Expressions of Interest are now open for First Nations Foundation’s (FNF) 2 day On Country Mentor’s training being held in Melbourne, Victoria in September 2025. The training equips financial counsellors, capability workers and community sector professionals to deliver culturally designed financial literacy training to their First Nations clients and community.

Mentor Prerequisites:

Do you work directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?  
Do you have capacity to facilitate workshops and/or have conversations about good money habits with clients in addition to your general duties? 
Are you committed to providing attendance information and feedback via online survey data to FNF quarterly? 
Are you available to attend a 2 day in person workshop on the 16th - 18th September 2025 in Melbourne to be accredited? 
Do you have or are you willing to get a Working with Children check in the states and/or territories where you work? *Note this may or may not be required depending on the cohorts you work with.
Are you able to cover the cost of your travel to attend the training? If you're unable to cover the cost, please complete the relevant section on the EOI form and a FNF team member will be in touch.

*Note: there is no requirement for Mentors to identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. We do however require successful applicants to demonstrate that they engage on a day-to-day basis with First Nations clients or students and have the relationships to provide this type of support.

Before training

On acceptance into an upcoming Mentor training, participants will be provided with pre-reading materials, and will be expected to have completed the online My Money Dream modules prior to attending the 2 day training.

Learning Objectives

The Financial Fitness Mentor program upskills and provides ongoing coaching to participants using FNF’s Financial Fitness training, enabling them to conduct similar workshops within their workplace and community.

Focusing on cultural immersion, strength-based learning and open discussions about money and breaking down barriers. Participants will also have access to a facilitator guide designed to support:

One-on-one money conversations with community members
Delivery of money management workshops
Assisting community members with their monthly budgets
Assisting community members to set and achieve money goals

On Country 2-day Mentor training format

A critical focus for FNF in the delivery of this Mentor training is to ensure that it is embedded in culture. Noting that not all Mentor participants will identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, we will commence the session with a cultural activity and welcome from local Traditional Owners.

Participants will then be taken through FNF’s Culture and Money (cultural competency) training, the Financial Fitness program, and then Facilitator training. They will then be assessed on their capability by grouping up to facilitate a module of the Financial Fitness training to the broader training group. 

FNF will provide the following:

Accommodation for 2 nights
Cultural Tour with Traditional Owner groups
Catering (on training days)
Access to FNF’s On Country Mentor resource portal including facilitation materials
Workshop venue
All pre-training requirements and impact surveys
Certificate of accreditation
Opportunity to order a FNF polo shirt designed specifically for Financial Fitness Mentors to wear while delivering the program in their communities

FNF support post Mentor training

FNF’s program managers will maintain close working relationships with all Mentors, ensuring they have the resources and support they need to succeed in running workshops and having one-on-one conversations with community members about finances and money habits.

Our team will facilitate regular coaching calls with accredited Mentors to provide support around specific challenges their community may be facing, and to seek feedback about new resources they may need. This will also be a good opportunity to get anecdotal feedback about the effectiveness of the training in their community and how many people have been helped.

Data collection

As part of receiving the Mentor training and access to FNF’s suite of resources, we ask Mentors for their commitment to data collection.

Each Mentor will provide a quarterly breakdown of number of workshops or conversations facilitated, workshop attendance (if applicable), number of survey forms completed by clients. They will also provide a brief overview of their own personal feedback as to what’s working, what challenges they are facing and what FNF could do better to support them.

Reaccreditation

At the 12 month point from the initial Mentor workshop, Mentors will be required to participate in an online refresher workshop, where they will be taken through any updated materials, further industry knowledge and hear from guest speakers in relevant fields. Failure to participate in this refresher will forfeit their access to the portal resources.

Every 2 years, Mentors will be required to attend an in-person re-accreditation workshop facilitated by FNF program managers, where the focus will be on workshop delivery, networking, and an assessment of facilitation skills.

Deliverables

By participating in this program, you’re agreeing to the following deliverables.

• Facilitate a minimum of two (2) Financial Fitness workshops per calendar year in your community. These workshops can only delivered by the Mentor who has participated in FNF's Train the Trainer program.

• You will measure the impact of Financial Fitness workshops you deliver using the survey links provided by FNF.

• You are willing to enter into an agreement with First Nations Foundation Ltd to ensure the quality of program delivery meets the standards set out by First Nations Foundation Ltd and that the ownership of all intellectual property related to the My Money Dream, Financial Fitness and On Country programs is retained by First Nations Foundation Ltd.