Description The Merit Award Bursary Program is a leading contributor of recognition and financial awards to senior secondary school students in high-needs GTA schools. Merit is committed to empowering youth of all abilities to pursue advancement through education and to contribute to their communities. Merit also strives to support students through non-financial initiatives, such as mentorship programs, job skills and career development workshops.

Merit was established in 1996 by a group of Toronto residents who believed in the importance of supporting and inspiring grade 11 and 12 high school students to stay in school and pursue college or university. Merit is led by a Board of 13 Directors, and we have more than 150 volunteers involved in our program. We believe all students should have equal access to post-secondary education, regardless of where they live, their life circumstances, or household income.

The GTA is gifted with a diverse population and education is the key to successful communities.

Industry

Nonprofit Organization Management – Education-Related Charity

Position

Job Title: Volunteer Board Member

Employment Type

Volunteer Board Member

The Merit Award Bursary Program seeks a board member with experience in education, fundraising and/or advocacy with a personal commitment to opening doors to post-secondary education for youth in the GTA.

The board of Merit is a volunteer board. Members are not paid and dedicate their time and expertise to support our organization and its mission and collective purpose.

Expectations of Individual Board Members

We expect each board member to:

- Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs.




- Read and understand the organization’s financial statements and board materials in advance of monthly board meetings
- Serve as an active advocate and ambassador and fully engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for Merit to advance its mission and collective purpose.
- Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve Merit’s mission.
- Participate fully in one or more committees: Finance & Audit, Communications, Alumni Programming, Foundation Fundraising, Corporate Fundraising, Volunteer Recruitment, Governance
- Respect the experiences of all who bring their voices and experience into the boardroom and the organization.
- Honour our values.

We are looking for mission-aligned individuals with strong collaboration skills, a commitment to serving students, and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Corporate fundraising: you’ve had success in seeking sponsorships for events or programming.
- Education: you have a network that could assist Merit with expansion plans to current School Boards in the GTA;
- Youth Programming: you have experience in supporting young adults’ educational and career planning.
- Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion To achieve our goals, fulfill our mission, and realize our vision, we strive to include individuals with perspectives drawn from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, skill sets, areas of expertise, and experiences to advance our work. We are publicly recruiting for board positions to attract the best possible candidates and to ensure that we move beyond our immediate networks and develop a board that is diverse in its composition and inclusive in its culture. Interested applicants should submit their resume to [email protected].

📌 Board Member (Greater Toronto Area)
🏢 Merit Award Bursary Program
📍 Greater Toronto Area