About volunteering FAQs

Why volunteer?

To create positive change in the world of investment, we need your help, your passion, and your ideas. Participating as a volunteer is one of the best and most impactful ways to contribute to our combined success.

Our members choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. Many want to give something back to the profession, or make a positive difference to those who are progressing through their career in investment. Others want to learn new skills or build on existing skills and experience. Whatever the motivation, our volunteers find it rewarding to be involved in building a better investment profession.

What is CFA UK's commitment to volunteering?

CFA UK recognises volunteers as an integral part of the organisation, the contribution of whom supports CFA UK to achieve its mission and strategic aims. All volunteers are supported by the staffed office to create positive impact within their role and develop themselves both personally and professionally. In order to provide this vital support, CFA UK is committed to delivering an organised and efficient volunteer experience that best uses the time of volunteers and CFA UK staff supporting them.

A volunteer role is primarily based on trust, mutual understanding, and a presumption of joint support and reliability. There is no enforceable obligation, contractual or otherwise, for volunteers to attend to or undertake particular tasks. Nor is CFA UK obliged to provide continuing opportunities for voluntary involvement, provision of training or benefits.

In what ways can I get involved as a volunteer?

Volunteers are involved in all activity at CFA UK. Volunteer groups include, but are not limited to the board, executive committees, steering committees, panels, working groups, special interest group leaders, next generation network leaders and Ambassadors.

As a volunteer within any of these groups, your role is to bring your knowledge, expertise and opinions to help set strategy, strategically plan or deliver key content outputs for CFA UK.


Where can I find out about volunteer roles to apply for?

CFA UK Connect - all current volunteer opportunities are listed here in Connect.  Read the role description and apply online.

CFA UK Newsletter - we keep you notified of current volunteer opportunities in our weekly communication

Social Media - follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter and stay up to date with what we are recruiting for

Register you interest in volunteering and speak to one of the volunteer team to find out more


How are volunteers recruited at CFA UK?

For a volunteering role to be successful, we understand that the needs of the organisation and the volunteer must match. We aim to ensure this through our recruitment and selection procedures and through monitoring and evaluating our volunteer programme. Preference for recruitment is given to CFA UK members applying for volunteering, unless a particular skill/technical knowledge is not available from members.

We have a clear recruitment process that makes it easy for people to choose and apply only for roles they are interested in.

Applying – all applicants will be asked to complete an application form and submit a CV. Our application form asks volunteers for consent to share their information for the purposes of volunteering.

Informal telephone call with the volunteer team to find out a little more about you, your skills and experience and your motivations to volunteer

Volunteer agreement form – volunteers will be asked to read and confirm a volunteer agreement form before being permitted to join a volunteer group. The agreement is, by definition, mutual and sets out what we will provide to the volunteer and, in turn, what the organisation expects from the volunteer. Agreements are not legally binding but demonstrate the intention of good practice.

Feedback – we will notify those who are not selected for a role, including the reasons why. Where possible, applicants who are not selected will be offered other more suitable roles

For more information, please ask the volunteer team for a copy of our full volunteer recruitment process


How much time is required to volunteer?

Volunteering opportunities with CFA UK are varied, from long-term regular commitments to short one-off individual or group projects. However you do it, it’s a chance to make a real difference. Some Steering Committees require up to 2 years committment whereas some working groups only require 6 weeks.

Whichever activity you’ve chosen to get involved in, we’ll ensure you understand the commitment and timeframe of each role you apply for. And you needn’t restrict yourself to just one activity – many of our volunteers get involved in a number of ways.

What are the personal benefits of volunteering?

• Enhance your career
• Raise your profile
• Increase your employability
• Contribute to the development of our educational qualifications and programmes and advocacy
• Help shape the future of the profession
• Network and collaborate with like-minded professionals in support of the investment community.
• Improve your leadership, interpersonal and communication skills
• Learn from others
• Access personal development training exclusively for volunteers
• Celebrate your success at our annual volunteer only recognition event


What can you expect and what is expected from you?

It’s important that both volunteers and CFA UK staff create a positive and collaborative working environment. This means being clear about what you can expect from us, and what we expect from you.

CFA UK will:
  1. Introduce you to how the organisation works and your role within it
  2. Provide the necessary information, training and assistance for you to fulfil your volunteer role
  3. Respect your skills and individual needs and to do our best to respond to these
  4. Celebrate success and recognise your contribution
  5. Welcome comments and suggestions from the volunteer regarding the ways in which we might improve how we perform our respective task
We ask volunteers to:
  1. Commit to our aims and values and be a positive advocate for CFA Society UK
  2. Perform your volunteer role to the best of your ability
  3. Respect and maintain confidentiality
  4. Support and act in accordance with our policies and procedures and guidance whilst volunteering with us
  5. Treat everyone you come into contact with through your role with dignity and respect, understanding that no form of harassment, bullying or discrimination will be tolerated
  6. Inform us of any medical conditions or support needs so we can make volunteering as easy and accessible for you
  7. Feel free to discuss any problems with the Volunteer Development Manager