Social Innovation, Community Building

Needed: Community Animators
Type: vol./ exchange ($500+/month value) (see below)
Organization: Centre for Social Innovation
Locations: CSI Annex (720 Bathurst Street) and CSI Spadina (192 Spadina Avenue), Toronto ON

Are you looking for a community who values changing the world and having fun doing it? Do you love community building and hosting events? Does the idea of meeting new people, solving new problems every day, and making sure spaces flow sound up your alley?

Would you exchange one day per week for a fantastic free workspace and access to an incredible community? If the answer is a resounding YES, the Centre for Social Innovation's (CSI) Community Animator Program is perfect for you.

What is a Community Animator?
Community Animators welcome people as they arrive and are the first faces people see when they arrive at a CSI location. They foster a welcoming culture and they set the tone for the rest of their experience. They work with our members to help build and create connection and collaboration.

You exchange your time as a Community Animator for unlimited access to CSI’s coworking locations and full access to membership resources – a monthly $500+ value! You are a connector of ideas and people, helping to build and foster an incredible community – you are the heart of the CSI community.

• The commitment: Exchange 7 hours on a dedicated day, once per week, for a 6-month term.
• The benefit: Free CSI membership, including unlimited hot desking and 10 meeting room hours per month, and inclusion to a vibrant, innovative community. You’ll also have access to training, development, networking, and events.

Community Animators have the opportunity to develop and experience community engagement efforts, develop and contribute skills, and deepen their connections with their cohort and the CSI community, all while learning the behind-the-scenes magic of almost two decades of social innovation and the art of animation.

Why become a Community Animator?
No pressure, but Community Animators are the glue that keeps the CSI community together and the glitter that makes it sparkle. This program is perfect for anyone wanting to learn about social innovation by immersing themselves in it. CSI is a network of networks with over 2,500 members. On any given day, you could meet someone who will change your life. Some Community Animators have gone on to start their own companies. Others have joined organizations working out of CSI. Some have found their next big opportunity and create their own network. A handful have even become full-time CSI staff. Community Animators have used their experience to support their goals. Where will your experience lead you?

Who becomes a Community Animator?
Community Animators are diverse in every way. They have varied backgrounds including race, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, age, socio-economic status, national origin, sexual orientation, ability, and religion. But they all have excellent customer service, radical hospitality, organization, communications, and problem solving skills. And perhaps most importantly, a commitment to approaching tasks and projects with sincerity, care, fun, and goodwill.

What do Community Animators do?

• The Welcome Desk & Common Spaces – Welcome every visitor to CSI with enthusiasm and energy, and help them navigate the CSI ecosystem. Handle phone and in person inquiries. Manage and support meeting room bookings. Key member services include stocking & maintaining kitchens and printers with inventory supplies, supporting meeting room bookers, and processing mail!
• Be a Host – Be CSI’s number one fan. As CSI’s ambassadors, you’ll also help members and visitors navigate the spaces and take visitors on mini-tours of the space while getting to know our incredible community. Prepare meeting rooms and ensure the space is flowing for our members. Organize, build, and participate in community events and community animation with your fellow Community Animator team. Ensure all our services are offered in an appropriate and culturally competent manner to a socioeconomically diverse range of communities.
• Be a Part of Animating the Community – Working with team members and staff to find opportunities to foster connection and engagement with our incredible members and animators changing the world.
• Clean and Tidy – Everyone at CSI chips in to clean up after themselves, but our Community Animators help us keep the space inviting. At CSI we strive to build a shared culture of care and this is a core operational duty that ensures everyone’s experience at CSI is awesome and the community is able to flow and continue to make change.
• Increase Efficiency of Operations and Systems – Suggest new work practices and processes to improve CSI’s flow and facilitate our daily mission. It’s not always about what we do, but how we do it! Join in on projects in the space to make CSI an even better home for our members.
• Offer IT Support – Support members using our photocopiers, printers, audio visual equipment, phones, and teleconferencing equipment.
• Other duties as suggested – We always want to hear what ideas Community Animators have about how to support our incredible community, operations, member services, and dynamic spaces.

How to apply:

Please fill out the application form by February 17: https://socialinnovation.org/offering/cap/

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Community Animator at the Centre for Social Innovation!