Volunteer Board Job Posting
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 may be required for committee work.
Posting date: August 1, 2024
Application deadline: August 30, 2024
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.
Currently huge numbers of individuals, families and communities are struggling in unprecedented ways to cope with an opiate crisis and other crippling substance addictions. The challenge for services trying to address these needs is immense. Consequently, Breakaway is needing to recruit multiple areas of expertise for its Board of Directors to provide the strategic guidance needed to ensure the organization’s critical services are able to effectively support our clients coping with these crises.
Specifically, our Mission is to provide comprehensive addictions treatment programs designed to meet individual and community needs that enhance the health of our clients through a harm reduction and trauma-informed approach. Currently Breakaway offers a range of services including: opiate replacement therapy; individual, group and family counselling; supportive housing; community outreach programs; supports for people who have pets; grief and loss services for workers; and LGBTQ++ specific services.
All services are provided free and confidentially, and are offered through community-based facilities or via 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, Federal Government (SUAP and PHAC) and private donations and 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
- Previous volunteer board experience is a plus but not a strict requirement
- Diversity of life experience, identities and social locations
Breakaway Community Services is strongly committed to the principles of equity and anti-oppression. We encourage people from frequently under represented 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.