Executive Director
Position Overview
Organization: Wellspring Cancer Support Chinguacousy (Brampton)
Title: Executive Director
Reports to: Board of Directors
Team: 3 fulltime staff, plus a network of contract program facilitators and dedicated volunteers
Location: 5 Inspiration Way, Brampton, Ontario – hybrid policy in effect, minimum 3 days a week
in the Centre
Compensation: $130,000 – $170,000 base compensation, plus benefits and a bonus incentive
Is this you?
You would be excited and honoured to lead an organization that is offering vital services to folks affected by cancer, completely free of charge. You would be fully committed to working alongside a committed Board of Directors to grow the revenue and profile of the organization to ensure it can continue to deliver on its mission for years to come. You would take pride in establishing a strategic plan with the aim to grow revenue to continue to operate vital services – and you would be at the forefront of actioning the plan. You are a natural fundraiser and consider yourself a generalist. You have experience taking an event based fundraising organization and diversifying revenue into other fundraising areas. You are a natural born relationship builder and can build the trust and rapport with community easily.
You don’t mind being visible. Meaning being the spokesperson or ‘face’ of an organization energizes you. To stop in the hallway and chat with a person who is benefitting from the services your organization provides fills your cup and inspires you to reach for more. You’re a genuine communicator and feel at ease talking about difficult subject matter and have a way about you that makes people feel comfortable and at ease.
You possess a high degree of professional polish and maturity. Senior volunteers gravitate towards you because you manage them efficiently, effectively with respect and care. You are a well known and respected professional and aren’t bashful when it comes to working your network to positively affect the growth of the organization which you represent. You understand Board Governance because you’ve (ideally) reported to a Board of Directors or have sat on a board yourself.
You would be thrilled to join an organization that is a beacon of hope for thousands living with cancer, providing free supports and services to folks who need it. Wellspring Chinguacousy is committed to inspiring hope and providing vital support. You could be the one to lead them into their next phase of growth. Does this sound like you? If so, please read on…
The Organization
Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation is comprised of a network of locations who operate individually (with their own charitable registration numbers, board of directors, etc). Each Wellspring operates similar programming and services, tailored to the unique needs of the community it serves.
Mission: Wellspring helps people living with cancer elevate their quality of life and strengthen mind and body through innovative cancer support programs.
Vision: Helping people live better with cancer.
Values: At Wellspring, they value community, compassion, empowerment and respect.
Wellspring runs evidence-based programs that reduce pain and other side effects while helping people find the financial and community resources they need. Wellspring is Canada’s leader in evidence-based cancer support programs, which are provided free of charge and has been shown to*:
- Ease debilitating physical symptoms
- Reduce emotional distress for patients, their children and other family members
- Improve access to income replacement programs
- Help people return to work when they are ready
- Improve quality of life
- Help some people live longer than medically predicted
- Lower the chances cancer will return
They provide over 50 evidence-informed programs and services that address the non-medical needs of cancer patients, their caregivers and families. You can view more about their programs here.
Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation was founded in Toronto in 1992 by Anne Armstrong Gibson, who had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins’s lymphoma in 1988. Along with all her other fears about treatment, survival and the future of her husband and two young children, Anne experienced something more, an overwhelming sense of isolation. She quickly realized that this was an all-too-common experience among cancer patients, and became determined to fill the void.
With the help and encouragement of some of the leading experts in the field of oncology, Anne worked with family, friends and supporters to establish Wellspring, a charity offering psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and informational support to individuals and families living with cancer. Anne’s vision for Wellspring was to create a Canada-wide network of community-based centres that would provide people with the tools they required to cope with cancer.
Wellspring Chinguacousy
Wellspring Chinguacousy was formed in Brampton, Ontario in 2008.
Wellspring is a registered charitable organization that relies entirely on donations from generous individuals, foundations, sponsors and corporations to sustain its programs and services. Wellspring receives no core government or hospital funding. They operate their programs out of their location in Brampton as well as virtually.
At Wellspring, they provide a caring community, in-person and online, so anyone living with cancer, their caregiver and family members can access vital information, meaningful support and effective coping strategies. They are an essential partner in the cancer care community. Wellspring Chinguacousy is on track to provide support services to over 600 people this calendar year.
The Position
The Executive Director serves as the leader of Wellspring Chinguacousy and will report to the Board of Directors. They will inherit a team of 3 fulltime staff members and a network of dedicated contractors who lead programming as well as a group of volunteers who execute daily operations of the Centre.
Our Executive Director will be a leader who has experience working with a volunteer Board of Directors. They will bring with them Board Governance experience and will work to develop updated Board terms of engagement. They will re-establish committees (that have been latent post COVID) and will also work to identify prospective new Board members. As the main point of contact for the Board, our Executive Director will lead the quarterly Board Meetings, providing updates around operations, strategy and fundraising activity.
Our candidate will have experience with visioning and executing strategic plans. One of their first agendas will be to work with the existing team and the Board of Directors on a simplified Strategic Plan. Our leader will not just be a planner – they will be a do-er, and will have experience not only creating the vision but executing against it.
