Board of Directors - Oakville Wind Orchestra

The Oakville Wind Orchestra

Founded in 1866,The Oakville Wind Orchestra is Canada’s continuously operating concert band. The ensemble gave its first performance on July 1, 1867 — the first Canada Day.

Now entering its 160th season, the orchestra is a charitable organization that prides itself on providing accessible, high-quality musical entertainment to the Oakville and broader Halton community. With tickets under $30 for ticketed performances and 7–8 free community performances annually — including the orchestra’s signature summer concert series at Bronte Heritage Park — the organization continues to serve as an important cultural institution within Oakville.

The orchestra is composed of 45 volunteer musicians, each with decades of musical experience and training, who rehearse weekly in preparation for these concerts. These musicians are supported by an organization with an expansive music library, healthy financial assets, and partnerships with key public and private sector groups that help sustain the organization’s mission.

Board Transformation Opportunity

For 160 years, the orchestra has endured and evolved through periods of significant change, including two world wars and two global pandemics. Its longevity has been made possible through adaptability, community support, and dedicated volunteer leadership.

The current Board of Directors has identified a critical long-term development opportunity: elevating the leadership of the organization from that of a working board to a governance board that leads and supports a paid staff base to manage the operational affairs of the orchestra. This opportunity is critical to enabling the organization’s larger strategic ambitions. As a result, the organization is undertaking a transformational shift from an operational working board to a strategic governance and oversight board supported by paid staff.

This period will represent a transformational phase for the organization. Board responsibilities are expected to evolve over time from operational and transactional involvement toward strategic governance, oversight, and long-term planning. We anticipate this transformation will take 2-3 years.

Current Working Board Model

Board is composed of musicians who play in the orchestra.

Board members manage:

• Organization Governance
• Strategic Planning
• Concert and rehearsal operations
• Sponsorship
• Grant writing
• Partnership development
• Financial planning and bookkeeping
• General administration

Vision for Governance Model

Board is composed of a mix of musicians who play in the orchestra, and members of the broader community.

Board members manage

• Organization Governance
• Strategic Planning
• Oversight of finance and administration
• Lead on sponsorship and partnership building

Paid staff manage

• Concert and rehearsal operations
• Grant Writing
• Support on sponsorship and partnership building
• Financial Planning and Bookeeping
• General administration

Incoming Directors will work collaboratively with returning Board members to refine and implement the long-term organizational model that enables this state.

Applicants do not need to be musicians or current orchestra members. The orchestra welcomes applications from community members who are passionate about supporting arts and culture in Oakville.

Number of Vacancies and Terms Board

The orchestra is seeking 3–5 new volunteer Board Directors. Directors will initially serve a two-year term, with the option for renewal, in order to support continuity and flexibility during the transformation process. Terms may be staggered as the organization develops its long-term governance model. Terms will begin following the Annual General Meeting in late September 2026.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking individuals who:

• Understand or are interested in sustainable nonprofit arts organization models
• Are motivated, collaborative, and community-minded
• Have a passion for the arts and for contributing to Oakville’s cultural life
• Bring experience in governance, organizational transformation, leadership, or strategic planning
• Are willing to contribute operationally during the transition period while helping guide the organization toward an operating model with staff and a board that governs.

The orchestra welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and communities, and encourages individuals with a broad range of lived and professional experiences to apply.

Ideal Candidates

This opportunity may be particularly well suited to:

• Retired or near-retired professionals seeking to contribute their expertise to the arts sector.
• Emerging leaders interested in gaining governance and organizational transformation experience.
• Individuals with experience in nonprofit leadership, finance, human resources, law, fundraising, arts administration, or strategic planning.

Past Board Member Profiles

Our past board members have been entirely composed of musicians of the OWO. But as volunteer musicians, they brought with them a diverse array of motivations and experiences to better the ensemble as an organization. Some of our past board members include:

• A Managing Director of a boutique consulting firm passionate about developing strategy to set the long-term course for the organization.
• A Senior HR Executive looking to apply their operations expertise to help build a stronger and more sustainable orchestra.
• A Consumer Health Marketing Manager looking to apply marketing experience and expertise to a personal cause and to get to try bolder new marketing ideas.
• A Healthcare Manager looking to gain experience with financial administration and governance.
• Many Teachers, eager to build an understanding of business acumen.
• A Professional Engineer and Project Manager, wanting to learn more about the functioning of an arts organization.
• A Young financial professional who was eager to build and grow their expertise in bookkeeping and financial administration.

Objectives Our Directors Will Support

The orchestra is particularly interested in candidates with experience to help us achieve the following goals:

• Be a renowned artistic leader in our community.
• Chart a governance transformation plan.
• Set out a long-range financial and operational plan that will support that transformation.
• Build job descriptions and hire new staff.
• Develop an annual fundraising stream of $25,000 or more.
• Support the exploration and earning of 1-2 new grants.
• Be renowned in Oakville as an effectively operating charity that stewards its assets effectively to achieve its mission.
• Fortify our capacity to respond to changes in policy and legislation that may impact our operations or funding.
• Execution of these changes and goals is done in a way that the members of the orchestra and of our audiences experience no friction or disruption in our enjoyment of the arts.

Desired Skills and Experience

The Board is seeking a range of complementary skills, including experience in:

• Governance and Board leadership
• Legal and Policy Expertise
• Financial management and oversight
• Risk management
• Human resources and staffing
• Strategic planning
• Arts administration or arts sector operations
• Fundraising and philanthropy
• Sponsorship development
• Grant writing
• Change management and organizational transformation
• Digital marketing and engagement expertise
• Community engagement and partnership development

Expected commitment

The board meets for 2 hours monthly, with up to 10 hours of additional work required throughout the month, especially approaching concerts (Late November, early February, late April, and July). Over time, as the board transitions more of its working responsibilities to staff, the expectation is that this would reduce to quarterly board meetings with 2 hours of work each month in between.

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