Board of Directors Opportunity: Applications Sought for Immediate Need

Join Our Board of Directors! Applications Sought for Immediate Need.

Board of Directors Recruitment

Are you looking for a meaningful place to volunteer? Would you like to use your lived experience, professional, or educational expertise to help shape the future of an organization? Then AVI Health & Community Services (AVI) is looking for you.

AVI has immediate and ongoing needs for volunteers for our Board of Directors. We are a governance board with oversight of the legal and financial aspects of the organization as well as setting the vision and priorities related to the strategic plan. If you have a passion for contributing to your community and want to make a lasting impact on an organization that provides prevention, education, support, and harm reduction services, we want to hear from you!

About AVI Health & Community Services

AVI offers an outstanding opportunity to join a respected and successful not-for-profit organization.

AVI’s mission is promoting health, dignity, and well-being for all people affected by HIV, hepatitis C, and substance use disorder by delivering sex-positive and harm reduction-based education, prevention, and support services in the communities of Greater Victoria, Nanaimo, the Comox Valley, and Campbell River. AVI provides a range of harm reduction programs including overdose prevention, Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) and pharmaceutical alternatives (SAFER project), providing supplies that support safer drug use, including sterile needles, safer crack using kits and safer sex supplies, advocacy, and health promotion/harm reduction information. Our service users include people who use substances; those who are homeless; who live with HIV and/or hepatitis C; Indigenous people; LGBTQ2S+ and GB2SMSM communities; people; sex workers; people from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and people living with disabilities.

AVI encourages applications from folks with diverse backgrounds and/or people with lived experience. We recognize the importance of having a range of abilities on our board and can support those who are eager to learn and contribute in meaningful ways. In addition, there are specific skills and work experience that are valuable to the work of the board including communication, fund raising, community engagement, event planning, grant writing, law, finance, or healthcare. Volunteers can be located anywhere on Vancouver Island.

Responsibilities

As a Director on the Board, you will be responsible to:

● Attend all board meetings (approx. 6 per year);

● Prepare for meetings and review and comment on minutes and reports;

● Become familiar with the society’s bylaws and policy documents;

● Participate in annual evaluation and planning efforts;

● Participate in monthly committee meetings and work;

● Support community activities such as attending or participating in events;

● Develop collegial working relationships with board members, staff, and stakeholders; and

● Adhere to the AVI Health & Community Services Board Code of Conduct.

Qualifications:

● Knowledge and understanding, or willingness to learn about HIV and hepatitis C, substance use and harm reduction;

● Knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by our service users;

● Willingness to develop skills and knowledge regarding the governance and operation of a registered not-for-profit society; and

● Ability to work collaboratively on a team including volunteer and staff members.

Commitment:

● Participation in six (6) board meetings throughout the year;

● Serve on one of our three (3) sub-committees for Governance, Advancement, or Finance;

● The ability to serve for a minimum 2-year term (or up to 3 terms in total); and

● Volunteer commitment of 2-4 hours average per month depending on activities.

Application Process:

Please send an expression of interest (cover letter, resume, and references) and/or an email inquiry to the attention of Cherolyn Knapp, AVI Governance Committee (the committee) at cherolyn@knappresolutions.com and AVI Board Chair, Brent Weberg at b.weberg@icloud.com.

The committee will review your submission upon receipt and contact you to arrange a preliminary interview to answer questions and talk about the role. After the interview, candidates may be invited to attend a Board meeting to learn more about the work of the Board. The last step includes a recommendation by the committee and vote by the Board to appoint the candidate.

Ideally, applicants will reside on or have a strong connection to Vancouver Island and must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection. Applicants who reside elsewhere in British Columbia will also be considered.

Thank you for your interest in being a part of the AVI Board of Directors. For more information about AVI please visit www.avi.org.