Natalie Savin

My responsibilities: Managing the organisation overall. My prime role is to secure funding to spend for the maximum benefit of people with arthritis, osteoporosis, and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Our team: We employ 29 staff to give the equivalent of 23.2 full-time positions and volunteers number around 240.

Our greatest challenges: Fundraising and having sufficient resources to acquire the essential skills needed to effectively run Arthritis Victoria.

How we manage skilled volunteers: We prepare a clear, outcome-oriented project such as producing brochures so the volunteer can see if it’s suitable for them, what level of commitment is required, and the deadline. And we stay with the plan.

Tips for working with skilled volunteers. Make it very clear what you would like the volunteer to do but be sensitive to their needs, desires and skills. It’s also important to give prompt feedback on work done and to demonstrate appreciation.

What I find most rewarding: Our programs empower people and offer them new ways to look at life. Being debilitated and unable to get on with so many things can destroy the will to live. In some cases we have prevented suicides. Our organisation is founded on the principle that people with arthritis are able to help others with the condition. We assist by supporting and informing so what we do for one person often means helping many.