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Volunteer

Be a part of someone's journey

Business and community support is essential for refugees and asylum seekers making a fresh start and aspiring to become financially independent. So we're always on the lookout for talented refugee assistance volunteers to mentor emerging entrepreneurs and provide them with practical business guidance. Could you help us transform lives?

Already a refugee assistance volunteer?

See the different types of volunteers we work with:

Business Volunteer

Time spent:
2-3 hours over a few weeks

Business and community support is essential for refugees and asylum seekers making a fresh start and aspiring to become financially independent. So we’re always on the lookout for talented refugee assistance volunteers to mentor emerging entrepreneurs and provide them with practical business guidance. Could you help us transform lives?

You will help by:
  • Developing business and marketing plans including cash flow projections.
  • Assisting in explaining general operational and legal business requirements in Australia.
Become a Business Volunteer

Mentor Volunteer

Time spent:
1-3 hours per month for 12 months

Thrive’s Mentor Volunteers help our prospective refugee and asylum seeker business owners to overcome challenges and achieve goals. You’ll serve as refugee volunteers and be a positive sounding board for business owners, increasing the likelihood of their success and financial independence.

You will help by:
  • Meeting with your mentee once a month to provide practical guidance and support.
  • Being a compassionate listener while encouraging ideas and action.
  • Providing regular updates to Thrive to help set and achieve business goals.
Become a Mentor Volunteer

Click here to find out if our mentor volunteer role suits you.

Office Volunteer

Time spent:
In office as agreed on by Thrive

Our Office Volunteers work on projects and administrative activities, allowing us to increase our productivity and assist more refugees.

You will help by:
  • Providing administrative support.
  • Providing support in client and database management in the office.
  • Working on Thrive’s special projects.
  • Assisting in credit management, marketing, volunteer management, sales and more.
Become a Office Volunteer
Volunteers
Steph Bradley

I'm a mentor with a focus on marketing and digital support. I've been volunteering with Thrive for 2 years and have really enjoyed it. Unfortunately a lot of that time has been while in COVID and made it much harder to meet with those I'm working with - but I have found it very fulfilling to try and support those in the community starting or running a business. I've found Thrive and my clients to be very flexible and can be adapted depending on what we're trying to achieve. I always like to meet with the clients initially to understand what they need and the best way I can help. From there it may be through in person or zoom catch ups or sometimes just helping with a question or support over email. I'd definitely recommend volunteering to others. My work schedule can be a bit unpredictable and I've found the mentoring role can be adapted to what suits my client and myself best. It's very fulfilling and feels like a volunteering position where I can have the most impact with the skills I have.

Trang Nguyen

I had an invaluable chance to be a volunteer at Thrive for three months. My main role was to prepare a business plan for Thrive's clients. Thrive was a perfect environment for me to apply Marketing tools, frameworks, and strategies that I have learned from the university in reality. In addition, I also understood more about the working environment in Australia when helping the clients to establish their own businesses. Furthermore, when working at Thrive I gained an opportunity to collaborate with partners from different cultures, backgrounds, and industries, this has helped me to broaden my perspectives. I am so very thankful to Thrive for creating a safe and comfortable environment for me to work and thrive. I would highly recommend you to collaborate with Thrive because I surely believe that you will acquire skills that are essential for your personal growth and career growth.

Avril Reagon

I am a volunteer business mentor with Thrive. I have been working with Thrive and my mentee for the past two years. We met once a month for an hour or an hour and a half, I have provided an oversight of my mentee’s business performance and assisted with business development initiatives to assist with the growth of her business. I have enjoyed this role a great deal and have developed an excellent working relationship with my mentee. It has been a rewarding experience for me and once which has provided much local business knowledge to my mentee. Thrive has certainly matched me to my mentee very well. I would recommend Thrive highly to refugees who are starting their own businesses, the organisation provides so much more than the loan facility, it provides a supportive network including the experiences from other refugees who have also accessed the services. In addition it provides a great opportunity for people who have had extensive business and career experience to give back to the community.

Alpa Solanki

My role in Thrive is to prepare the business plan and cash flow statement for new start-ups. I have been volunteering for the past three months. It is a great experience. Thrive allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds. It gives us the freedom to work independently. I learned about various business ideas, different Australian laws. It is fascinating to work with clients. I would recommend Thrive as they acknowledge and respect refugees. They are very enthusiastic about helping them to open their businesses successfully. I will also encourage others to volunteer because it’s an excellent opportunity to use our knowledge and skills and help others achieve their dreams.

Bernie Walker

I have been helping Thrive for six months, once a week and mainly assisting applicants to prepare their business plans and cash flow statements. It's a great experience to help refugees during this phase of their journey in Australia. I love to see them step up and start their own business. They are not just achieving success for their futures but contributing to the community and providing employment for other individuals. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend this program to other refugee volunteers. It's a privilege to integrate skills and knowledge that we have to help others, and it's a lot of fun.

Nadia Cammarata

It has been a true privilege and honour to assist one of Thrive's applicants, Behnaz, on the journey to establish her own business. Working with Behnaz was a fantastic experience. We met on a number of occasions to discuss the details of her new venture, and the information I gathered allowed me to help her obtain the micro loan and pursue her business aspirations. This was also an occasion for me to learn more about her, her personal journey and her passion for her work. As a refugee volunteer, I have completed a business plan tailored to Behnaz's business needs and area of expertise, which summarises operational and financial objectives as well as strategies to achieve them. The plan also includes financial projections which detail the forecasted performance (one to three years), and illustrates how financing will affect the business's position. Volunteering for Thrive has been an absolutely enriching and fulfilling experience for me. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wishes to help others and give back to the community. By devoting your time and skills to this noble cause, you can truly make a difference and change a refugee's life and people, just like Behnaz will change yours.

Interested?

We're interested in having you on board.
Simply fill in and submit the form below, or for more information email us at info@tre.org.au

    Are you willing to undertake the necessary background checks for this opportunity?

    YesNo

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    Mentor volunteer
    Who we’re looking for:

    Business professionals with local experience in any of the below areas:

    • Business management or operations
    • Sales and marketing
    • Finance and accounting

    This is a unique structured volunteer program for business professionals, to match your existing skills with your passion for supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
    Since inception, Thrive’s dedicated mentor volunteers have supported over 230 refugee business owners to start and grow their businesses across Australia.

    Here’s how you can become a Thrive Mentor:
    1. Submit your application

      Tell us about yourself along with any skills and experience you can bring to Thrive Refugee Enterprise by completing an online application at tre.org.au/volunteer/#mentor.

    2. Get on board

      After we review your application, we’ll invite you to a two-hour induction session so you’ll know exactly what to expect from this role.

    3. Complete some checks

      Before finalising your approval, we will ask you to complete a Police Check.

    4. Get started!

      We’ll match you with a refugee or asylum seeker business owner and you can start your mentoring journey with Thrive!

    Click here to download the Thrive Mentor Position Description