| Q: |
Do I have to be involved in wish granting? |
| A: |
Being a part of the wish-granting process is often the most rewarding part of being a Make-A-Wish® Australia volunteer. However, Make-A-Wish® respects the rights of volunteers not to participate in wish granting if they choose not to.
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| Q: |
Who can be a Make-A-Wish volunteer? |
| A: |
To be eligible a volunteer you must be 18 years or older.
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| Q: |
How much time would I need to commit? |
| A: |
As a volunteer for Make-A-Wish Australia you decide how much time you can commit. Many of our volunteers also have work, family and social commitments. Make-A-Wish Australia is grateful for any time volunteers can give. As a member of a volunteer branch we ask where possible for you to attend your branch's monthly meetings. Other time commitments depend on the number of fundraising activities and wishes the volunteer branch currently has in operation.
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| Q: |
What skills do I need to be a Make-A-Wish volunteer? |
| A: |
There are no specialist skills required to be a Make-A-Wish volunteer. All we ask is that you have a genuine passion to make a real difference and have empathy for children and young people with a life-threatening medical condition, and their families. However prior fundraising, event management, administrative, public relations or project management skills are a bonus!
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| Q: |
Are Make-A-Wish volunteers required to undergo any special checks? |
| A: |
As we are a children's charity all our volunteers are required to pass a National Police Check and in some states, a Working with Children Check. Each volunteer branch also conducts an interview and undertakes reference checks.
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| Q: |
How do volunteer branches work? |
| A: |
All Make-A-Wish volunteers are assigned to a volunteer branch, which is usually the one closest to the volunteer's place of residence. Volunteer branches operate as a delegated management model with each branch having a Committee of Management with 12 office bearing roles. These roles are: president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, wish granting coordinator, fundraising coordinator, merchandise coordinator, volunteer care coordinator, historian, public speaking coordinator, public relations coordinator and hosting coordinator. Each volunteer branch is responsible for devising, planning and coordinating their own fundraising events, after obtaining approval from national office. Wish-granting works in a similar way and is dependent on the number of wishes that has been assigned to your area.
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| Q: |
Do I need to take on an office bearers role to be a Make-A-Wish volunteer? |
| A: |
No, you can be a general Make-A-Wish volunteer and assist with branch fundraising and wish granting activities. However, if you are interested in taking on a role, each November volunteer branches hold an Annual General Meeting where all office bearers positions are open to all approved branch volunteers to apply. The roles are the elected by fellow branch volunteers.
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| Q: |
Is training provided for Make-A-Wish volunteers? |
| A: |
Each volunteer branch provides orientation for new volunteers. Training for volunteers is provided at branch and state levels. |