Board Member

About this position

Join our Board of Directors

In a time of exciting growth, Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative TREC – the parent organization of Tapestry Community Capital – is expanding our Board of Directors.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to all of our work. We seek Board Members of different backgrounds, race and geographic locations across Canada who represent a wide array of perspectives and options.

Expertise in and/or experience with housing, real estate, social innovation, securities and/or regulatory compliance, community bonds and investments, though not mandatory, would be a bonus.

Our Vision for the Future

The future depends on building on our collective capacity to respond more sustainably to a range of ecological, social, and economic changes and the TREC Board is ready for the challenge. Our vision is to promote community resilience through collaboration. We are committed to working with local organizations who know their community and project best, providing support to allow community investment in community projects.

Building on TREC's long-standing support for community owned renewable energy, we have expanded our client scope of social enterprises and organizations that see the value of social finance to realize their dream projects, with a particular focus on the affordable housing sector. Work will cover a wide range of activities and benefits that contribute to community economic resilience.
 
Responsibilities of the Board of Directors
 

• Establish policy
• Manage and support the Co-Executive Directors
• Support funding efforts for organizational initiatives
• Consider and direct strategic plans for the organization
• Review and approve financial reports, provide oversight of current operations by engaging with reports from the staff team as provided

Responsibilities of Individual Board Members
 

• Prepare for and attend regular Board meetings
• Contribute to one or more of the committees as a participant or chair, including preparing and attending regular committee meetings
• Engage in the organization’s mission and vision
• Represent the organization in a positive and professional manner
• Act as a champion for the organization and work to identify and cultivate relationships and opportunities to advance the work we do

Commitment Required: 2.5 -5 hours per month

• Preparation for Board and committee meetings (2-3 hours per month)
• Participate in monthly virtual Board meetings (2.5 hours, currently at a bimonthly cadence alternating with committee meetings)
• Participate in regular committee meetings (2-2.5 hours, currently at a bimonthly cadence alternating with board meetings).
  • Cmmittees can be standing or on an ad-hoc basis, depending n the directional needs of the organization. Examples include governance, tools development and management, finance and auditing, etc.
• Additional time commitment may be required if assuming the role of a Board Chair (or Vice Chair if applicable) of one or more of the committees or the board.

About you:

• Preferable expertise/experience in any of the following: housing, real estate, social innovation, securities and/or compliance, community bonds and investments, accounting and finance, 
• Experience with not-for-profit/co-op structures and government grants and contributions
• Committed to act as a trusted advisor and close collaborator with the Co-Executive Directors and Board Officers (Chair and Vice-Chair)
• Desire to make an impact with your work and time, and passionate about meeting the challenge of the future through collective action
• Commitment to community-owned, and community-driven social and environmental impact
• Interested in supporting affordable housing, community bonds, and social finance initiatives
• Based anywhere in Canada, preferably outside southern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, and able to participate in virtual meetings

We know that more diverse, equitable and inclusive leadership will lead to greater innovation and amplified impact. This is why TREC is actively seeking to improve the diversity of our Board of Directors. We are particularly seeking representation from racialized communities, rural communities, Indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and encourage applicants from equity-seeking groups.

About TREC - History & Mission

TREC has incubated and launched several organizations that solve environmental challenges and advance the power of community economic development in Canada; WindShare, SolarShare, and Relay Education.

Our current and most recent venture is Tapestry Community Capital. Tapestry supports social purpose organizations across Canada to raise and manage community investment. Our clients are cooperatives, non-profits, and charities engaged in developing affordable housing, renewable energy, and social purpose real estate such as: arts venues, recreation facilities, community hubs, co-working spaces, and innovation centres. To date, Tapestry has supported more than 62 community-based projects.

Tapestry supports organizations in raising capital via an innovative financing tool called community bonds. Similar in many ways to a traditional bond, they are an interest-bearing loan from an investor, issued by charities, non-profits, and cooperatives to finance socially- and environmentally-conscious projects. Community bond investors can be retail or accredited/institutional, though the majority are community members who want to invest in causes they care about.

About us

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