The HIF volunteer promise

Your contribution should be valuable—and volunteering should be fair.

HIF expects reliability, humility and good judgement from volunteers. Volunteers should expect clear work, proper support, safe systems and honest communication from HIF.

What you can expect

Six promises behind every healthy role.

Internally, each opportunity receives a role health review. A role should not be published if the need, workload, supervision or safety controls are inadequate.

A real need

Your role should address a defined community or organisational gap, with useful outputs and realistic scope.

Named support

You should know who supervises you, how often you will meet and where to go when something is not working.

Preparation

HIF will provide induction and role-specific training before you undertake work that requires it.

Respect and wellbeing

Your time, safety, identity and right to raise concerns or step away must be respected.

Fair classification

Every advertised opportunity is unpaid. Structured roles require workplace-relations review before launch.

Safe systems

Safeguarding, privacy, scope-of-practice and escalation controls are part of the role—not an afterthought.

A two-way agreement

Rights and responsibilities.

Volunteering works when both sides can be explicit about what good participation looks like.

As a volunteer, you have the right to

Receive a written role description and honest time estimate.
Be treated with respect and without unlawful discrimination.
Receive induction, supervision, feedback and relevant training.
Decline work outside your role, competence or safe capacity.
Request reasonable adjustments and accessible alternatives.
Raise a concern without retaliation.
Withdraw from volunteering with a safe handover.

As a volunteer, you are expected to

Act within your role, competence and approved authority.
Respect local leadership, community knowledge and informed consent.
Protect private information and follow safeguarding requirements.
Be realistic about availability and communicate changes early.
Use approved evidence and avoid overstating HIF impact.
Declare relevant conflicts of interest.
Report unsafe, unethical or harmful practice.

Expenses and reimbursements

Role pages must state what is and is not reimbursable. Volunteers should receive approval before incurring expenses and should never feel pressure to personally fund HIF operations.

Detailed policy — approval required

Insurance

HIF must confirm that authorised duties, events and travel are covered before a volunteer begins. Coverage limits and exclusions should be available in plain language.

Coverage summary — approval required

Wellbeing and psychological safety

Workloads, debriefing and rest should match the role. International or emotionally demanding programs require a specific wellbeing plan.

Get support

Withdrawal and offboarding

You can withdraw. HIF may ask for a reasonable handover, return of resources and a short exit conversation, but should not pressure you to remain.

How to withdraw

Complaints and whistleblowing

Concerns should have an independent path when they involve a supervisor or executive. Restricted records are not visible to routine recruiters.

Reporting pathways

Recognition and references

References should accurately describe verified service, skills and outputs. HIF will not promise employment or inflate a volunteer’s contribution.

Impact passport — future phase

Explore with confidence

Look for the need, the support and the boundaries.

Browse opportunities