Volunteering Overseas as an Accountant (#149)

In this podcast episode, we discuss the possibility of volunteering in a developing country as an accountant. Key points made are:

• We interviewed Neil Jennings, CEO of Accounting for International Development (AFID).

• AFID recruits volunteer accountants for small charities located in developing countries.

• AFID supports 150 charities in 28 developing countries. Locations are in west, central, and east Africa, as well as in southeast Asia, Nepal, Central America, and South America.

• They are looking for all types of accounting qualifications.

• Projects involve all types of local businesses, such as hospitals, schools, and forestry organizations.

• Targeted charities tend to have very little accounting expertise.

• The volunteer needs to assess the financial situations of their assigned charities, and then decide where improvements can be made. Most improvements are relatively simple, such as adding budgets, controls, and process improvements.