The Arboretum
Consultant - FAQ

How is The Arboretum and Foresters Community Finance linked?

The Arboretum is a program funded and administered by Foresters Community Finance (Foresters). To a certain extent, the programmatic mission and values of The Arboretum are closely tied to that of Foresters.

Through its Community Asset Building Appraisal program and Social Enterprise Solutions, Foresters has seen a need for a dedicated resource which offers consultancy services to non-profit organisations and social enterprises. In realising that the success of its programs is in part dependant on capacity development within the organisations it works with, Foresters formed The Arboretum.

What kind of consultancy work is referred?

There is a substantial demand for organisational support around community asset and social enterprise development as key elements of community regeneration. This is core to the work of Foresters and The Arboretum.

A general list of expertise areas on offer through The Arboretum can be found on the overview page.

The Arboretum aims to make this expertise available in order to increase the capacity of non-profit organisations and social enterprises. Its impact will be measured in those terms: how has our support changed the quality of outcomes on the ground? Sometimes this impact will be directly visible at the local level, other times the impact may be in the form of better strategic thinking or more effective program management. Through our review process we will always ask what difference The Arboretum’s work makes to communities and neighbourhoods.

If I become a member of The Arboretum, am I guaranteed work?

Foresters is in a period of significant growth and demand for our services are high. We are most established in Queensland and Victoria but undertaking Australia-wide projects that will generate further demand for specialist consultants.

The Arboretum has a firm policy of always referring members where the skills fit the brief. When referring members, we aim to provide clients with 2-3 choices for consultants to undertake the proposed work. This allows individual organisations to choose which Arboretum consultant is the best fit for their organisation. We also prefer to use a local consultant where appropriate. This minimises the impact of travel as well as making the best use of local knowledge and local networks.

The Arboretum will closely monitor membership in each region so that members have a higher chance of work but also ensuring clients have adequate choices when engaging with The Arboretum.

Can I publicise the fact that I’m a Arboretum ‘Consultant Member’?

Yes, we have a specific logo that can be used; you can download it here. We do ask that you read and understand the usage guidelines when implementing it in your own marketing materials. We hope that you will promote your Arboretum membership, and believe you will find it helps your consultancy.

In addition, members of The Arboretum will be listed on the Foresters website via The Arboretum section. You will also be promoted to the non-profit and social enterprise sectors as a competent and trustworthy Arboretum consultant.

It is a great synergy to have our consultancy members networked together and promoted externally. We will be clear about our assessment and rating systems with clients and potential clients so that it becomes a benchmark for quality and grounded in our service delivery.

Can I bid against Foresters Community Finance for contracts?

Members of The Arboretum are completely free to compete against Foresters Community Finance for any particular contract.

For people who are already undertaking consultancy, or would like to, being an Arboretum member should be seen as a useful extra avenue, an opportunity to work on contracts for which they might not otherwise not have the opportunity to, and to work with a range of inspirational people.

For those who have the skills but not the time to tender for work, or who are developing their consultancy experience, it should be a useful chance to undertake some appropriate work without the time required to look for and project manage contracts.

What if I find the work myself but would like Foresters Community Finance to help in delivering it?

We welcome Arboretum members making suggestions for contracts we might be able to help to win, deliver and manage. We will negotiate with you a one-off finder’s commission of up to 15% of the contract surplus, in addition to fees for any consultancy which you provide to the project.

How much does it cost to be a member of The Arboretum?

• $440 annually for individual membership to The Arboretum
• $770 annually for corporate membership to The Arboretum

What other conditions exist for my membership?

• Participate in user review feedback processes
• Sign onto The Arboretum Code of Conduct

Do you monitor and review work done by The Arboretum members?

Yes. When you undertake consultancy work referred from The Arboretum, your performance on any contract undertaken will be reviewed through feedback from clients. This will allow us to provide a rating for each piece of work.

If for any reason, the feedback is negative, we will contact you in a timely manner to discuss the contract and provide the feedback to you.

Do you require The Arboretum members to have any insurance?

Foresters requires members of The Arboretum to have both public liability and professional indemnity insurance.