ARCHIVED VERSION Sponsorship & Community-Led Support in Practice

Fundraising & Banking

Mentor groups are responsible for ensuring compliance with any applicable laws or regulations with respect to fundraising and other group activities. Here are some resources that explain some of the applicable rules in Australia with respect to fundraising:

• Funding Centre – Fundraising legislation and regulations
• Not-for-profit Law – Fundraising and holding events
• Armidale Sanctuary Group has shared a helpful resource on ‘Setting up Administration for Fundraising’.
• Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative – Sponsorship School: Financing Sponsorship

We’ve also developed a helpful resource for setting up a bank account for your group

Remember to read and consider the terms and conditions of any fundraising platforms that you use (eg GoFundMe or Facebook Fundraising).

Insurance & Risk Management

The information contained in this document about risk and insurance is not legal advice but rather a tool to help program groups form a general understanding of how CRSA’s programs approach the question of ‘risk’ and the existence of  certain umbrella insurance policies arranged by CRSA. For more detail, read about policy schedules and policy wording. We encourage groups to familiarise themselves with these policies, noting that like all insurance policies they contain conditions and exclusions and do not cover all potential risks. 

Please read CRSA’s ‘Risk Management & Insurance information for mentor groups’ for further information, policy schedules and wording.

Incorporation Toolkit (for groups based in NSW or Victoria)

These guides have been developed to assist groups of volunteers involved in programs coordinated or supported by Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) who would like to, or are required to, form a legal entity to pursue their work.

• For groups based in NSW, you can download the Incorporation Toolkit (NSW) here.
• For groups based in Victoria, you can download the Incorporation Toolkit (Vic) here.

CRSA is working towards developing similar toolkits for other Australian states and territories.

Global Sponsorship Resources

• • Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative – refugeesponsorship.org/
    • Online Learning Resource (free registration required) – Preparing to welcome refugees
  • (Canada) Refugee Sponsorship Training Program
    • Training Guides (includes Supporting Settlement & Integration, Crosscultural Awareness and Conflict Management & Resolution)
    • Past Webinars (includes Supporting Settlement & Integration, Preserving & Improving the Mental Health of Refugees, their Sponsors & Supporters, Vicarious Trauma and Communicating across Cultures)
    • Best Practices
  • (NZ) Nick Regnault, Welcoming the Stranger: Signposts for Building Bridges and Making Peace, Wellington: Philip Garside Publishing Ltd, 2019 (extracts available here ‘Signpost’ Extracts-from-N-Regnault-Welcoming-the-Stranger
  • (UK) – Reset – resetuk.org
  • (UK) – Reset – Training communities to support refugees

Resources Developed by Australian Groups

• • Adelaide City Mentoring Group – Checklist 1: Your First Meeting with Mentees
  • Adelaide City Mentoring Group – Checklist 2: Personal Documentation
  • Adelaide City Mentoring Group – Checklist 3: Managing Gifting
  • Murray Valley Sanctuary Refugee Group – Policies and Procedures (includes privacy (pp 11-13), risk management and insurances (pp 14-20), settlement process (pp 33-53), settlement task list (pp 65-68), good practice guide (pp 61-64), driving (pp 70-75))
  • Armidale Sanctuary Humanitarian Settlement Inc – Settlement Procedures
  • Armidale Sanctuary – Setting up Administration for Fundraising
  • Ballina Region for Refugees – Homestay Program (includes trauma (pp 10-14) and cultural awareness (pp 15-24)
  • Ballina Refugee Settlement Support Group – Resource Kit

General Settlement

• • Australian Government Department of Social Services – Beginning a Life in Australia (includes post-arrival, English, Education & Training, Employment, Housing, Transport, Health & Wellbeing, Family, Civic Participation)
  • Australian Government Department of Home Affairs – Key settlement topics (includes Employment, Education & Training, Health & Wellbeing, Money, Transport, Housing, Civic Participation, Language Services)
  • Settlement Council of Australia – Settlement Best Practice
  • SBS – Settlement Guide
  • Red Cross Australia – Preparing for Emergencies
    • Find information flyers and videos in languages other than English – Emergency Preparedness Resources

Strengths Based Approach

• • NSW Government Family & Community Services – Refugee Resettlement Workbook (pp 69-86)

Settlement Services

• • Australian Government Department of Home Affairs – Humanitarian Settlement Program
    • Specialised and Intensive Services (includes TPV/SHEV and permanent Protection visa holders)
    • Settlement Engagement and Transition Support – Client Services
    • List of Basic Household Goods required to be provided by HSP providers to refugees setting up their new homes
  • (NSW) – Multicultural NSW – New Arrivals to NSW (includes Community, Health, Transport & Driving, Housing, Education & Employment)
    • Humanitarian Entrants (includes General Support, Settlement Services, Service Providers, Language Services, Health Services)
  • Refugee Council of Australia – Service directories for refugees and people seeking asylum

Regional Settlement

• • Australian Government Department of Social Services – Guide to Supporting Settlement in Regional Australia
  • Regional Australia Institute – Steps to Settlement Success: A Toolkit for Rural and Regional Communities
  • Regional Australia Institute – Regional Development & Migration Network (Facebook group)
  • City to Country Project – The Right Fit: Attracting and retaining newcomers in regional towns