Denis Porter, Fido liasion officer
"It would be good to see more men volunteering. We've got the problem of more women than men volunteering because women are more social creatures in a way. But more men should offer their skills and experience. There are many worthwhile opportunities out there for men to use their experience and skills. Look for them with Fido!"
Denis Porter came to The Centre for Volunteering two years ago with a stockpile of first-class knowledge. He's an experienced CEO, economist, researcher, government policy adviser, business consultant and company director – a wonderful mix of talent and flair to share with The Centre. And he's an ideal candidate to head Fido, a service which seeks to match skilled volunteers with jobs needing specific or professional experience.
As Liaison Officer at The Centre, Denis is responsible for the day-to-day running of Fido, which publishes volunteer vacancies in The Sydney Morning Herald's Help Desk column.
Fido targets skilled and experienced volunteers who want to volunteer with the not-for-profit (NFP) sector. NFPs recruit volunteers for short- or long-term positions. Denis reviews the jobs received each week, writes suitable job descriptions and submits five to the SMH for publishing. He also liaises with NFPs and handles enquiries from interested volunteers about the jobs available.
According to Denis, Fido has been a positive experience. "Those who are using it usually find they get a very good response. So, I get quite a bit of feedback from NFPs saying they've found the right person for that job. It's the only service which offers advertising free of charge. The Herald provides the space free and twice a week we advertise up to eight jobs. It runs 52 weeks a year.
Denis explained a few things about his last full-time job 12 years ago. It was with the NSW Minerals Council, an association representing the state's mining industry. During his last three years there, he was the CEO. "As an employer organisation, it represents some very large mining companies, such as BHP and Rio Tinto, and some smaller ones. My main responsibility was dealing with government on policy issues and legislation."
Since 2001, Denis has combined consulting work and voluntary work. "These days I'm not doing so much consulting work but I am still involved as a director of the Coal Industry Superannuation Fund. I also teach English as a Second Language one night a week at a library in Maroubra. Randwick Council organises about half a dozen voluntary teachers who teach different levels of English to migrants or to people who have lived in Australia for a few years but their English is not great. I teach a conversational English class which is intermediate or a bit above."
What does volunteering mean to Denis? "I feel I need to make good use of my time. It allows me to feel I am making a bit of a contribution and with a project such as Fido, it's good to see it continuing well. We have a lot of happy people using it and it is producing results that are 'oiling the wheels' of the volunteering sector, if you like. It is helping find some good people for worthy organisations, which is great."
And what is it that mostly compensates for not getting paid? "It's being able to contribute. You don't necessarily need to receive money to get satisfaction out of work. Plus you are getting to work with some good people and you get that social contact which is very important."
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