Join SAFE’s Board of Directors

SAFE’s SAFE Committee is a team of survivors devoted to helping others. Our services have been created for survivors, by survivors — rooted in lived experience, peer support, and the belief that healing is possible when people are truly heard and believed.

We provide survivor-run peer support and advocate through lived experience, education, and collaboration with community partners who support those affected by gender-based violence. We lead with compassion, believe survivors, and never turn anyone away.

SAFE is currently in the process of applying to become a registered charity in Canada, as we continue to strengthen our governance, sustainability, and long-term impact in the Halton region. This next step will allow us to expand our reach, build strategic partnerships, and deepen the support we offer to survivors and their families.

SAFE is an active, working board. Directors contribute in a defined area of responsibility and help move priorities forward between meetings. This is not a symbolic or advisory-only role — our Board members are engaged, collaborative, and committed to getting meaningful work done.

Our Board includes individuals with lived experience as well as dedicated community members who bring professional skills, leadership experience, and specialized knowledge. We intentionally build a balanced Board that combines compassion with competence — ensuring survivor voices are present while also strengthening governance, sustainability, and long-term growth.

We are especially seeking community members who can contribute specific skills and experience in areas such as governance, finance, law, fundraising, communications, strategy, operations, and relationship-building. Board service at SAFE is about using your strengths to support a mission grounded in empowerment, accountability, and impact.

Term Commitment

Board Directors serve a three-year term, with the option to renew once (up to six consecutive years). We’re looking for applicants who are willing to commit for the full term, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Time Commitment

Expect approximately 10-15 hours per month, including meetings, preparation, and follow-through on agreed tasks.

How We Work

We value collaboration, respectful dialogue, and shared leadership. Our goal is a Board culture that is supportive, trauma-informed, and action-oriented.

Each Board member is expected to take responsibility for a specific area of SAFE’s governance, based on their skills, experience, and interests. This ensures shared accountability, clear ownership of priorities, and steady progress between meetings.

Who We’re Looking For

You do not need prior board experience or direct gender-based violence experience to apply. We welcome applicants who bring strong values alignment, reliability, and a willingness to contribute to getting meaningful work done.

As SAFE prepares to become a registered charity, we are especially seeking community members who can bring specific skills and experience to strengthen our governance and sustainability. This includes areas such as:

• Finance / accounting
• Charity law
• Fundraising & events
• Marketing & communications
• Technology / operations
• Relationship-building and community partnerships

Officer roles

Applicants can indicate interest in an officer role (Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer). Officer roles are filled after someone becomes a Director.

What to expect in the recruitment process

Our recruitment process is designed to be transparent and consistent:

1. Apply online (includes a resume upload and reference details)
2. Board review (you’ll hear back within 2 weeks on whether we’re requesting an interview)
3. Interview with 2–3 Board members (values alignment, governance fit, capacity)
4. Reference check (we do not contact references unless you are invited to interview and we decide to continue the process)
5. Board vote (formal approval happens by recorded vote—no informal appointments)
6. Onboarding (orientation, policies, access to documents, introductions)
7. Director eligibility and police check requirement

Eligibility

To be considered, Directors must meet the following:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Not be an undischarged bankrupt
• Not have been found by a court to be incapable of managing their affairs
• Not have been convicted of an offence involving fraud, dishonesty, moral turpitude, or an offence connected to the promotion, formation, or management of a corporation or unincorporated entity

Police check

Because SAFE serves a vulnerable population, prospective Directors must complete a police check as part of the nomination process:

• Must be submitted within 30 days of nomination
• If processing time is delayed, a receipt showing the request was submitted is acceptable until the police check is received
• The police check is completed at the applicant’s expense
• A criminal record related to offences against vulnerable populations may result in ineligibility