Benefits of Volunteering

There are many benefits to becoming a volunteer budget adviser. In fact, Federation certificated budget advisers love their work so much that many of them are still doing it ten years later, even twenty, or more! Some of our advisers have had to move to different towns for other commitments and the first thing they did was to seek out another Federation service to keep volunteering at! Many of our advisers are previous clients who found the whole process so amazing that as soon as they were back on their feet they started training as an adviser to pass on their new skills to others!

So what makes being a budget adviser so exciting?

We've got a pretty good idea about why our advisers love what they do so much. First, there is a certain sense of instant gratification that other types of volunteering can't offer. Negotiating with creditors to stop a client's electricity or phone being cut off for instance can give you a great instant feel-good feeling.

Secondly, the in-depth work advisers do with their clients can offer a real deep sense of satisfaction. The process is truly life changing. Every adviser has that one story of a client they helped from deep debt crisis right through to financial independence (some have heaps of stories like that!). And because you often work so closely with the client's family/whanau you can get a real buzz from knowing the whole family is now better off.

Then there's the training. Our advisers simply love the training we offer. The Budget Adviser Introductory Course is a comprehensive initial training program. The course has been developed on-the-job by budget advice experts for over 30 years and, including the practical element, can take you from complete novice to absolute expert in just a few months. And don't forget the ongoing training. Every year we'll increase your skills with things like consumer rights, insolvency law, benefit advocacy, identifying addictions, culture awareness, advanced negotiations and that's just to name a few.

Finally, the resources, support and networking benefits of being a Federation budget adviser are second to none. The Federation takes care of all of your resource needs. We print and distribute all the pamphlets, posters, forms, guides and stationery you need to allow you to concentrate on the advising. The support you'll receive from your service will ensure you're never left out in the cold. Regular in-service training and support sessions allow you to confidentially discuss difficult cases and senior advisers and service Coordinators/Managers are always on hand to help you out. And then there's the network... remember that when you volunteer at your local service you become part of one of the largest community organisations in the country. This gives you the opportunity to attend district and regional meetings and the biennial Conference where you can meet other advisers and feel a real sense of being part of something big.

Interested in progressing through the organisation?

There are many different positions throughout the Federation, many are voluntary while others are paid. Within budget services there are advisers, senior advisers, community educators, SIO supervisors, coordinators and managers, and the varied roles of boards and management committees as well as other volunteer roles such as administrators. Within the Federation there are district representatives, regional and Maori representatives, as well as the National Board roles, tutors and QMRT and training committee members. Within the national office there are a number of roles managing the Federation training, information and projects, as well as managing the office and staff, a number of Field Officer roles supporting services in the regions as well as different volunteer roles that come up from time-to-time. To get an idea of the structure of the organisation click the link below:

Federation Organisational Structure 2006.pdf

What else you can expect to get and what we expect from you

► Meet interesting people from all walks of life
► Receive initial training and ongoing professional development
► Work in a supportive environment
► Learn new skills and develop a career path
► Contribute real value to your community
► Help families/whanau struggling with debt crisis to become happy, independent and successful
► ... have fun!

Volunteering in Aotearoa-New Zealand

Volunteering New Zealand put together the following facts and figures about volunteering in New Zealand for the recent Volunteer Awareness Week:

Facts and Figures on Volunteering in New Zealand.pdf

In conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations released the astonishing VAVA Report that showed, amongst other things, that for every $1 donated to a voluntary agency between $3 and $5 worth of services are delivered to the community:

VAVA Report.pdf

Even the government's careers website has something to say about volunteering:

www.careers.govt.nz

© 2007 New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services Inc.