Nonprofit Board Positions

Role: Board Member at Large
Type: board of directors positions / unpaid
Non-profit: LifeCycles Project Society
Location: Victoria BC or remote, anywhere in Canada

LifeCycles is a charitable society working to cultivate community health by connecting people with the food they eat and the land it comes from. We support the region in growing, accessing and eating local food in ways that foster biodiversity and enhance our urban environment.

Our main projects include:

• The Fruit Tree and Farm Gleaning Project. The purpose of the Fruit Tree Project is to offer backyard fruit gleaning and farm gleaning services in the Capital Regional District, thereby reducing food waste, increasing food security and strengthening the local food system, while at the same time offering educational opportunities - both hands on as well as more informational - to those who participate. In the last 12 months, our backyard fruit gleaning of the CRD's urban orchard, as well as the surplus farm produce gleaning we conducted, allowed us to save over 40,000lbs of local food from different waste streams. We coordinated and worked alongside hundreds of volunteers to teach harvesting skills, discuss the importance of our local food system, and raise awareness about the bounty that the CRD has to offer, while also harvesting nearly 30,000 pounds of fruit and approximately 10,000 pounds of local, farm fresh produce in the Capital Regional District. Working with partners such as Flourish School Food Society, and the Food Share Network, we redistributed this local produce and fruit to over 60 social service agencies that serve those in the community who are in need, as well as to schools who are trying to access more loca, nutrient rich, and environmentally friendly foods.

• Stewardship of the Welland Community Orchard. The Welland Community Learning Orchard is the legacy of Rex Welland, a local conservationist who spent two decades transforming his backyard into a mixed orchard. After his death, the orchard was put into a land trust and made into a park under the stewardship of the Town of View Royal to be loved, used, and stewarded by the public as a community resource. Since 2013, when LifeCycles won a contract with the opportunity to steward the orchard, our organization has been working to maintain and improve this space as the largest and most diverse public orchard in Canada, while also animating this space to be a community classroom that is open and inviting to all. We currently use this space to offer educational sessions about our local perennial food system and offer discussions and workshops about the importance of native plants and pollinators, orchard tree care, local pests/disease and how to treat these issues. We also host harvest sessions and work parties, which allow community members to engage in the orchard and learn about region's overall goal of increasing the amount of food produced locally and how orchards such as Welland can fit into this. We believe by providing a space to access hands-on learning and outdoor education opportunities, we can transform our relationship between our community, the land, and the food system.

As a registered non-profit society, our operations are overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors who ensure that the organization is upholding its mission and is accountable to the needs and interests of the community it serves. The Board plays a crucial role by contributing unique ideas and vision, supporting staff, taking on special projects or organizing events, and helping shape the future of LifeCycles. Re-envisioning the future of LifeCycles has never been more important!

The time commitment required of Board members is estimated to be 5- 7 hours per month.

Though we encourage anyone who is interested to apply, we are actively seeking members with skills and/or knowledge in finances, fundraising, business, and organizational development specific to the non-profit sector.

The following list includes relevant interests, attributes, and experiences we are most excited about:

• Knowledge of and interest in topics related to sustainable food systems
• An understanding of food and environment-related issues on Lekwungen territories
• Ability to make decisions cooperatively, using a consensus-based model
• Strong leadership skills and ambitious vision for the future of LifeCycles
• Self-reflexivity, compassion, authenticity, and openness to change
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Skills related to financial management, fundraising, and budgeting
• Experience in business and organizational development
• Experience in policy development, human resources, and administration
• Experience working or volunteering in the non-profit sector
• Event planning, public speaking, and group facilitation

To apply:

Please email your statement of interest to info@lifecyclesproject.ca

Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca.

We welcome and support applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities!

Our Commitment to Equity and Diversity:

LifeCycles operates on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen peoples, namely the Esquimalt, Songhees, WSÁNEĆ, and T’Sou-Ke nations. As a settler-led organization, we are constantly working through the harms that have been inflicted by colonial food systems and trying to discern what our roles must be in dismantling the systems of oppression that underpin food (in)security. Many of our practices, including our organizational structure, the seeds we plant, the trees we harvest, the ways we educate, and our methods of growing food, came to these lands through the ongoing processes of settler colonialism and Indigenous dispossession. We seek to hold this understanding in our interactions and engagements with this land and its people.

We welcome and celebrate applications from individuals of diverse and marginalized identities, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, LGBTQS2+ folks, disabled and neuro-divergent people, youth, and anyone with lived experiences of poverty, food insecurity, or homelessness. We strongly value the perspectives, voices, and experiences of everyone in our community and hope to include these voices in all the work that we do. We recognize that there can be many significant barriers to participating in un-paid Board work, especially for individuals of marginalized identities. If you would like to apply but are concerned about any barriers you may face, we encourage you to reach out to us to discuss how we might be able to facilitate your participation in our organization. The LifeCycles Board is currently engaged in a process of reviewing and building upon the organization’s equity, diversity, and inclusion.