Reef Check Australia is an environmental charity who “believes in protecting reefs and oceans by empowering people” says Jennifer Loder, General Manager of Reef Check Australia. Their teams are part of a worldwide network of trained volunteers that use the standardised Reef Check scientific survey method to consistently monitor and report on the health of the reef in over 90 countries. “Individuals are provided with the knowledge, skills and resources to take action on reef health issues, empowering communities to take an active role in managing and saving their local reefs” says Jennifer.

As a small not-for-profit, volunteers always provide support to make things happen. Bianca Ousley from Fish Community Solutions assisted with the development of a targeted Fundraising Plan. Says Jennifer, “we depend almost exclusively on grant funding and we were looking to diversify our strategies and help engage more people in the cause. Bianca not only developed a comprehensive plan with numerous fundraising options, but also took the time to advise us on how to realistically implement these new components into our current organisational framework”.

Having worked in the non-profit sector for about 7 years and done various types of volunteering, Bianca says, “I love the challenges and opportunity to be creative with fundraising and I try to fit in a pro bono client when I can. I think it's a great way to expand my horizons and sometimes get out of my comfort zone a little.”

“It’s always truly inspiring to see people offer their professional time and skills to support our mission,” states Jennifer. “Assistance from professional volunteers like Bianca is a unique opportunity for us to break out of the normal cycle and strive for bigger goals with more productive outcomes. We’re thrilled to have a new perspective that helped us to think outside the box -- Bianca put the fun back in fundraising!”

Bianca says, “skilled volunteering is something I believe all professionals should get involved in. It doesn't need to be a lot of time, or even all the time, but if more people invested just some amount of time in sharing their skills and knowledge with community groups it would make a huge difference to their operations and efficiency. It's been wonderful to have goodcompany to connect me to different volunteering opportunities. I think what they do is fabulous.”