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. In In 2011, Opportunity volunteers donated more than 10,760 hours of work – providing administrative support, organising fundraising activities, sharing skills and contributing to our various projects.

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, they are invited to participate in staff meetings and office celebrations. Opportunity recruits its volunteers and interns based on their skills and interest in microfinance. We advertise the available roles here on our website, through social networks and on the ACFID website.

An Opportunity Alumni group is also being 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 of current programs and Opportunity news. The first volunteer and intern appreciation night was held on 16 November 2011 in Sydney. We look forward to hosting this event annually for all of our current and past volunteers and interns.

About the volunteer program

Volunteer positions at Opportunity are advertised as they become available in our various departments so please check regularly for any new positions that we are recruiting for. 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.

Although volunteers do not have a formal induction process, wherever possible, 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

Benefits of volunteering at Opportunity

Opportunity is a highly regarded non-profit organisation that uses a business approach to solve the problem of poverty. Volunteering with us will provide you with valuable on-the-job training and exposure to how the ‘back office’ of a development organisation operates. Not only will you work alongside a great team and build your skills whilst assisting on interesting projects, you will see how your skills and time contribute to our goal of solving the problem of poverty.

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.