Volunteering
Pride Week in Toronto is one of Canada's premier arts and cultural festivals and one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world. Together with the thousands of individuals, community groups, businesses and participating sponsors, we are proud to celebrate the lives and stories of Toronto's Queer Communities. Pride Week features 10 days of world class arts and cultural programming, community activities, one of the world's largest street festivals, Pride Parade, Dyke March, Trans March, Family programming, Blockorama, Youth programming, Human Rights initiatives, community art engagements and much more.
Volunteers play a central role in the life of Pride Toronto.
The Festival is produced by year-round volunteers, each working together to produce the Pride Festival in conjunction with full time staff who manage the organization and direct and support the activities of the teams. Each team is led by two or three Team Leads who manage the activities of the Team and its members. Our volunteers are an important part of Pride Festival planning who together; Help Make Pride Happen!
WHY VOLUNTEER?
- Contribute to the success of Toronto's annual Pride Week Festival
- Learn about the Queer Community
- Gain transferrable skills that add to your abilities
- Meet new people
- Lend your talents to one of Canada's most influential cultural festival
- Work in a supportive and collaborative environment
- Receive mentoring from core staff that have valuable experience
- Get involved and give back
- Because Volunteers Make Pride Happen!
There are several ways to volunteer with Pride Toronto:
- Year Round Opportunities
- Festival Weekend Opportunities
Year Round opportunities include:
- Board of Directors
- Team Leads/Advisors
- Team Members
Board of Directors:
The Board of Directors is elected by the membership at an AGM, and is accountable to that membership. It is responsible for the legal, financial, and overall well-being of the organization and the event. It is also responsible for the organization's overall governance, including the development of policies and procedures, development of strategic vision and long term planning, all contractual relationships and all partnerships. Members of the board are elected to serve a term of three years.
Co-Chairs
The Board elects two directors at the first meeting of the new Board to serve as Co-Chairs, leading the work of the Board and the organization. They are responsible in conjunction with the Board, for the general direction and supervision of the activities of Pride Toronto. The Co-Chairs are the official media representatives of Pride Toronto. They can delegate media responsibility to the Executive Director as appropriate.
Treasurer
Appointed by the Board of Directors, the Treasurer shall have oversight of the finances of the Corporation. In doing so, they shall ensure the completeness and accuracy of all financial records and books of the Corporation. The Treasurer also serves as the Chair of the Audit & Finance Committee.
Secretary
Appointed by the Board of Directors, the Secretary shall keep and maintain the records and books of the Corporation. These include the registry of Officers and Directors and members, by-laws and resolutions as well as the minutes of the Annual General Meeting, General Meetings and Board Meetings.
Board Committees
The Board of Directors has a number of Standing and Ad-Hoc committees. Standing Committee Chairs should meet at least quarterly to discuss their Committee mandates and priorities and coordinate activities. Following discussion with their Committees, Chairs are to report Committee priorities to the Board. Committee Chairs report regularly to the Board on the activities, decisions and recommendation of their Committees. With the with the exception of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee, each committee is made up of a combination of Board Members, Staff, Team Leads/Advisors, and community members. Board committees are as follows:
- Governance Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
- Human Resources & Compensation Committee (HRCC)
- Community Relations Committee (Ad hoc Committee)
- Board Development & Recruitment (Ad hoc Committee)
- WorldPride 2014 Committee
Team Leads
Pride Toronto Volunteer Teams are responsible for producing the actual festival by focusing on one of its main components. Teams are composed of two or three Team Leads who commit to a two festival year term. Depending on the Team, Team leads can work anywhere from 5-15 hours a month, with time commitments increasing for all closer to the Festival, and Team Leads are expected to be on-site throughout the entire Festival weekend. Leads manage and execute their respective Festival components including: managing a budget and volunteer Team, logistics and final execution. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and various experiences incorporated into planning. This volunteer opportunity is best suited to those looking to gain valuable work experience.
Advisors
Pride Toronto has a number of Advisor positions that work directly with staff to provide advice and assistance on a number of issues. Advisors commit to volunteering in that capacity for one Pride Festival season. Advisor roles are suited to those who have an expertise in, or would like to gain expertise in a specific area of Festival planning. These roles are solitary and Advisors tend to work more closely with Staff and the Board of Directors.
Teams
- Accessibility
- Arts & Culture
- Blockorama/SOY
- Clean Sober & Proud
- Donations
- Dyke March
- Events
- Family Pride
- Festival Research
- Festival Outreach
- International Grand Marshall
- Parade
- Public Safety
- Site
- Streetfair
- Trans Pride
- Weekend Food & Beverage
- Weekend Volunteer
Advisors
- Communications
- Web/Social Media
- Environmental Sustainability
- Pride Week Partners
- Media Accreditation
- Beverage Garden Manager
Team Members
Pride Toronto Volunteer Teams are responsible for producing the actual festival by focusing on one of its main components. Team Members commit to a one festival year term on a given Team and work together under the supervision and guidance of Team Leads to accomplish the Teams' goals. Depending on the Team, Members can range from 2-10, and the time commitment is also dependant on the Team, but can range from 5-10 hours a month. This volunteer opportunity is best suited to those looking to gain valuable work experience without as much of a time commitment, or responsibility as a Team Lead.
Festival Weekend Opportunities
Weekend Volunteers
Our Weekend Volunteers Make Pride Happen. All the strategic planning before the Festival becomes reality with the help of hundreds of weekend volunteers that commit to at least one shift during the Weekend of Pride Week.
Weekend Volunteers dedicate four hours or more to a specific volunteer shift during the weekend of the festival. They are recruited, oriented, and scheduled by the Weekend Volunteer Team with the support of the Volunteer Program Manager.
HOW TO VOLUNTEER
To volunteer for an opportunity with the Board of Directors please e-mail the Secretary Evan Dean: evan.dean@pridetoronto.com
For all Team Lead/Advisor opportunities please e-mail the Volunteer Program manager Kiona Sinclair at kiona@pridetoronto.com or visit www.makepridehappen.com for more detailed role descriptions.
To sign up as a Weekend Volunteer please visit: www.makepridehappen.com
PRIDE TORONTO IS CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:
Beverage Garden Managers (1 position) please e-mail: ben@pridetoronto.com for more information!
Clean Sober & Proud Team Members (3 positions) please e-mail: sober@pridetoronto.com for more information
Donations Team Members (5 positions) please e-mail: donations@pridetoronto.com for more information
Festival Greening Team Members (5 positions) please e-mail: greening@pridetoronto.com for more information
Food & Beverage Team Members (5 positions) please e-mail: foodandbeverage@pridetoronto.com for more information
International Grand Marshall Team Members (5 positions) please e-mail: igm@pridetoronto.com for more information
Site Team Members (3 positions) please e-mail: site@pridetoronto.com for more information
Trans Pride Team Members (5 positions) please e-mail: transpride@pridetoronto.com for more information
