Position Title: Member of the Board of Directors
Hours: Board members should be available for a 2-hour evening meeting every 4th Monday of the month. Additional hours are required for committee work.
Posting date: September 11, 2025
Closing: October 3, 2025
Organization Summary:
Breakaway Community Services is a non-profit community agency mandated to provide harm reduction-based substance use treatment services across Toronto. Our office is located in the Parkdale neighborhood. We are a registered charitable organization. Charitable number: 891536344RR0001.
Currently, huge numbers of individuals, families and communities are struggling in unprecedented ways to cope with an opiate crisis and other crippling systemic issues. The challenge for services trying to address these needs is immense. Consequently, Breakaway needs to recruit individuals with multiple areas of expertise for its Board of Directors, to provide the strategic guidance necessary to ensure that the organization’s critical services effectively support clients coping with these crises.
Specifically, our Mission is a dedication to transforming lives through accessible, compassionate, trauma-informed harm reduction and mental health supports. We collaborate with individuals to overcome challenges, achieve their goals and thrive in a loving, open environment. Currently, Breakaway offers a range of services, including opiate replacement therapy, individual, group, and family counselling, supportive housing, community outreach programs, support for people with pets, grief and loss services for workers, and LGBTQ+ specific services.
All services are confidential and provided free. They are offered through community-based facilities or through street and community outreach. Our base funding is provided by Ontario Health. In addition, we rely on one-time funding from the City of Toronto (TUHF), the Federal Government (PHAC) and private donations and Family and Corporate foundations.
The Board of Directors have recently embarked on a comprehensive process to ensure meaningful representation, diversity and inclusion that reflects the city of Toronto. This commitment is reflected in all board decisions and planning.
Position Requirements:
- Willingness to contribute your expertise and to work in different areas of agency governance, including committee work, providing oversight and leadership, cultivating contacts and fundraising.
- Our Board of Directors holds the agency accountable to the public, including our clients and funders. Through activities such as strategic planning, policy making, reviewing financial statements, human resource strategizing, organizational development, and hiring and evaluating the performance of our Executive Director, the Board works to ensure the organization fulfills its service mandate and its legal, ethical, and financial obligations.
We are looking for and hoping to find committed Board candidates who possess the following professional training and expertise or lived experience in areas such as:
- Fundraising and capital campaigns
- Finance and banking
- Outcome measurement, evaluation, and research
- Legal expertise in areas of liability, non-profit governance or labour relations
- Web and information systems development and utilization
- Marketing industry for fundraising and organizational promotion
- Social media communications and promotion
- Human resources and labour relations
- Trauma-based assessment, service planning and delivery in the Harm Reduction sector
- Service utilization experience
Additional skills and experience of value:
- Leadership and critical thinking skills
- Ability to work effectively as part of a group or team
- Diversity of life experience, identities and social locations
- Previous volunteer board experience is a plus, but not a strict requirement
Breakaway Community Services is strongly committed to the principles of equity and anti-oppression. We encourage people from frequently underrepresented and marginalized communities to apply. We thank all applicants. However, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
To apply please e-mail a cover letter and resume to Nicola Bangham, Executive Director of Breakaway Community Services: [email protected] Feel free to contact Nicola with any questions before applying at [email protected]