Volunteer Position
About the Role
Background
Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF) is a national charity dedicated to support, educate & celebrate innovation & entrepreneurship among business owners in marginalized communities.
Our objectives:
- Support entrepreneurs and innovators within marginalized communities nationwide
- Create education and mentorship opportunities designed specifically for entrepreneurs within marginalized communities
- Deliver reliable, in-depth research to steer advocacy with both the private and public sector to influence change for the better
- Celebrate and promote excellence in Canadian innovation and entrepreneurship in marginalized communities
IEF’s sole “member” is the Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CanWCC), who manages/stewards the charity.
Our Board
The IEF board consists of 3-12 directors.
An IEF Director has three core responsibilities:
- Fiduciary responsibility: Legal responsibilities of the Board in guiding the organization
- Strategic responsibility: Decisions about the use of resources, programs, and services
- Generative responsibility: Development of new ideas in line with the core values
Board Type
This board is a working board. Compared to a governing board, a working board of directors is an active and engaged governing body that not only provides oversight and strategic recommendations for an organization, but also plays a hands-on role in its operations. Members of a working board often contribute their expertise, resources, and time to directly support key initiatives, engage with staff, facilitate funding opportunities, and help implement decisions.
Board Culture
The role of the IEF board is also to ensure approaches and practices align with the organization’s stated values and culture, which is deeply informed by research-informed feminist and intersectional governance principles. This means we apply governance frameworks that acknowledge, incorporate and value the care work we all do to sustain our society’s political and economic systems. We also work to reimagine conventional staff/board and other hierarchies of power, knowledge, privilege on boards. We strive to be more transparent, inclusive, consent-based, and participative in our decision-making.
We recommend that you review the following two documents to learn more about emerging nonprofit and feminist governance practices:
ONN’s Reimagining Governance 2023
Article: https://www.broadagenda.com.au/2023/how-do-we-bring-a-feminist-lens-to-governance/
Application Deadline
Start Date
Place of Work
Reports to
Duties & Responsibilities
Directors can expect to spend 5-10 hours a month on IEF-related work, including reviewing emails and reports, preparing for board meetings, and participating in fundraising, standing or ad hoc committees.
Basic Officers’ duties include those:
- Prescribed by law,
- Granted by IEF Bylaws, and/or
- Granted by resolutions of the Board.
In addition, IEF Directors are asked to:
- Prepare for and attend board meetings as scheduled.
- Meetings are typically scheduled on the last Friday of every other month from 12:00 – 2:00pm EST. (starting June 2025, with the exception that the August meeting is moved to the first week in September to accommodate vacations)
- Meetings are virtual.
- Participate in any board retreats scheduled (If and when retreats are scheduled, everyone will participate in selecting dates that work).
- Participate in board development or training sessions if/when offered.
- If a director fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings of the board, their directorship will be considered vacated unless the Board passes a resolution permitting such director to remain in office as a director notwithstanding such absences; or
- Participate as members of various committees (Standing or AdHoc)
- Read and know IEF bylaws, policies and procedures.
- Maintain and uphold confidentiality.
- Participate in/contribute to fundraising initiatives as directed.
- Be asked to represent IEF at events on occasion and if available.
Director Terms
Terms are three years, with one three-year, consecutive term renewal for a maximum of six years consecutively. Additional terms are possible following a three-year break.
Director Compensation
In accordance with the Act, Board members shall receive no remuneration or waged compensation from their work or positions as Board Members, but they may be paid for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties or in the conduct of the affairs of IEF (i.e.: travel costs, childcare etc.) for work they provide to the nonprofit in another role.
We strive for inclusion. We recognize not all directors whose voices are needed at the table can afford to be there. Therefore, IEF may from time to time approve meeting attendance honorariums as an expense to be paid to board members who identify as being a) dependent on social assistance, b) experiencing financial hardship or c) currently on employment insurance or other government income support programs.
Governing Council
Within the board of Directors, there is a governing council (otherwise known as the Executive Committee). The Governing Council (GC) will consist of the elected Chair/Co-chairs, Treasurer, Secretary and the IEF CEO. The purpose of the GC is to ensure there is a mechanism within the board for dealing with any emergency issues between board meetings. The Chair/co-chairs are also responsible for working with staff to set the agenda for board meetings.
The board Chair(s), Secretary, Treasurer, Privacy Officer will be nominated and elected by sitting board members.
Recognition/Transparency
We understand how valuable your time and contribution are/will be to the organization. To honour your commitment and maintain transparency with our members, funders, and the public, and with your consent, we will add your photo, name and bio to the IEF Governance page on our website.
Review and Evaluation
The IEF board will conduct an annual self-evaluation to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
How to Apply
Please fill out the application linked HERE or scan the QC code below.