Our candidate will be a fundraising generalist who has experience diversifying fundraising revenue streams. Historically the organization has been heavily reliant on event revenue, and there is an appetite to expand into other forms of fundraising with a lower cost per dollar, and higher ROI.
Within the first 12 months, our successful candidate will have authored the Strategic Plan and will be measuring and reporting back on the milestones and successes. They’ll maintain and build upon the engagement of staff, facilitator and volunteer teams, ensuring they are continually focused on the organization’s goals. Revenue diversification will have been a focus and growth realized. They will have worked to implement systems and technologies that contribute to optimizing operational efficiencies.
Primary Accountabilities
Leadership
- Provide leadership toward implementing the strategic and operational plans of the organization with alignment to the vision, mission and value statements
- Contribute to strategy formulation and translate that direction into effective operational plans
- Foster a positive and engaging work environment, encouraging innovation, teamwork and effective performance
- Work collaboratively with the Board (e.g., identification, assessment and communication of internal and external issues that affect the organization) to support their overall governance effectiveness
- As the spokesperson for the organization, enhance and protect the integrity and reputation of the organization by being active and visible in the sector and community
Financial, Risk Management and Governance
- Develop and manage the organization’s budget. Provide quarterly financial reports to the Board, including communication of significant variances to budget and any other financial concerns
- Supervise the adherence to sound financial, accounting and risk management practices, control and accounting of funds, ensuring maximum resource utilization
- Identify and evaluate risks to the organization’s stakeholders, property, finances, human resources and image, and implement measures to capitalize on, control or mitigate these risks
- Ensure effective communications with the board and its committees, develop meeting agendas, and provide timely and accurate reports, presentations and supporting materials necessary for them to function effectively and make informed decisions
- Develop updated Board terms of engagement, work to clarify roles and responsibilities of existing board members to maximize and streamline their engagement
- Work to identify prospective new board members who could add value through their expertise to the organization
- Re-establish committees of the board which have been latent post COVID
- Lead and manage the quarterly Board meetings
Fund Development & Strategic Planning
- Ensure the organization has an achievable fundraising plan to secure funding for the operation and future growth of the organization
- Conduct an audit on existing fundraising activities, identifying the opportunities for ‘quick wins’ and laying the groundwork/foundation for revenue diversification and growth byway of the strategic plan
- Lead and/or participate in the identification and cultivation of meaningful funding/donor relationships
Program and Operational Planning and Management
- Work with the Director of Operations to ensure programs and services are aligned with the mission, vision and values, internal policy guidelines, donor reporting obligations and governmental/legal requirements
- Lead and support the staff with the input of the team in the development and management programs and services that are responsive to the needs of the community and the emerging trends within the sector, promoting high standards and innovative models, and ensuring the model of care is optimized
Human Resources Management
- Lead, guide, support, mentor, motivate, develop and coach the team in their operational objectives, thereby promoting staff retention and talent management
- Ensure the organizational structure and related resources, including both staff and volunteers, support the agency and program delivery operational requirements of the organization
- Set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited goals as part of a personnel annual review process
- Ensure that there is a sound succession plan in place to deliver continuity for all roles within the organization and actively participate in the recruitment of roles that will contribute in the delivery of the organization’s mandate
- Develop and maintain relevant HR policies and ensure compliance with legislation
- Build, model and maintain a culture of collaboration, professionalism and adherence to organizational values
Community Relations
- Establish and maintain community connections to support organizational goals
- Represent the organization and articulate the organization’s mission, vision, values and position to funders, politicians, donors, other organizations, and the general public, and engage in relevant committees, task forces, or working groups
- Communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed and engaged and to identify emerging community needs and potential collaboration opportunities
The Ideal Candidate
Experience, Skills and Attributes:
- Relevant experience in a senior management or executive leadership role in the non-profit sector
- Experience with strategy creation and its subsequent execution
- A fundraising generalist, with experience diversifying and growing revenue
- Skilful in managing change in a small workplace environment
- Demonstrated ability to build strategic relationships with key stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to build meaningful staff relationships and cultivate a positive work culture
- Strong communications and advocacy skills with diverse audiences
- Knowledge in financial management and budgeting
- Ability to influence others including the team, community, donors, sponsors and other stakeholders
- Excellent management and self-management skills – fully able to lead a focused team (including volunteers) and to nurture a culture of diversity and inclusivity
- Experience reporting to a Board of Directors, OR have sat on a Board
- Passion for the mission
- University degree in social work, business or other relevant area that would bring expertise to bear in the role as Executive Director
Application Instructions
If you are looking for an outstanding challenge and the opportunity to work with a great team for a very important, uniquely focused organization then what are you waiting for? Apply now!
We acknowledge the land we work upon on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Wellspring Chinguacousy hires based on merit and is strongly committed to equality and diversity within its community and to providing a welcoming and inclusive workplace. They especially welcomes applications from Indigenous persons, visible minority group members, women, persons with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations and genders, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
Thank you to all for your interest but only candidates who move forward in the process will be contacted.
Please email your Cover Letter and include an example of two projects that you see as relevant to this position explaining your role and the impact on the organization, why this opportunity, and CV to Lindsay Preston at lindsay@phcap.ca. Please note the posting closes on Friday, December 20th at 5pm ET.