21 November 2019
Everything the IFoA does is directed by over 4,000 actuarial colleagues giving their time to volunteer for their profession. Make the most of your membership and get involved.
In the run-up to International Volunteer Day (5 December) we’re celebrating the 4,000+ volunteers who drive the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) forward and calling on all members – whatever their level of experience, whatever their practice area and wherever they are in the world – to get involved.
Without our volunteers, the IFoA would not be what it is today, nor would it be able to deliver on its current aims and objectives or be able to realise its Corporate Plan and Strategy.
But the contributions our volunteers make are often behind the scenes – not all heroes wear capes!
What do IFoA Volunteers do?
From promoting the profession as a career of choice for the next generations of students, to helping to push the boundaries of actuarial research, to presenting at conferences and events, shaping the future direction of the IFoA as a part of our “400 Club” or serving on our Council, our volunteers contribute in so many ways.
Our Directory of Opportunities illustrates the vast range of ways in which volunteers drive our profession forward.
Volunteers use the directory to identify a first volunteer role/task they would like to take on, or to identify a next step in their volunteer journey. Many volunteers seek an opportunity which has synergy with their day job, or find something they feel passionate about which they want to explore.
Members who identify something that is of interest to them can contact the IFoA and ask to be notified next time such an opportunity arises.
For the majority of opportunities, location is not a barrier; indeed, 25% of our volunteers are now based outside the UK. Many delivering their volunteer role locally and others getting involved remotely using a range of digital collaborative tools to make tangible contributions wherever they are based in the world.
Becoming an IFoA volunteer
If you would like to get involved in supporting the IFoA as a volunteer, we would love to hear from you.
Members frequently tell us of the benefits they gain from volunteering for the IFoA. Not just in terms of ‘giving back to the profession’, but also as a personal and professional learning and networking opportunity, helping to raise their profile, gain new skills, increase their network and delivering many other tangible benefits to those who are involved.
If you would like to find out more about volunteering for the IFoA, to request your volunteer recognition pin, or digital badge, to nominate someone for an outstanding contribution, or to request to be notified when a particular opportunity arises, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Engagement.
Get involved
View our volunteer opportunities
There are a wide range of volunteer vacancies available on our website.
Volunteering for the 400 Club
And finally, if you would like to get involved but do not have much time to spare, a great place to start is by volunteering to join our IFoA 400 Club – our pioneering online feedback group for members of the IFoA – or the IFoA Buddy system. All members of the IFoA, at any stage in your membership and career and from any location, are eligible to volunteer for the 400 Club and the time commitment is very small, but the impact and ability to have your voice heard is significant.
Here is what two members said about their involvement in the 400 Club:
“I feel that the 400 Club is a great tool that allows me and fellow students to actively support and shape the future of the profession.”
“As an actuary away from London and immersed in client work, it has sometimes felt like I’ve had no say in Institute/Faculty matters, despite being a long standing member of the profession. Often, I’ve been so busy that something new has happened which affects me yet I’ve had no obvious means of having an opinion and no time to do it anyway. Therefore the 400 Club has been a really satisfying way of having some structured input into the IFoA.”