The 519 Board of Management Application

Welcome and thank you for your interest in The 519's Board of Management.

This Application and Nomination form is an online submission tool used to collect information regarding Nominees for the Board. It assists in screening an applicant's eligibility for joining the Board of Management. The application may take up to an hour to complete. In order to be eligible for consideration all applicants must submit a complete 'Application and Nomination Form' no later than Monday, August 18, 2025 at 5:00pm.

Please note you will also be asked to upload an image of yourself. This form is mobile-friendly, but your mobile device may not offer the option to upload pdf, doc, docx, or txt files.

Nominations close on Monday, August 18, 2025 at 5:00pm.

The Organization

The 519 is committed to the health, happiness and full participation of the 2SLGBTQ+ communities. A City of Toronto agency and a registered charity with an innovative model of Service, Space and Leadership, we strive to make a real difference in people’s lives, while providing accessible, equitable space, and work to promote inclusion, understanding and respect.

The Board

The 519's Board of Management consists of 11 elected Board Members (appointed by Toronto East York Community Council) and the City Councillor for Ward 13. Our Relationship Framework with the City and Board By-laws define board composition. Six Board Members of the Board must reside within The 519's catchment area (bounded by Bay, Bloor/Danforth, the DVP and the railway lands south of The Esplanade), and up to 5 Board Members may live outside of the catchment.

The 519 is seeking one candidate who demonstrate a strong understanding of intersectionality and the diverse range of key priorities, needs and concerns facing the organization and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. This candidate must reside within The 519's catchment area. 

The 519 Board of Management is a governance board. The organization's operations are delegated to the Executive Director and staff of The 519. All Board and Committee meetings are open to the public. 

Time Commitment

Board meetings occur monthly, with some exceptions (summer break, etc.). Board members are expected to attend all Board meetings. At this time, Board meetings are held on Monday evenings and they are in-person meetings with the option to join virtually where necessary.

Board members are required to sit on at least one committee of the Board, and encouraged to sit on two. Committees meet less regularly than the Board, depending on the nature and scope of their work, but on average, 4-6 times/year. Currently, committee meetings are held on various weeknight evenings and are virtual-only meetings with some exceptions. 

The Board occasionally establishes ad hoc working groups to advance specific projects or initiatives. Board members may choose to participate as their schedules permit and their interests/skillsets align. 

Board members are regularly invited and encouraged to attend community events as ambassadors for the organization. They may also be asked to make network connections, depute, act as a spokesperson in the media, support fundraising efforts, share social media content, and more. 

Terms

Board terms are for 4 years. No Board member may serve more than 8 years on the Board.

The 519 Board is seeking to recruit one catchment member at this time. The 519's catchment area is bounded by Bay, Bloor, the Don Valley Parkway, and the railway lands south of The Esplanade. Unfortunately, there are no non-catchment vacancies at this time, and the Board will not accept applications from non-catchment members. 

Recruitment Priorities include continuing to advance the representation of members from equity-deserving communities, including:

• Black People
• Indigenous People
• People of Colour
• Older 2SLGBTQ+ Adults
• Trans / Non-binary People
• 2SLGBTQ+ People with Disabilities
• Women

Skill and Experience Priorities include deep understanding and demonstrated competencies in:

• Fundraising and Philanthropy
• 2SLGBTQ+ Government Relations and Advocacy
• Immigration and/or Refugee Sector Experience (focus on systems/policy transformation and/or related advocacy)
• Board Leadership, Development and Governance
• Financial and Business Management Expertise
• Human Rights Legal Expertise

The process to fill Board vacancies is established and governed under the City of Toronto's Policy Appointment's Policy and The 519's Board By-law.

Nominees must meet the following minimum requirements:

• be over the age of 18,
• be a resident of the City of Toronto, and
• not be in a restricted category as defined in the City of Toronto's Public Appointments Policy.

The 519 also requires confirmation of the following:

• membership status - you must be a member of The 519,
• your two nominators must be members of The 519,
• the contact information of two members of The 519 who have agreed to nominate you for the Board of Management,
• provide a signed declaration providing full disclosure of any conflict of interest or perceived, and declaring your understanding and commitment to fulfill the role of a Board Member,
• a short biography that we will publish on The 519.org,
• your resume/CV, and
• a photo of yourself that we will publish on The519.org during the nomination process (optional but preferred).

