CCST Call for New Board Members
May 2023
One year after incorporating, and in a moment of foundational growth, the Community and Cultural Spaces Trust (CCST) is seeking its first full Board of Directors. This working board will play a key role in determining the future of the trust and will also serve as CCST’s core group of volunteers, driving the trust’s daily operations.
CCST is a new land trust dedicated to the long-term preservation of affordable space and land for arts, culture and community activities in Ward 9 (Davenport), Toronto. Building on the successes of the community land trust movement and other community ownership models, our goal is to mitigate the current displacement of arts and community organizations from Davenport, and from Toronto more broadly.
CCST exists as a result of years of community organizing for equitable and inclusive development in the area. The initial funds that the trust holds were secured through a historic community benefits settlement with the developers of the public school lands at the southwest corner of Bloor Street and Dufferin Street. More information about CCST’s mandate, founding principles and history can be found in our Terms of Reference for New Board Members and in our Story.
CCST’s founding board has spent the past year laying the groundwork for the trust to thrive. We have developed relationships and networks, researched models and opportunities, invested the trust’s initial assets and established administrative policies and systems. CCST is now in a position to grow significantly under the strategic leadership of a diverse and representative board.
We are looking for applications from people who are energetic, active listeners and good collaborators. The ideal applicant should be excited to grapple with complex decision-making in an imperfect context.
Our goal is to develop a board whose actions will be guided by our founding principles, ongoing community input, lived experiences relevant to CCST’s mandate and cross-sector professional expertise. The cultural land trust and social purpose real estate movements are gaining exciting momentum but preserving affordable space for community and arts uses in Toronto’s current real estate market will be challenging! We are looking for board members who are up for working in a dynamic team to take on that challenge. Previous board experience is not required for these positions. All board positions are strictly volunteer.
CCST’s board will maintain a majority of Ward 9 community members but we welcome applications from people who are not based in Ward 9. We will prioritize applicants with expertise in:
Organizational development;
Community-based governance;
Asset management;
Research;
Legal knowledge;
Fundraising;
Social media content and digital outreach.
We also particularly encourage you to apply if you identify as:
An artist/arts worker who is a member of at least one equity-deserving group;
A person with lived experience of displacement from a studio, rehearsal or community space;
A youth (under age 30);
A person who works, leads or regularly volunteers at a community-based or equity-focused organization.
Board composition will be carefully considered when reviewing applications.
If this sounds like an exciting opportunity, please express your interest to join CCST’s board via this form.
Further information about this opportunity can be found in CCST’s Terms of Reference for New Board Members. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out via email to board@communityculturalspacestrust.ca
CCST thanks you for sharing this widely with your networks! We will be accepting expressions of interest until 5 pm on Friday, June 16th. We will be in touch with selected applicants on an ongoing basis beginning in July. We may request follow up materials such as a CV and cover letter, and/or an interview. We hope to begin onboarding new board members starting in Fall 2023.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Community and Cultural Spaces Trust Founding Board
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