Careers

Each Community Futures office employs a number of core staff positions, including a General Manager, Business Analyst, Community Economic Development Officer and Administrator. Brief descriptions for these positions are listed below. Community Futures core positions are supported by on-the-job and other forms of training that support career advancement locally and nationally. Check out the opportunities below or click on your province (above) for job openings.

Proven leadership experience as a developmental lender and working with not-for-profit boards.

News

News Release – May 2022

The Community Futures Network of Canada (CFNC) held its national conference in Ottawa on May 8-10, 2022 to highlight the contributions the Community Futures Program has made in helping Canada’s rural, remote and Indigenous communities become more sustainable. The three-day event brought together more than 500 decision makers and industry leaders from all 13 provinces and territories to network, share best practices, and learn new approaches to developing strong, economically sustainable communities.

One of the highlights of the event was a reception on Monday evening, May 9th, at the Westin Ottawa that was attended by more than 50 Members of Parliament from all parties. The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, delivered the opening remarks at the reception.

“Important programs like Community Futures remind us that for Canada to succeed, we need our rural and remote communities to thrive. The Government of Canada is committed to continuing to support the economic growth and resilience of rural Canada. Budget 2022 proposes a range of important programs and initiatives to support Canadians living and working in rural communities. We all need to double down, and support the economic diversification and sustainability of our villages, towns, hamlets and coves from coast-to-coast-coast,” said the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development.

The conference also featured opening remarks from the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) on behalf of Canada’s regional development agencies, and a keynote address by Sébastien Sasseville whose presentation, “One Step at a Time: Thriving in Change to Win the Long Game,” set the tone for the whole conference.

“By utilizing their regional knowledge and ability to provide direct on-the-ground support to the unique rural communities they serve, Community Futures Development Corporations play a vital role in delivering support, building partnerships and providing mentorship to rural businesses and organizations,” said the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

Other speakers included change management specialist Mark DeVolder on leading organizations through change, scientist and astronaut Dr. Shawna Pandya on success, failure and resilience, and Kyle Larkin on grassroots advocacy.

Press Release – May 2020

On behalf of the Community Futures Network of Canada and the 268 Community Futures Organizations located in rural areas and territories across Canada, we welcome Minister Joly’s announcement on the new Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) of which $287M dollars have been allocated to the Community Futures Network.

This funding will be targeted towards rural businesses that may require additional help to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and have been unable to access existing support measures.

The Community Futures Program has been serving rural communities for over 30 years. Each office operates as an individual non-profit corporation, with its own volunteer board of directors and its own portfolio of lending products and services. This means that the local board takes into consideration additional factors that a traditional bank may not, and it means the application turnaround can be much faster and efficient.

The Community Futures Network looks forward to working with the Regional Development Agencies to deliver the funding to rural businesses as quickly and efficiently as possible.

To learn more about the financing and business support services available through Community Futures organizations, please contact your local or provincial Community Futures organization for details. To access contact information for each provincial/regional Community Futures organization, please visit communityfuturescanada.ca and select your province.

Press Release – April 2020

On behalf of the Community Futures Network of Canada and the 267 Community Futures Organizations located in rural areas and territories across Canada, we applaud the Prime Minister’s announcement from Friday, April 17th where $287M dollars have been allocated to the Community Futures Network.

This funding will be allocated towards smaller employers and businesses located in rural parts of the country who do not qualify for the recently announced wage subsidy or loans or still need assistance in managing their operations through these challenging times.

As Canadians work together to limit the spread of COVID-19, the severe financial impacts of the pandemic and physical distancing measures have been particularly challenging for rural communities and the small businesses that they rely on to provide essential goods and services. The loss of one of these businesses in a small community, where there are no other local options, can be devastating. And we know that some of the greatest impacts, in seasonal industries like tourism, are yet to come.

That’s why we are so appreciative of the supports announced today by Prime Minister Trudeau.

The higher operating costs faced by rural small businesses and the smaller markets that they serve mean that the current loss of revenues is felt harder, and that their road to recovery will be longer and more challenging. The funds announced today will go a long way towards making that road easier to travel.