Executive Director, Sanctuary

Executive Director, Sanctuary

(Toronto – onsite role)

Salary – $110,000 – $120,000 – plus benefits

Sanctuary is a vibrant, inclusive community in downtown Toronto where people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and exclusion are especially welcomed, valued, and supported. We often describe ourselves as a garden, where our work and communal life nurtures four trees that offer good fruit to those who call our community home: Refuge, Joy & Hope, Stability, and Truth & Justice. To those ends, as both a church and a non-profit organization, we offer support through community meals, street outreach, healthcare services, an arts program, and Sunday services. We are guided by our vision that: “We are becoming a healthy, welcoming community where people who are poor and excluded are particularly valued. This is an expression of the good news embodied in Jesus Christ.”  For more information, visit our website: www.sanctuarytoronto.org

Sanctuary is a church and a community. Some of this community are homeless and some are housed. Some are sober and some use substances. Some have plenty of privilege and comfort and some have almost none. Guided by the Gospel, Sanctuary Toronto considers people who are poor and excluded to be the heart and centre of our community. Together, it strives to offer the love, dignity, stability and resources that all of us need to flourish. To this end, Sanctuary Toronto undertakes many life-giving initiatives including running community meals, street outreach, a health clinic, an arts program and Sunday services.

The Board of Directors is currently hiring a new Executive Director. The Board of Directors is seeking a visionary and compassionate Executive Director (ED) to provide overall leadership to the Sanctuary Toronto community and church organization. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED will work closely with the Pastoral Director to form the leadership team to oversee five direct reports: Operations, Outreach, Programs & Partnerships, Pastoral Care, and Supportive Housing. These direct reports form the Operations Team. This role of ED is pivotal in implementing Sanctuary Toronto’s new strategic vision.

What you bring to this role:

• Faith-Based Senior Leadership: A compassionate and inclusive Christian leader who brings a pastoral approach to developing community, with deep experience in faith-based ministry, articulating a compelling ministry vision and providing trauma-informed pastoral care. Strong empathy and connection to the cause and an ability to speak about the grounding of Sanctuary’s work in our Christian faith.
• Leadership and Non-Profit Experience: working with unhoused and underhoused communities including the indigenous community.
• Additionally, your experience will include leadership in a community-based, front-line organization, managing teams across multiple departments to evaluate, develop and implement impactful programs. The successful candidate will be engaging, collaborative and approachable with the ability to inspire and guide staff, board members, partner organizations and the broader community.
• A highly strategic thought leader with the ability to translate strategy into operational plans and goals, leading change initiatives with the ability to bring all stakeholders along on the journey.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with churches, businesses, government and community members and foster productive partnerships with like-minded organizations.
• Experience with sound financial management, HR practices and related legislation and board governance.
• Experience supporting successful fundraising programs.
• Education: Post secondary education in a related discipline or equivalent experience.

Why consider working with Sanctuary Toronto? What does Sanctuary Toronto offer you?

• Opportunity to work with a very collaborative and committed team on the frontline of homelessness crisis
• A salary range of $110,000 – $120,000
• Comprehensive benefits: mental health top up benefits, health, dental, vision, and prescription drugs
• Sick day-entitlements
• Eligible for clergy residence
• 4 weeks of vacation to start plus one week for holiday closure
• Support for professional development
• Excellent support with transitioning into the role
• Flexible time

Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including those with lived experience of homelessness or marginalization.

Application Process:

This search is being conducted on behalf of Sanctuary Toronto by crawfordconnect, a search firm specializing in recruiting leaders for Canada’s non-profit sector.

Qualified applicants are invited to submit their resume and letter of interest online to Liz Latimer, Senior Search Consultant at liz@crawfordconnect.com, in confidence.

The deadline for applications is June 9, 2025.

We thank all applicants for applying, however, only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

If someone you know may be interested in this position, feel free to forward this information- we’d be pleased to connect with them.

For more information about the position, please contact liz@crawfordconnect.com