Organisation
Many Rivers Microfinance
Closing Date
Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Role type
NED role (with remuneration)
Location
Australia-wide
Leading economic empowerment for people living with disadvantage, enabling individuals and communities to realise their aspirations.
- Leverage your experience and networks in social capital to support growth.
- Bring your experience & innovation to drive more meaningful & sustainable impact beyond our current horizons.
- Contribute to a well-established and respected organisation seeking new areas of impact.
The organisation
Many Rivers Microfinance is a for-purpose organisation founded in 2007 to promote economic independence and resilience among disadvantaged individuals and communities.
The organisation primarily supports marginalised people, particularly Indigenous Australians in remote or regional areas through its:
Microenterprise Development Program (MED)
The MED program provides personalised support to help meet the needs of individual clients experiencing financial disadvantage. The program is delivered by Microenterprise Development Managers (MEDMs), who work closely with clients to help them gain the confidence and practical skills needed to run a business, and facilitate business loans (typically less than $10,000, subject to assessment) to help overcome capital constraints. Many Rivers is committed to providing long-term support to clients, usually working with them for three years or more, to help work through various business and life challenges as they emerge.
Community Economic Development Program (CED)
The CED program provides support to regional and remote Indigenous communities that want to establish or grow economic activity on their land. The program is delivered by Community Economic Development Managers (CEDMs) who work closely with the elected board and management of the community organisations to enable them to strengthen their understanding, planning and leadership, to actively participate in the economy. CEDMs typically work with individual communities for around five years, with a core goal of encouraging each community to grow its ability for independent governance and decision making.
Many Rivers ensures holistic assistance, increasing clients’ chances of long-term success. The organisation collaborates with other entities to create a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs and communities, fostering economic development and social inclusion across Australia.
The role(s)
The Board of Many Rivers is looking to appoint up to 3 new non-executive Directors to enhance the Board’s size and capability, enable a formal succession plan to be implemented and to access a broader range of skills and experience, relevant to the organisation’s growth strategy and aspirations.
These new Directors will be pivotal in bringing a diverse set of skills, experiences, and networks.
If you are genuinely aligned to the vision, mission and values of Many Rivers, and have experience in one or more of the following areas, we would love to hear from you:
- Commercial acumen, particularly in understanding various forms of social capital to enable us to access existing and new innovative forms of capital and networks to underpin growth.
- Experience in navigating (relevant) change and transformation while balancing risk and organisational capability.
- Experience in promoting a balanced and sustainable approach to community growth and resource use considering one or more of the following: land rights, biodiversity and / or the remediation and restoration of land, carbon.
Geographic, gender and cultural diversity are important, and we would encourage application from people around Australia with experience of working in remote regions where access to services and resources or larger markets is quite challenging. In addition, we would encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Not all positions require governance experience, offering a professional development opportunity for a less-experienced leader.
All Directors will bring a genuine commitment to the vision, mission and values of Many Rivers, along general capabilities and experience that will underpin the organisations strategy and social impact.
To apply
People for Purpose is partnering with Many Rivers to lead the search for this role.
We invite you to read the Board Pack and review their annual reports and financial statements on their website.
Once you have absorbed this information and completed your own research, if you have specific questions, please call us on 0468 625 252 or email [email protected]
Your application will include your CV, as well as a cover letter outlining how your skills and experience align with this opportunity and why you are interested in joining Many Rivers. A considered cover letter will be an important part of your application.
Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday 31st July.
If you are viewing this opportunity via LinkedIn, we invite you to visit the People for Purpose website under Executive Search at www.peopleforpurpose.com.au for further information.