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Overseas Volunteering for Accountants & Auditors

Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) and Accounting for International Development (AfID) are offering the opportunity for Jersey-based finance professionals to volunteer overseas.

All 2024 Accountancy volunteering placements are now filled. We plan to open more opportunities for accountants in 2025. Please signup to our newsletter if you would like to be kept informed. If you wish to discuss it further with a member of the JOA team, please contact Gilly Challinor (g.challinor@joa.je). 

About the opportunity

Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) and Accounting for International Development (AfID) are working in partnership in 2024 to offer two Jersey-based accountants or auditors a unique opportunity to use their financial expertise in making an incredible difference.

The two successful applicants will individually spend 2-8 weeks in either Africa or Asia, developing the financial management capacity of one of AfID's inspiring non-profit partners. Costs (placement fee, travel, living expenses, vaccinations etc) will be covered by JOA. Please see the FAQs below for more information.

The volunteer assignments will be facilitated and managed by AfID, a UK-based social enterprise with 14 years of specialist experience in organising placements to develop the skills, confidence and potential of local finance staff and organisations, to have the financial management capacity they need to deliver more sustainable programmes and maintain good relations with their donors.

To date, AfID have arranged overseas assignments for more than 1,600 accountants, who have supported over 500 different partner organisations in excess of 50 different countries. Their diverse group of community-led partners include street child centres, conservation projects, microloan and enterprise initiatives, gender and disability rights groups, community health clinics and schools.

As well as funding the placement, JOA will help the successful applicants to prepare for the challenges and complexities they are likely to encounter when volunteering through their well-established training and preparation materials, guidance and activities.

Application guidelines

Due to the nature of AfID placements where coaching / mentoring is involved, we cannot consider bookkeepers or those at Finance Officer / Assistant levels; rather those that have a broad exposure to all aspects of accounting and financial management.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be over 18 years old.
  • Applicants must be resident in Jersey and deemed ‘Entitled’ (10 years residency) or ‘Entitled to Work’ (5 years residency).
  • A confident traveller, generally in good health.
  • Fully-vaccinated against COVID-19.
  • At least 2 weeks confirmed availability, or certainty to obtain, for volunteering overseas during 2024.

Criteria

You will need to meet at least one of the below criteria in order to apply. It is not essential to be formally qualified.

  • Accounting qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with more than 2 years of post-qualification experience.
  • Part-qualified or AAT Accounting Technician with more than 5 years of accounting experience.
  • More than 8 years of all-round accounting and finance experience (for those without any formal accounting qualification).

You will also need excellent communication skills with fluency in written and spoken English, bags of initiative, resourcefulness, honesty, patience and of course compassion.

Selection

  • Applicants must submit an application using the online form.
  • Two written references will be required, one professional reference from a current or recent employer and one character reference (not from a family member).
  • An open-source social media screening will be conducted on all applicants.

Potential placements (examples only)

Based on each individual's availability, AfID will provide the two successful applicants with two assignment options to choose from, tailored to their demonstrable skills and experience.

Below are brief details of three potential placements, to give an insight into what the AfID assignment could look like:

KENYA 1-3 months

NGO empowering women and girls

Our partner is working towards the recognition and empowerment of community members, with specific focus towards girls’ education and women through various development initiatives.

The volunteer’s role will be to review and assess financial procedures including monthly financial reporting, budgeting, variance analysis, expenditure and program cost forecasting and make recommendations for improvements, and to conduct a financial capacity assessment of the Board, Finance Committee and staff.

ZAMBIA 2-4 weeks

Charity providing opportunities through education and sport

Our partner uses the love of football to reach over 2,200 children through their community projects, including 120 who receive daily support through their football academy.

The volunteer’s role will be to review their use of QuickBooks, coach them in undertaking bank reconciliations, support them in consolidating the accounts of their three entities, and coach Project Officers in understanding the importance of proper record keeping, project budgeting and reporting.

PHILIPPINES 4-6 weeks

Sports based youth focussed NGO

Our partner uses sport as a tool to provide pathways for marginalised youth to break from cycle of intergenerational poverty and dependence.

The volunteer’s role will be to introduce new donor-specific and project-specific accounting to ensure that they are able to report how much money is spent on different projects and from which donors.

Frequently asked questions about the JOA / AfID volunteer programme

What will I be doing?

Each volunteer’s assignment forms an important part of a long-term strategy to develop the financial management capacity of non-profit organisations. The primary focus is always to develop and enhance the skills, confidence and potential of local people and for AfID's partners to develop the capacity they need to deliver more effective and sustainable services to their beneficiaries.

Who will I support?

AfID's partners are a mix of small grassroots non-governmental organisations (NGOs), social enterprises and larger international charities. All are undertaking important work to alleviate poverty and inequality within their communities and include micro-finance projects, local enterprise initiatives, rural cooperatives, street child centres, conservation projects, community schools and vocational training colleges. All AfID's partners are registered with their local government and have established relationships with donor organisations.

