INTHEBLACK August 2022 - Magazine - Page 63
Try mentoring high school students through Raise, or
support women charged with a criminal offence through the
early intervention program Women and Mentoring.
JOIN A BOARD
Once in Cambodia, Elhajj was deeply impressed by
the organisation’s mission, so he worked long days
during his two-week assignment. “I taught them how
to do everything according to international accounting
standards,” he said.
“As they are a charity, it’s important they report
correctly, so I gave them new formats for reporting to
donors. We looked at monthly reporting and how to
benefit from funds when they have excess. I didn’t
waste any time, because I knew they needed my help.”
Above: Jennene Buckley FCPA
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
BECOME A MENTOR
Mentoring is a great way to give back to your
community. Sharing your knowledge, experience and
connections with someone will enhance and benefit
their career and, ideally, help them to help others.
To mentor early career accountants, sign up for
the 2023 CPA Australia Mentor Program or support
those balancing the books of small, not-for-profit
organisations through the Mentor the Treasurer program,
set up by CPA Australia and Pro Bono Australia.
It is also worth checking out business mentorship
organisations, such as the not-for-profit Sourdough
Business Pathways. Jennene Buckley FCPA, former
CEO of Feros Care, initially sought help from the
mentorship program, and later went back as a mentor
herself. “I’m supporting two businesswomen who have
a growing allied health service, helping them with goal
setting, business planning and general advice,” she told
INTHEBLACK.
Alternatively, mentoring doesn’t have to involve
your work skills and experience. Sometimes sharing
compassion and wisdom is all that’s needed.
Joining a board is an excellent way to use your skills
to support an organisation. It also looks great on your
resume, and may only require a couple of hours of your
time every few months. While becoming a director can
seem like a role reserved for executive-level volunteers,
CPAs young and old who have spoken with INTHEBLACK
often note how welcomed their skills are on a board.
Young breast cancer survivor Anna Ronald CPA
approached So Brave – an Australian charity supporting
young women with breast cancer – after recovering from
her illness and was invited to join the board.
“So Brave already had pro bono bookkeeping support
in place; however, the board was lacking a director with
an accounting background, so I was invited to join as
treasurer,” Ronald told INTHEBLACK in 2020.
Job search engines will often include board positions.
In Seek, for example, simply type board member into job
type.
CLICK HERE
TO ACCESS
information on
CPA Australia’s
mentoring program
There is a particular passion that a person brings to
voluntary work when the cause is close to their heart,
and it is probably the most fulfilling type of pro bono
work you could do.
For some people, it’s connecting with a service that
has supported them, a family member or a friend in
the past, or for others it may be following their passion
with an animal charity or an arts organisation. For
Paul Coonan CPA, it was about connecting with his
Aboriginal heritage.
When Coonan found out as an adult that his greatgrandfather was Aboriginal, he was excited but had no
idea how to connect with the local community. He did
some online research and found a nearby Aboriginal
support group, Manly Warringah Pittwater. “As soon as
they heard I was a CPA they made me treasurer,” he told
INTHEBLACK.
Coonan said volunteering for the organisation – the
oldest Aboriginal support group in Australia – has been
a very positive experience. “To see all the misjustice
going on and then feel a part of reconciliation through
education and connecting white and Indigenous
communities feels really good.”
The easiest way to volunteer for an organisation
working in an area close to your heart is to simply phone
them, drop in or check out their website. Chances are
they’d love your support.
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au August 2022 63