GET INVOLVED Career Opportunities

Board of Directors, Volunteer Director

POSITION TITLE:  Board of Directors, Volunteer Director
REPORTS TO: Board Chair
LOCATION: Calgary, Alberta
   

Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society, established in 1980 (“Discovery House”) provides a continuum of care to women and their children fleeing domestic violence. The Society facilitates transitional housing – offering longer-term, safe places for women and children to call home while they begin to rebuild their lives.  Discovery House provides women access to counselling support and programs to ensure they never return to abusive partners, and mitigates the effects of trauma in children to prevent the cycle from repeating.

Discovery House is about hope and healing. Every woman and child who stays at Discovery House is partnered with a case manager, and receives integrated wrap-around services, including:

Essentials: relocation, transportation, food, clothing and other basic needs.

Support: trauma-informed counselling, programming, and clinical services.

Quality of life experiences: opportunities to foster their value as members of the community.

Additionally, Discovery House collaborates with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, university research institutes (including Harvard and the University of Pittsburgh), and other community partners to drive transformational social change.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) is the legal authority for Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society (“Discovery House”).  As a member of the Board, a Director acts in a position of trust and is collectively responsible with other directors for the effective governance of Discovery House.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The primary responsibility of the Board is to set the vision and mission for Discovery House and to put in place the strategy and the policies to see them realized. 

Responsibilities of individual Directors include the following:

1. Understand, support and champion the vision, mission and philosophy of Discovery House;

2. Understand the fiduciary and other duties of a not-for-profit policy board and to act in accordance with those duties, including:

• Exercise the duty of care owed to Discovery House and to the community;

• Act with diligence in all matters affecting the affairs of Discovery House;

• Uphold the public interest; and

• Follow the Board’s Conflict of Interest Policy and annually sign the declaration;

1. Participate in the development of high-level strategies for Discovery House and review annually;

2. Review Board and committee material prior to meetings and attend and participate at regularly scheduled meetings;

3. Volunteer for and willingly accept assignments and complete tasks thoroughly and in a timely manner;

4. Support the process set by the Board in evaluating the performance of the Executive Director;

5. Act within the roles and responsibilities of a Board and not cross into the roles and responsibilities of management and staff members;

6. Promote a positive working relationship among the Board, committees, staff and community partners; and

7. Speak as one voice with the other Directors of the Board to external stakeholders and the community at large.

Responsibilities of the Directors as a collective include:

1. Review and monitor Board polices and bylaws and be satisfied that they are in compliance with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements;

2. Monitor Board polices and bylaws and, where appropriate, recommend changes;

3. Review and approve relevant policy brought to the Board by committees and senior staff;

4. Review the structure and composition of the Board and, where appropriate, recommend and/or approve changes;

5. Review and approve Discovery House’s strategic plan and monitor its implementation; and

6. Review Discovery House’s financial statements and be satisfied that such statements present fairly the results of operations, cash flows and financial position of Discovery House.

REQUIREMENTS:

Requirements of Board membership include:

1. Commitment to the work, vision, mission and values of Discovery House;

2. Attendance at regularly scheduled Board meetings;

3. Knowledge and skills in one or more areas of:  board governance, policy development, financial oversight, fundraising, programming, human resources, community relations, advocacy or any other area that may be determined by the Board to be relevant to the work or operations of Discovery House;

4. Willingness to serve on committees and attendance at meetings of assigned committees;

5. Attendance at Annual General Meeting or other meetings of membership;

6. Support of, and participation in, fundraising and other events; and

7. Commitment in the form of an annual, personal gift to Discovery House.

TERM:

Members of the Board of Directors are elected by the membership at the annual general meeting. Directors serve for a three (3) year term with the option to serve one (1) additional three (3) year term upon completion of the first and with the approval of the Board.

We are specifically seeking volunteers who have experience in any of the following areas:

• Indigenous Relations/Culture

• Government Relations

• Media, Marketing and Communications

• Fundraising

• Domestic Violence Sector

• Cultural Inclusivity

• Legal

If you feel that you are the person we are looking for, we want to hear from you!

TO APPLY:

Please send your resume and cover letter to careers@discoveryhouse.ca stating Board of Director in the subject line.

We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Discovery House is a committed equal opportunity employer. We acknowledge that we are situated on the Traditional Territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Siksika, the North and South Piikuni Nations, and the Kainai Tribe, including other members of Treaty Seven First Nations the Tsuut’ina Nation, and the three Bands of the Stone Nakoda Nations; Chiniki, Wesley, and Bearspaw. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III, and all those who have made their home in this area.