Toronto Joy is Looking for 3 Founding Directors

It started as a small group in Toronto trying to make a hands-on difference for people facing barriers with food and other essentials. That's the work. Serving meals. Meeting essential needs. Showing up for people who need it. Doing it with the right intentions, and without judgment.

What we've noticed along the way is that serving does something for the people helping out too. They grow, in kindness, empathy, and joy. Separately, in a world where loneliness has become more common than most of us like to admit, coming together to do something meaningful eases that too, without us setting out to fix it directly. More than 1 in 10 Canadians now say they feel lonely often or always, according to Statistics Canada.

Right now we're building the foundation to do more of the serving, and more of the community that comes with it.

Toronto

Joy is a small group in the process of becoming a registered nonprofit under Ontario's ONCA, with a growing core of members who've taken the next step and signed up directly on torontojoy.org. We run a Community Service Program with Good Shepherd Ministries, and help connect volunteers to Fred Victor's ongoing program. We also host a weekly global online gathering called The Journey Home.

What we don't have yet is a board. That's where you come in.

Finishing incorporation and seating the board comes first.

We're looking for 3 Founding Directors to help build the governance side of Toronto Joy. You'd be helping shape that from the start.

The three seats

Secretary The role requires keeping our records straight, tracking filing deadlines, taking minutes, and helping onboard future directors.



We're looking for someone with experience keeping an organization's records or operations running smoothly. This matters right now, since we're mid-incorporation and staying compliant from day one is critical.

- Take and keep board minutes, properly approved and stored
- Track ONCA filing deadlines so nothing slips through
- Keep bylaws and incorporation documents organized and easy to find
- Help onboard new directors as the board grows

Governance & Legal Director For someone with legal experience and a solid understanding of governance, who can keep an eye on policy, risk, and compliance. This isn't our incorporation work, we already have counsel for that. This is ongoing oversight as we grow.

- Review contracts and partnership agreements before anything gets signed
- Flag legal or compliance risk early, and help build our governance policies
- Keep us on track with what ONCA requires, CRA rules, insurance, and volunteer waivers
- Help us think through employment and HR questions as we grow

Partnerships & Fundraising Lead For someone with qualified experience in partnerships or fundraising, whether that's a nonprofit looking for volunteers or a donor who believes in the cause. At our stage it's one skill:



finding people and organizations who want to be part of this, and keeping those relationships going. Active fundraising and partnership work starts once the board is seated.

- Find new partners and organizations, and build the relationship
- Nurture existing partner relationships so they last
- Liaise between Toronto Joy and partner orgs
- Tap into their own network to see how people or organizations might support us
- Bring fundraising best practices and help shape strategy as we grow

What this looks like

Board meetings once a month, currently held virtually. Expect roughly 7 to 10 hours a month. Ownership over the work between meetings. Initial term of 1 year, renewable, since this is a founding year for the board itself. Volunteer, like everything at Toronto Joy right now. D&O; and liability coverage are currently being put in place, and will be finalized once the board is complete.

Who we're looking for

Someone who wants to get in at the very start of something, and help shape it. Someone who believes in serving people for the right reasons. Someone based in Ontario.

If this sounds like you, hit Apply. Include which role you're drawn to and what relevant experience you'd bring.

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. If it looks like a fit, we'll reach out to set up a conversation.

Not the right fit for one of these three board seats? We're also building out volunteer and coordinator roles at Toronto Joy. Email [email protected], whether you're interested or just have questions.

More about us at torontojoy.org

Thank you. Looking forward to building this with you.

📌 Founding Board Member (Ontario)
🏢 Toronto Joy
📍 Ontario