Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering with us.
As a non-profit organization, we have limited funds and therefore rely a lot on
volunteer-work and donations to keep our Centre running as smoothly as it does
today. Please find
below some answers to the most frequently asked questions:
What is a Board of
Directors?
According to the Corporate Registry and the Society Act of BC, every non-profit
organization must have a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board Members are
members of the organization (holding a valid membership) who are elected at the
Annual General Meeting to fulfill the legal requirements of the Society. The
Board of Directors works closely with staff who are responsible for the day to
day running of the organization.
Our Board members also act as ambassadors for our organization, both in-house as
well as out in the community.
How much time should
I be prepared to spend on my tasks as a Board member?
It is expected that Board members attend a 2 hour Board meeting each month as
well as 1 or more committee meetings. Depending on which committees you’ve
signed up for and what responsibilities you’ve taken on as an individual, you
may be looking at a time commitment of 5 to 8 hours per month.
What are the
different committees?
 |
-
Fundraising Committee: works hard to get enough funding to keep our programs
running
|
|
* Garden of Giving Committee
* Membership Committee
*
Holiday Party Committee: organizes the annual Holiday Party
* Canada Day Party Committee: organizes the annual Canada Day Party |
|
-
Personnel Committee: handles all personnel related issues, procedures manuals,
etc |
|
-
Strategic Planning Committee: looks at the long term vision and goals for the
organization |
|
- Communications Committee: updates
the website, facebook page, emails to membership as well as prepares
newsletter 4x/year |
|
- Board Development Committee: tries
to find the right people to join the Board based on skills needed + creating a
stimulating and fun experience for Board members |
It is expected that each Board member joins at least 1 of the Fundraising
committees as well as 1 of the other
committees, in order to share the workload as much as possible.
Certain tasks can also be done by volunteers who prefer not to be a Board member
but want to help out, e.g. Holiday party decorations, taking pictures for the
newsletter/web, …
What is the term expectation for new Board members?
For consistency and continuity we expect a commitment of at least two
years from new Board members.
What skills should I
have to become a Board member?
We can
use a very wide range of skills on our Board; people with graphic design skills,
an event-planning background, a fundraising interest/background, a financial
background but we’re mainly looking for
enthusiastic people with a heart for the families in our community.
Why should I become a
Board member?
Because it’s a great experience!
As a volunteer you’ll get to work together with a group of amazing, creative and
multi talented people. You will have the chance to learn about how a non-profit
organization works and runs efficiently; you may also get the chance to hone
your leadership and delegation skills as a committee chair or executive member.
And you get the satisfaction of giving back to a program that does wonderful
things for the community and perhaps has made a difference in your life.
Another positive thing is that childcare is provided at the regular board
meetings each month and we take turns cooking and chairing the meetings. So you
get to learn how to lead the group and taste a variety of new foods, although
take out works just as well too. (A $30 reimbursement is provided for food
expenses if needed.)
Please let us know if you have any other questions,
we look forward hearing from you!
