Board of Directors - General Director (Volunteer)

Board of Directors: General Director (2-3 Positions)

Note: This is a volunteer position. No financial compensation is offered.

About The Toronto Local Charity

The Toronto Local Charity (TLC) empowers young people ages 16-29 in the Greater Toronto Area to break the cycle of poverty through our Success Accelerator programs. We provide life skills training, mental health and wellness support, leadership development, and enhanced access to technology – all delivered through a trauma-informed, dignity-focused approach that positions youth as having agency in their own transformation.

Our Distinctive Approach: We focus on mindset transformation rather than traditional service delivery, helping young people examine their relationship with challenges and shift how they see themselves and their potential. Because we know that no one heals alone.

Where We Are Now

TLC is at an exciting inflection point. Over the past year, we built strong systems, processes, and infrastructure that have enabled us to serve 185+ youth with significantly less funding than the previous year. We’re now ready to scale.

With the foundation in place, our limiting factor is capacity—we need passionate, committed board members to help us leverage this infrastructure to expand our impact across the GTA.

Why We Need You

We’re recruiting 2-3 General Directors to join our Board. As a small but mighty team of 3-4 active board members, we need additional capacity to share the work of governance, fundraising, and strategic leadership. This is a hands-on board where members actively take ownership of initiatives between meetings and drive them to completion.

We’re looking for individuals who bring one or more of these priority skills:

Priority Skills & Expertise:

Fundraising ⭐ Critical Need

• Grant writing and foundation relations
• Major donor cultivation and stewardship
• Corporate sponsorship development
• Individual donor campaigns and recurring giving programs
• Fundraising strategy and campaign planning

Board Governance & Risk Management

• Nonprofit governance best practices and compliance
• Fiduciary oversight and financial stewardship
• Risk assessment and mitigation
• Policy development and strategic planning

Communications & Community Engagement

• Strategic guidance for social media and digital campaigns
• Media relations and public awareness initiatives
• Community partnership development
• Brand storytelling and advocacy

Strong Project Management & Execution

• Ability to take ownership of action items and drive them to completion
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Cross-functional collaboration skills
• Results-oriented execution
• Strong professional or community networks

Position Overview

General Directors serve as Board members with shared responsibility for overall governance, strategic planning, and fiduciary oversight. Working collaboratively with the Executive Director and fellow Board members, you’ll help guide TLC toward achieving our mission and vision.

Current Board Composition: 3-4 active members (expanding to 6-8 total)
Meeting Frequency: Every 8 weeks
Term Length: 2-2.5 years
Reports to: Board Chair

Key Responsibilities

All Board Members:

Governance & Strategic Oversight

• Help set and refine TLC’s strategic direction: Mission, Vision, Values
• Monitor organizational performance against strategic goals
• Review financial information to ensure fiscal responsibility
• Assess and mitigate organizational risks
• Ensure activities are legal and in the organization’s best interests

Active Participation & Ownership

• Attend board meetings (every 8 weeks, transitioning to quarterly)
• Participate in sub-committee work based on your expertise
• Take ownership of action items and drive them to completion between meetings
• Communicate responsively via email and Slack
• Be prepared to roll up your sleeves—this is a working board, not a ceremonial role

Ambassadorship & Network Building

• Advocate for TLC within your personal and professional networks
• Help expand stakeholder and partnership opportunities
• Represent TLC’s mission and values in the community

Based on Your Expertise:

If you bring fundraising experience:

• Lead or contribute to fundraising strategy development and implementation
• Identify and cultivate funding sources (individual, corporate, foundation, government)
• Guide the fundraising cycle from prospect identification through stewardship
• Leverage personal and professional networks for fundraising opportunities
• Support and mentor team members in fundraising activities

If you bring governance experience:

• Strengthen board policies, procedures, and compliance frameworks
• Lead risk assessment and mitigation efforts
• Provide fiduciary oversight and financial stewardship guidance
• Mentor newer board members on governance best practices

If you bring communications/PR experience:

• Lead and guide team members on campaigns like Voices of Resilience
• Provide strategic direction on social media engagement and reach expansion
• Take campaign oversight responsibility off Executive Director’s plate
• Support media relations and public awareness strategy development

If you bring strong project management skills:

• Take ownership of key organizational initiatives and drive them forward
• Coordinate cross-functional efforts and keep projects on track
• Help translate strategy into executable action plans
• Support the board in maintaining momentum on priorities

What We're Looking For

Essential Qualities:

• Commitment to TLC’s mission of youth empowerment and dignity
• Collaborative approach—works well with diverse perspectives
• Action-oriented—takes ownership and follows through on commitments
• Strategic thinking ability to contribute to long-term planning
• Integrity in financial stewardship and transparent disclosure of conflicts of interest
• Availability for hands-on board engagement between meetings

Highly Valued:

• Demonstrated success in your area of expertise (fundraising, governance, communications, project management)
• Existing networks that could benefit TLC’s mission
• Nonprofit board experience (or eagerness to learn)
• Passion for youth development, mental health, or technology access
• Connection to the GTA communities we serve
• Lived experience with poverty, mental health challenges, or youth development (valued but not required)

Board Expectations

This is a hands-on, working board where members actively contribute between meetings:

✅ Attendance: Board meetings every 8 weeks (transitioning to quarterly)
✅ Sub-committee work: Active participation based on your expertise
✅ Responsiveness: Timely communication via email and Slack
✅ Ownership: Take action items between meetings and drive them to completion
✅ Ambassadorship: Share TLC’s work within your networks
✅ Mission alignment: Personal commitment to our values and trauma-informed approach
✅ Transparency: Disclose any conflicts of interest promptly

Timeline & Application Process

Application Deadline: Rolling basis through Q1 2026 (we reserve the right to close early if strong candidates are identified)

Interview Process:

• Selected candidates will be interviewed virtually with Board representatives
• Recommended candidates will stand for election at the next scheduled board meeting

Start Date: As soon as possible following election

Apply Now

Ready To Make A Difference?

We’re looking for people who believe that every young person deserves the resources, inspiration, and courage to pursue their full potential – and who are ready to roll up their sleeves to make that vision a reality.

If you bring fundraising expertise, governance experience, communications capabilities, or strong project management skills, and you’re passionate about youth empowerment through mindset transformation, we want to hear from you.

Questions? Contact us at laney@thelocalcharity.com

Charitable Registration Number: 80828 4442 RR0001

Learn about our youth programs at www.successaccelerator.ca or our main website at www.thelocalcharity.com