Brief Description:

The Nomination and Governance Committee of Canadian Feed the Children’s Board of Directors is seeking skilled and passionate individuals as it enters an exciting and transformative phase.

ABOUT CANADIAN FEED THE CHILDREN

At Canadian Feed The Children (CFTC), our core belief is that food and nourishment is a human right. To us, food is life. Our vision is a world in which children, youth, and their communities thrive, realizing their full potential. We accompany children, youth, and their communities as they work to overcome systemic barriers to ensuring their rights to nutritious and culturally appropriate food, fostering holistic well-being.

At the core of our approach are people. We build partnerships to strengthen local capacity through knowledge sharing, mobilizing resources, and nurturing new ideas and solutions. We work alongside change-makers to actively question and change systems to improve the lives of children, youth, and families.

We are learning from and growing with communities, to shift power and deepen our commitment to understanding their truth and supporting their healing, so communities may reclaim their leadership, and decision-making and Indigenous Peoples may reclaim their self-determination.

CFTC has been taking action against child-hood hunger for over 35 years, in countries including Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, and Indigenous communities in Canada. As the world has evolved over the years, we have deepened our commitment to learning, adapting, and challenging our own long-entrenched ways. We recently welcomed the opportunity to begin this transformational process through our 2024-2034 strategic planning initiative, set to be implemented in 2025. The 2024-2034 Strategic Directions is our commitment towards decolonization, anti-oppression and anti-racism practices and further aligning our efforts with a community-led approach.

CFTC FACTS
• CFTC: Independent, Canadian secular development agency founded in 1986.
• Access to Food: Ensuring people's right to food by addressing food systems comprehensively to improve access to nutritious food and nurture the growth and potential of children, youth, and communities.
• Program Approach: Driving long-term impact through a community-led approach, partnering with communities and working alongside them to overcome systemic barriers, build sustainable food systems, and address all aspects of nourishment.
• Top 100 Charity: Named a Charity Intelligence Top 100 Charity for 2023.
• Top 10 Impact Charity: Recognized as a Top 10 Impact Charity in Canada, receiving the highest (5-star) rating by Charity Intelligence for financial transparency, accountability, cost efficiency, and social impact.
• Imagine Canada Standards: One of the first non-profits in Canada to achieve Imagine Canada Standards accreditation, exemplifying excellence in non-profit governance and accountability.
• Sustainable Development: Standing in solidarity with communities and building partnerships to strengthen local capacity, creating self-reliant and sustainable solutions.
• Decolonization and Inclusion: Committed and actively working to decolonization, anti-racism, and anti-oppression; ensuring a community-led approach in all areas of operation.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Integral to this period of transformation and launch of our new strategic direction, we are seeking new members to join our Board of Directors. We are specifically interested in individuals who have the experience and capacity to take on leadership roles on the Board and who have deep governance experience.. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a dynamic period of change and growth at CFTC. As a board member, you will play a crucial role in guiding our organization through this pivotal transition. Your involvement will be instrumental in shaping initiatives that are not only impactful but also embody our commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, equity, inclusion, and decolonization.

Our aim is to attract proactive members who not only enrich our organization’s diversity with their unique perspectives, but also firmly believe in and advocate for a gender equality-based, decolonized, anti-racist and anti-oppressive approach. These members should demonstrate a strong commitment to our mission, embodying our values through effective governance and oversight. We want to ensure our board meaningfully reflects the communities we work with as it is just good governance. We value living/lived experiences and we highly encourage people with living/lived experiences as members and/or diaspora from the countries and communities we work with to apply.

Our board is composed of individuals with a wide range of skills and experience. We are currently looking to enhance this skill set by recruiting two to three new members who are willing to take on leadership roles in the near term. We are actively seeking someone who could step into a Chair or Co-Chair role from June 2025 onwards. . Specifically, we are seeking:

● Finance Expertise: Strong financial acumen. Preference for someone who has experience as a CFO or Board experience on a Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. CPA or CA designation is preferred
● Governance Experience: Ideally in the non-profit sector, to help guide our strategic direction and ensure strong oversight. Candidates who have Chaired a Board or acted as Vice-Chair are strongly encouraged to apply.
● Risk Management & Strategic Oversight: Experience in managing risk (preferably in a similar global non-profit context) and contributing to high-level organizational strategy either at the Board or Executive level.
● Board Leadership Experience: Experience in Chairing or acting as Vice-Chair of a Board, particularly in the Not for Profit Sector. Experience in Chairing Board committees is also considered an asset.

These positions offer a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact, including the opportunity to take on a leadership role on the Board in the near future..

Board Member Accountabilities
• Term: Serve at least one three-year volunteer term with Canadian Feed The Children, with the opportunity for a subsequent term.
• Time Commitment: Dedicate at least 8-10 hours a month to Board activities. Time requirements for Committee roles may vary depending on the specific responsibilities and needs of each committee or leadership role.
• Board Meetings: Attend four Board meetings a year and one Annual General Meeting.
• Committees: Join and participate in Board committees four times per year and ad hoc committees as needed.
• Digital Proficiency: Demonstrate computer and technology skills for efficient electronic communication and document review and preparation, as this is primarily a virtual role.
• Active Participation: Engage in decision- making and support of Board projects.

We maintain a “Board-Buddy” system for all new Board members.

HOW TO APPLY
If the opportunity to join the CFTC board is of interest to you, please apply by Oct 14th, 2024:
https://canadianfeedthechildren.bamboohr.com/careers/58

We encourage First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada, or Indigenous people of North America, to apply and self-identify in their applications. Shortlisted applicants who have self-identified as Indigenous, will be asked to provide information confirming their Indigenous identity, which may be validated with the applicable Nation(s).

Let us know if you need accommodation during the recruitment process and we will work with you to ensure a barrier-free process.

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