Indigenous Community Volunteers

Communities FAQ

How can we get ICV to work with our community?

A great start is to contact your local office and talk though your ideas and vision for your community. You can discuss your ideas with ICV Project Officers either face to face or over the phone. Call 1800 819 542 to connect to your nearest Project Officer.

Enquiry

What kind of projects does ICV do?

ICV does not have an agenda; your agenda becomes our agenda. All types of community development and capacity building projects are possible provided they have community support.

That means ICV works with you on projects that your community has identified as something that needs to be done for you to move towards your vision for the future. Some communities have documented their vision into community plans. It is important that ICV works with you on projects that are part of these bigger pictures and helps you to build a strong future.

If you haven’t documented what your community vision for the future is, we can help with that.

Who designs projects?

Projects are designed by you and your community with support from ICV. We will not tell you what you need or what you should do. Our philosophy when working with communities to identity and design projects is to “look, listen, learn, and then respond”. We will provide advice and support but you own and direct the project design and implementation. Project Officers will spend time with you discussing the project and your community.

Do I pay for projects?

No. ICV does not charge any fees for its services. We are a not-for-profit, non-government organisation. But we do ask you to contribute to the project. Your community will need to have the materials required to do the project. ICV also asks where possible that your community provide accommodation for the volunteer. Importantly, we also ask communities to nominate a Cultural Mentor to be available and connected with volunteers to assist with cultural protocols and support volunteers while on your country. This ensures that they respect your country and do not inadvertently cause problems in the community.

Who manages the project?

You and your community manage the project. We stand beside you or behind you. But we don’t take the lead. Our core principle is that we do things ‘with’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, not ‘to’ them, and not ‘for’ them. ICV Project Officers will support your community and volunteers throughout the project.

How are volunteers chosen for projects?

The community chooses the volunteer that is right for them.

When ICV accepts a project we search our volunteer database and find volunteers who live near your community and have the capabilities you have requested. If you want, we can then send you a list of possible volunteers with their details. You can then select the volunteer who you think will work best in your community. Alternatively, you can ask us to do more screening and recommend a single volunteer to you. The choice is yours. We can also connect you by either telephone or face-to-face so that you can get to know the volunteer and check that they are right for you.

How long until a volunteer starts?

ICV believes in being as flexible and responsive as it can. We will always do our best to find a volunteer in the timeframe that you ask. But it may take some time for us to find volunteers or for them to become available. Many of our volunteers have career and family responsibilities. We do our best to match your needs and their availability. If you have time constraints or any other special requests let the Project Officer know when you speak to them.

Who pays for the volunteers’ travel?

ICV pays for volunteers travel, to anywhere in Australia. Occasionally we may require community assistance, especially in remote locations, to get the volunteer to your community.

Do we have to pay for the volunteer’s food?

No. ICV provides volunteers with a small living allowance to cover their basic living costs.

How long do projects go for?

Our projects last for as long as required. There is no minimum project length. In the past most of our projects have run from between two weeks to six months. Projects can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. Some projects may also require volunteers to spend some time working in the community and some time providing additional assistance from their homes. The structure of the project depends on the community needs and the availability of the volunteer.

Who provides insurance?

ICV provides accident and travel insurance for our volunteers. If you have any questions about insurance please call 1800 819 542 and talk to one of our Project Officers.

Who provides accommodation?

As a general rule, we ask communities to provide safe, basic accommodation for our volunteers. We are aware that housing is a critical issue for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and on some occasions we have found other solutions where availability of accommodation in a community is a problem. If you have any questions about accommodation please discuss this when talking with one of our Project Officers.

Will volunteers be culturally prepared?

All of our volunteers must attend an ICV Workshop. The Workshop introduces volunteers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Some of the challenges of working in cross cultural settings are discussed and we talk about ICV’s values. ICV staff run this training. ICV Project Officers also remain in contact with you, your community, and the volunteer throughout the project. Our Project Officers usually give the volunteers some basic advice and also ensure that they connect with their Cultural Mentor in the community.

What is a ‘Cultural Mentor’?

A Cultural Mentor is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander member of your community who can advise volunteers on cultural protocols within the community and can support the volunteer throughout the duration of the project.