWe expect fast responses to questions, speedy delivery of purchases and a high standard of professionalism in our dealing with others; volunteering is not immune to this,â he said.
âAs the old clichĂ© goes âyou only have one chance to make a good impression.â
Attending the session, Centre for Participation Project Worker Kylie Zanker said she found Mr Jackson to be “engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience”.
âI particularly enjoyed the group work and discussion around the most effective and engaging customer service strategies for volunteers within an organisation,â she said.
During his third visit to the region, following a guest speaker appearance at the 2018 National Volunteering Conference in Sydney, Mr Jackson was engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience, including discussions on first impressions, communication and how simply increasing volunteer numbers may not always be the best solution.
In the morning session titled âCustomer service and volunteeringâ, which attracted a crowd of 17, Mr Jackson explored the importance of good customer service in volunteer programs, and what coordinators can do to improve the service their organisation provides.
âWhether we like it or not, our societies are increasingly consumer-driven and we all now have higher expectations of our interactions with business and service providers than we did a decade ago,â Mr Jackson said.
âWe expect fast responses to questions, speedy delivery of purchases and a high standard of professionalism in our dealing with others; volunteering is not immune to this,â he said.
âAs the old clichĂ© goes âyou only have one chance to make a good impression.â
Attending the session, Centre for Participation Project Worker Kylie Zanker said she found Mr Jackson to be “engaging, entertaining and focused on the volunteer experience”.
âI particularly enjoyed the group work and discussion around the most effective and engaging customer service strategies for volunteers within an organisation,â she said.
âRob spoke about how volunteers hold differing roles within organisations as they are both internal to an organisation, whilst also being external. The customer service and the experience that the volunteers take away from the introduction and induction process needs to focus upon the best practiceâ
âA message that I sat up and listened to was when Rob spoke about how âmore volunteers arenât always the answer. The big picture thought should be placed on valuing the difference volunteering makes to peopleâs livesâ, and offering exceptional customer service that entices volunteers to the program and organisation.â
âOpen and clear communication, being up front with information regarding the expectations of the volunteer role and being attentive and responsive were the top priorities identified when engaging and recruiting volunteers.â
In the afternoon, 21 attendees gathered for the second workshop âMyths of volunteer managementâ which explored commonly-held myths surrounding volunteering to enable coordinators to sharpen their knowledge and better support their teams.
“I had a great time in Horsham,â Mr Jackson said.
âI always enjoy working with people and groups there and we had some spirited discussion about customer service and myths about volunteering and volunteer management,â he said.
âI hope people left feeling inspired, challenged and energised to put what they learnt into practice and, as always, I hope to be back in the Wimmera soonâ.
