Board of Directors - Treasurer
About WISH
WISH Drop-In Centre Society (WISH) is the largest sex worker support organization in Canada and is located on the unceded, stolen lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. For 40 years, WISH has been a refuge and an essential point of contact for street-based sex workers in Vancouver. Based in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, WISH's connection to the land is central to the work we do and our efforts to decolonize that work.
WISH is a sector leader with an incredibly committed team of staff and volunteers excited to deliver on their mission through partnership, collaboration, and program and service innovation that brings together people, land based practices, ideas, systems, processes and technology.
WISH exists so women, trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary sex workers can live and work on their own terms, free from violence, judgment and rescue. We create space for safety and connection by centring street-based voices within our community. We envision a world where every sex worker lives and works in safety, dignity and self-determination.
WISH is committed to the following core positions:
- Rights, not rescue.
- Accountability builds trust.
- Harm reduction is essential.
- Autonomy always.
- Safety is the floor, not the ceiling.
- Care is collective.
- Centring lived experience.
- Decolonization is practice, not promise.
About the Board
WISH’s Board of Directors are responsible for providing governance and strategic direction for WISH, a registered charitable organization. Board members bring diverse and varied skills, expertise, and competencies - including sex worker rights and advocacy, policy, fundraising, donor and governmental relations, human resources, and finance - to support WISH’s strategic objectives.
Board members' values must align with WISH’s vision, purpose and core commitments. They also possess a significant understanding and knowledge of systemic barriers and oppression rooted in colonization, racism, transphobia, classism, misogyny, moralism, ableism and the ways that these systems negatively impact sex workers.
Come join the largest sex worker support organization in Canada alongside a team that centers a strong intersectional feminist, anti-racism and anti-oppression lens, with a voice that is trauma-informed!
Treasurer Position
WISH is currently seeking, amongst other roles, a Treasurer. A Board member’s tenure is a minimum of two years and a maximum of six years.
As Chair of the Finance committee, role responsibilities include:
1. Governance & Fiscal Oversight
- Policy Development: Lead the board in establishing and reviewing high-level financial policies
- Budget Approval Support: Oversee the development, board review, and approval of the annual budget.
- Lead the board in understanding the organization’s financial health, identifying financial risks, and planning for long-term sustainability.
- Review monthly and quarterly financial statements prepared by staff, distilling key metrics into high-level insights for the full board.
2. Audit, Assurance & Compliance
- External Audit Leadership: Serve as the primary liaison between the independent auditing firm and the board, overseeing the annual external audit process and presenting the final audited financials to the board.
3. Strategic Advisory
- Act as a strategic sounding board for the Board Chair and Executive Director on long-term financial sustainability and capital allocation.
- Ensure the full board possesses the necessary financial literacy to make informed decisions.
- Serve as the Chair of the Finance Committee.
- Advise the Executive Director and finance staff on bookkeeping practices, cash flow management, and investment strategies.
- Translate complex financial data into strategic insights to help the board make informed decisions about program expansions or fundraising goals.
- Present Financial results at annual general meeting
Time Commitment & Terms
Board members attend regular monthly virtual meetings as a group, as well as additional committee meetings and other periodic requirements such as the annual general meeting, town halls and strategic planning sessions. On average, the time commitment expected of a Board member ranges from 5-10 hours per month.
WISH Encourages Applications from:
- Those with applicable hard skills or expertise in the following Financial Planning, Controllership or Treasurer Experience
- Those who have lived experience as a sex worker
- Indigenous people
- Black people
- People with other racialized identities
- Persons with disabilities
- Those who have familiarity with the Downtown Eastside
- Those who reside in the Lower Mainland/Vancouver
How to Apply
Interested applicants can apply by email to wishboard@wishdropincentre.org. Please send an expression of interest that lets us know why you want to join the Board at WISH and what you feel you will bring to the organization. If you have a resume, you’re also encouraged to share this. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis as received up until August 31, 2026 at 12:00pm (PST).
We thank everyone for their expression of interest, however, only those who have been selected to participate in our pre-screening process will be contacted. WISH is committed to providing accommodation upon request during the pre-screening process. If you require accommodation during this process, please contact us at wishboard@wishdropincentre.org.
Required career level
- Executive/Leadership
- Volunteer
Required skills
- Economic knowledge
- Financial Planning
- Controllership
- Treasurer