IAVGO Volunteer Board Member - Treasurer

IAVGO Board Member Job Description

Position: Volunteer Board Member - Treasurer

Part-time: 2-3 hours/month (committee meetings, board meetings, preparation, consultation)

Term: 1 year (elected annually at the Annual General Meeting)

The IAVGO Community Legal clinic is seeking an additional Board Member to act as Treasurer for their Board of Directors, to start as soon as possible. Onboarding and related training will be provided, but applicants are expected to have relevant skills in finance and/or accounting.

IAVGO is a charitable not-for-profit community-based legal clinic that has provided free legal services to injured workers in Ontario since 1975. We are funded by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) and strive to deliver justice and compensation for injured workers, uphold and improve injured worker laws in Ontario, and build awareness and share knowledge about the issues facing precarious injured workers. We also house a student legal aid clinic, Advocates for Injured Workers.

Our mission encompasses not only direct representation but also community development, public legal education, and advocacy for systemic change. We address the root causes of legal issues, empowering vulnerable workers and their families with the knowledge and support they need. With a focus on building awareness and improving laws for precarious and migrant workers, IAVGO strives to create positive outcomes for those who need it most. Since 2005, IAVGO has also prioritized and developed expertise in the cases of migrant farmworkers due to the systemic barriers and discriminatory policies they face.

If interested in applying for this treasurer position, please contact Dora Chan at: dora.chan@iavgo.clcj.ca. You will be provided with an application questionnaire, to be completed and submitted along with your resume.

Accountability

The Board of Directors is collectively accountable for the organization’s performance in respect to the mission and objectives of the organization. The Directors are accountable to the clinic members, key stakeholders and the injured worker community in general.

Authority

Board members have no authority to act individually in the direction of staff and volunteers or to act as spokesperson for the organization unless specifically given such authority by the board.

Responsibilities

Board members are responsible for the effective governance of the organization by applying LAO’s policies, as they apply to community legal clinics, and ensure that the rules of the Law Society are followed. Board members are also responsible for protecting the core values of the clinic and ensuring that the clinic’s mission and objectives are carried out.

General Duties

• Prepare for and attend board meetings on a regular basis
• Participate in annual and strategic planning for the clinic
• Monitor the performance of the clinic in relation to the clinic’s plans
• Read and understand the financial statements and funding system
• Review, clarify and amend the mission and objectives of the clinic
• Develop, amend and approve by-laws and governing policies
• Participate in hiring/firing of staff
• Participate in the recruitment of new board members
• Be a member of a least one committee

Duties as Treasurer

• Sit on the Admin./Finance Committee (includes attending monthly meetings)
• Work with the Clinic Coordinator in overseeing clinic’s finances:
  • Review monthly financial statements
  • Review quarterly financial statements
  • Review draft audited statements
• Provide a financial report to the Board at bi-monthly meetings

Working Style

• Work as a team member and support board decisions
• Keep informed about or up-to-date on relevant community and clinic system issues
• Make available his/her knowledge and experience for the benefit of the organization
• Demonstrate and encourage innovative thinking
• Question and probe in a positive and constructive manner

Qualifications

Key job qualifications:

• Specific skill-set in finance and/or accounting
• Knowledge of the injured worker community
• Commitment to the clinic’s mission
• Time (as required)
• Openness to learning