Project Director – Not Far From the Tree

Not Far From The Tree

Full Time

Start Date: ASAP, April 2021

Salary Range: $65,000-$75,000 (dependent on experience)

Location: Toronto, ON

About Not Far From The Tree

Not Far From The Tree (NFFTT), a Project on the MakeWay Charitable Society Shared Platform, puts Toronto’s

abundance of local fruit to use by picking and sharing the harvest with social service agencies across the city.

NFFTT has picked and shared over 198,000 pounds of fruit since 2008, and schedules over 300 fruit picks per

season.

NFFTT’s mission is to harness the power of fruit trees to create healthy, resilient, sustainable, and connected

communities across Toronto. We empower Torontonians to pick and share fruit that would otherwise fall to

waste while providing opportunities to connect more intimately with their neighbours, environment, and food

system. We act as, and empower people to be stewards of the urban orchard to ensure it’s benefits can be

realized for many generations to come. We envision a Toronto where everyone has access to the urban harvest

as part of a resilient, local food system that builds community, and is based on the value of shared abundance.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an inspiring, results-oriented, and ambitious professional to fill the position of Project Director.

The successful candidate is passionate about the work, is a skilled and determined networker and fundraiser,

and has the leadership capacity to take the project through its next phase of development

The Project Director is the primary leadership position of Not Far From The Tree’s staff team, reporting to the

volunteer Steering Committee, while working in conjunction with the MakeWay Charitable Society Shared

Platform Team. NFFTT is a Project on the MakeWay Charitable Society Shared Platform, and as such the

successful applicant will be an employee of MakeWay Charitable Society, working with NFFTT.

Responsibilities

Leadership, Vision, and Management

Works closely with the Steering Committee to set strategic direction;

Maintains strategic focus in alignment with the project’s mission;

Accountable for implementing project activities included in an annual Operating Plan;

Accountable for measuring and reporting on program activities and outcomes;

Strengthens operations with the intention of scaling impact;

Manages partnerships to strengthen functionality of Fruit Picking Portal, our fruit picking scheduling

technology;

Manages and maintains a healthy work environment for staff, interns, and volunteers.

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Fundraising and Income Diversification

Accountable for implementing a Fundraising Plan, including institutional, corporate, and individual

fundraising, as well as major gifts and events;

Builds and supports the project’s fundraising capacity on an ongoing basis;

Creates a new three-year fundraising and income diversification plan;

Continually monitors, evaluates, and reports on fundraising against targets;

Maintains excellent relationships with funders and donors and implements stewardship and

recognition plans;

Ensures the timely implementation of, and reporting on, funder deliverables.

Financial Management

Manages fiscal health of the project, including budgeting, setting and following financial controls,

meeting revenue and expense targets and ensuring accurate and timely reporting to funders, to the

Steering Committee, and to MakeWay Charitable Society;

Liaises with staff, contractors, and others to ensure proper financial management and budgeting

throughout operations;

Works with MakeWay core support team to ensure CRA compliance, budget submission, and HR

requirements.

Communications and Community Relations

Acts as the primary spokesperson for the project (e.g., with media, at speaking events);

Oversees the development of public communication materials (e.g., annual report, website content,

social media);

Maintains excellent relationships with community partners and forges new relationships that advance

Not Far From The Tree’s mission.

Qualifications

Minimum 3 years’ of results-oriented senior management experience;

Minimum 3 years’ experience supervising a staff team;

Strong organization management and organizational skills with the ability to lead programs, as well as

track and evaluate program results;

Demonstrated capacity for fundraising / fund development from government, foundation, and

individuals;

Strong knowledge of the issues addressed by Not Far From The Tree’s programs, including food

systems, tree planting and stewardship, and community development;

Strong budget-management expertise;

Experience with strategic planning and development of operational policies, procedures, and

strategies;

Compelling communicator in a range of media;

Demonstrated networking and partnership-development skills;

Familiarity with Not Far From The Tree’s stakeholders and community an asset;

Proficiency in technology including Mailchimp, Salesforce, WordPress, Google Suite, Canva, an asset;

Experience in developing and implementing systems, processes, and technology solutions to improve

efficiency is considered an asset;

Valid “G2” or “G” drivers license.

Description of Work Area

The position’s main work location is the office at 601 Christie Street, with visits required, equipment

storage locations, and picking sites;

Repetitive tasks such as bending, crouching, lifting, and reaching;

Regularly lifting 30 lbs;

Regularly using or transporting cargo bikes;

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Working outdoors;

Working some evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Compensation

Annual salary range for the Project Director is $65,000 to $75,000 per year, commensurate with skills and

experience. Please indicate salary expectations in your cover letter.

How to Apply

Please send your cover letter and resume to [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed and

interviews scheduled on a rolling basis. Please apply no later than April 14, 2021. All attachments must each

be labeled with the applicant’s full name. In your cover letter, please help us understand why you’re the ideal

candidate by addressing the following questions:
1. What interests you most about this position?

2. Based on the qualifications, why are you a strong candidate?

3. Briefly tell us about your current or most recent job. Why are you seeking a change?

4. What is your most significant professional achievement to date?

5. How did you first learn about NFFTT and how did you hear about this posting?

Not Far From The Tree is a project of MakeWay Charitable Society.

For more information, please go to makeway.org

MakeWay is strongly committed to creating a diverse workplace environment and

we welcome and encourage applications from the communities we serve.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

MakeWay will provide accommodation during all steps of the selection process, upon request, to applicants

with disabilities. Please advise us if you need any accommodation.

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