What will it cost me to volunteer?

Costs will be covered by Jersey Overseas Aid. This will include your placement fee, travel, vaccinations, visa, travel insurance, accommodation and basic food and living costs whilst you are overseas. 

Will I get paid during the volunteering assignment?

This is an unpaid voluntary placement. You will not receive a salary from JOA, AfID or the partner NGO for your work overseas, although JOA will provide a bursary to cover your costs (including the placement fee, reasonable living expenses, accommodation, travel, vaccinations, visa and travel insurance).

JOA would encourage you to discuss the opportunity with your employer. As part of their CSR commitments and their commitment to employee's ongoing professional development, your employer may be able to support you through offering additional paid leave.

As part of the 'volunteering policy for public servants', Government of Jersey employees are awarded a minimum of five days additional paid leave if they are selected to participate in any JOA volunteering programme.

 

What support is provided?

Whilst many of AfID's partners are small community organisations with limited resources, their support will be first class and your welfare their primary concern. Unlike tourists, volunteers will seldom find themselves alone; from airport pickups to assistance with accommodation and daily commutes, the support will be heartfelt and personal. You will instantly feel welcomed as a new member of the team. AfID will arrange calls between you and your hosts before you travel, so you can make friends and chat about some of the smaller details.
 

AfID takes volunteer security and safety very seriously, their experienced programmes team is available to help with any issues 24/7. Avoiding unacceptable risk and minimising acceptable risk is a duty and responsibility shared by AfID, the volunteer and the overseas host partner, however AfID do their best to prepare volunteers and give advice as to how to avoid and deal with all potential risks. 

Is there an age limit?

Definitely not. Like their many charity partners across Africa and Asia, AfID hold wisdom, experience and maturity in very high regard. We would love to hear from anyone who feels they could make a positive difference to the lives of those less fortunate.

I’m worried my skills and experience aren’t relevant?

The needs of AfID partners stem from a lack of experience in all aspects of financial management, from the basics, such as bookkeeping and cash management, to more strategic planning and staff management. AfID are committed to supporting their partners over the long term and will do this by providing volunteers with a broad range of qualifications and skills.

Volunteers should look upon themselves as part of a team of independent consultants working on the areas they and their partner organisation feel are most appropriate. If at any time a volunteer feels unable to address critical issues, this will simply be factored into the next volunteer’s profile and terms of reference. It is this timely and constructive direction from one volunteer to the next that ensures AfID's long term programme is always focused on supporting the right areas leading to effective development.

Volunteer Accountant or Consultant, Coach or Mentor?

Whilst we use the term ‘volunteer accountant’; a more accurate description might be accountants that can volunteer as consultants. An accountant can be responsible for a whole host of skilled functions on a day-to-day basis such as bookkeeping, auditing or producing financial statements and reports. The problem with a volunteer accountant ‘doing’ rather than ‘guiding or advising', arises as they are temporary and local staff will need to be equipped to thrive without support. AfID work with charity partners with the ultimate aim being that after a series of assignments the skills of their staff will be raised to a level that they are able to work effectively without outside assistance.

The role of AfID's volunteers is therefore much more of consultation, coaching and mentoring rather than standalone accounting.

Can I get involved with non-accounting activities?

Field visits observing the organisation’s programmes are a common feature of assignments. Additional responsibilities can include:

  • Assisting with funding proposals
  • Teaching Microsoft Office; Excel, Word & Powerpoint
  • Teaching English
  • Coaching and playing sports
  • Business development & young entrepreneur skills training

Will I be able to speak to past volunteers?

Yes. As every volunteer will always brief the next, AfID and the partner are able to monitor, evaluate and improve on the success of the programme effectively. This provides new volunteers with an accurate and detailed insight into their host partner’s needs and the resources available. When a partner organisation has worked with multiple volunteers, all their reports, blogs and contact details will be made available. If you would like to speak to a past volunteer to help you decide if volunteering is something you would like to do, please let AfID know and they will happily introduce you to the most relevant person. 

Are the countries safe?

Partner countries must be politically stable and safe. If they are not, assignments there will not be an option for you. AfID work closely with many established and well respected local and international charities on the ground, along with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ensure that safety information and advice given to volunteers is as up-to-date and accurate as possible.

Will I make a difference?

After every volunteer assignment, AfID undertake a detailed analysis of the relative success of the placement and the impact on the partner organisation. This is done in collaboration with both the partner and returning volunteer to ensure a thorough understanding of achievements and challenges.


Conducting a thorough analysis of each assignment allows AfID to ensure the work of our volunteers is effective and continues to build the capacity and sustainability of our partners in an appropriate manner. It also allows AfID to make incremental changes to the volunteer programme where necessary, as they look to continually increase both the impact of assignments and the volunteer experience.