If you are not already a member, please sign up here: https://www.the519.org/support-the-519/join/

Please review the Board Procedural By-Law here: https://www.the519.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/By-Law-No-2-of-The-519_2024-FINAL-signed.pdf

 

Please review The 519 Strategic Priorities here: https://www.the519.org/about/strategic-priorities/

Please review The 519 policies here: https://www.the519.org/policies/

There is one available Board position in the upcoming Board election. This position is a catchment position. 

Catchment positions are reserved for candidates who live within the catchment area (bounded by Bay, Bloor, the Don Valley Parkway, and the railway lands south of The Esplanade). 

Non-catchment members are not eligible to run for election at this time. 

"On behalf of The 519's Board of Management, I'd like to thank you for your interest in The 519 and emphasize the vital role played by its many volunteers, including the members of the Board of Management. Board members play an essential role in the governance and strategic management of The 519 and work closely with staff to deliver on our promise to the 2SLGBTQ+ communities: to improve the experience of 2SLGBTQ+ people in Toronto and beyond.

The (nearly) seven years I have served on The 519's Board of Management have been immeasurably rewarding. In that time, I have enjoyed a broad range of experiences: working collaboratively with incredible Board colleagues and experienced staff to support and amplify the voices of community members; responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; volunteering at our annual Green Space Festival; advocating for the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ communities to governments and public institutions; engaging in regular strategic planning sessions; and being an ambassador for The 519 at many fundraising events and initiatives, attending galas, and representing The 519 at external outreach opportunities and events.

I am deeply passionate about the work of our organization. Providing leadership to an organization as essential as The 519 is both a responsibility and a privilege, and I'd like to thank you for your interest in The 519's work."

Monday, August 18, 2025

• Nominations and the Application Process closes at 5:00 pm.

August 22-26, 2025

• We will email invitations to nominees to confirm virtual interview times.
• We will contact nominators to confirm their support of nominees.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

• The last date for The 519 to receive new membership applications and membership renewals to be eligible to vote at the 2025 AGM. 

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

• Nominees must confirm the invitation to their virtual interview by 12:00 pm.
• Nominators must confirm their support for their nominations by 12:00 pm. 

Week of September 8-12, 2025

• Nominee virtual interviews.
  • We will schedule individual meetings with each nominee between 4:00 - 9:00 pm EDT during this week. 

September 16-17, 2025

• Nominees will receive notification regarding the status of their candidacy following their interviews.

Thursday, September 18, 2025

• Candidate information will be published by The 519 and City Clerk's Office, City of Toronto, and shared with registered voters.

Thursday, September 25, 2025

• The 2025 Annual General Meeting.
  • Voting will only take place in person at the meeting, held at The 519 Community Centre.

The 519 is committed to accessibility. Please let us know at the end of your application if you have accessibility needs in order to be able to participate in the process.

If you have questions about this, please send an email to Privacy@The519.org or call 416-355-6772.

 

Notice of Collection

This form collects information required to be considered as an eligible candidate. Non-personal contact information such as photos, biographical, and other application information, may be published by The 519 and City Clerk's Office, City of Toronto to be made publicly available as part of this process.

If you are elected by the membership of The 519 and recommended to East York Community Council for appointment, the information collected in this form will be provided to the City Clerk's Department of the City of Toronto and the members of East York Community Council.

The personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the City of Toronto Act, S.O. 2006. The information is used to ensure compliance with The 519's Constitution, 'Relationship Framework for the City of Toronto Boards of Management,' and the Public Appointments Policy. The 519 will not trade personal information with other organizations. Questions about this collection can be directed to the Privacy Officer at The 519, 519 Church St., Toronto, ON, M4Y 2C9, by email at Privacy@The519.org or by phone at 416-392-6874.

Nominations are only valid if the following criteria are met:

• Nominators are members of The 519, and
• Nominators must confirm their support of your nomination by email no later than 12:00 pm on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

The purpose of collecting this information is to assist The 519 in assessing and monitoring our commitment to ensuring that the Board reflects the diversity of the communities we work with. We use this information at an aggregate, non-personalized level and report annually to funders and the Board on our demographic composition. While not mandatory, we strongly encourage applicants to provide this information to assist us in supporting our diversity, anti-racism and equity commitments.