Vancouver Foundation
Suite 200 - 475 West Georgia Street V6B 4M9 Vancouver, BC, Canada

In BC, health care systems are under pressure, and intense demands for care place enormous pressure on staff, especially nurses, to meet the increasing needs of patients in a system that has limited resources. Led by Dr. Maureen Ryan at the University of Victoria School of Nursing, a project called Reawakening a caring culture in health care: Nurses leading transformation in health systems is underway. Employing a Develop grant, this initiative aims to use a participatory research approach to engage BC nurses in transforming the health system to deliver the best quality care, while making nursing more rewarding and easing the stress on the system as a whole. #GrantAtAGlance

Discover how African Women’s Health Services Society, House of Omeed, and Umoja Operation Compassion Society of British Columbia were able to stay connected to their clients, who are refugees or immigrants to Canada, through support from the Community Response Fund.

The Lillooet Friendship Centre upcoming program, Engaging Community for Positive Change, will focus on stopping violence in Lillooet. The program builds on the work of a previous program that focused on changing systemic behaviours that led to violence against women. We're proud to support this initiative with a Scale grant. #GrantAtAGlance

Charities and non-profits have shown determination and commitment to move forward in the face of COVID-19. With support from the Community Response Fund, the hua foundation and Gabriola Arts Council were able to adapt and find new ways to support their communities. Read on to learn more about their pandemic pivots and how the resulting initiatives have supported community resiliency.

Organizations that offer free tax clinics may be eligible for a new grant from the CRA to help cover costs. Keep your receipts and you'll be able to apply for funding this May. Confirm your eligibility here:

Small businesses and self-employed people make up the bulk of our economy. But right now, entrepreneurship and business education tends to prioritize economic growth above all else. Rooted in justice and equity, Groundswell Social Ventures believes that anyone can be an entrepreneur. With support from a Scale grant, they will be running a host of immersive social entrepreneurship programs that will not only incubate ideas and businesses but focus on creating an ecosystem of support for the individual as well. #GrantAtAGlance

League of Innovators and CityHive are two of many youth-led, youth-centred non-profits that recognize the deep need to decolonize their boards and staff and make them safe for BIPOC folks to work and lead. With support through a Develop grant, they’re bringing youth-led organizations together to work on embedding decolonial practices at the board and staff levels. #GrantAtAGlance

For Lynda Hutchison, the George Hutchison Foundation is both a beautiful tribute to her father's legacy and a lasting way to continue upholding his core value of giving back to the community. Now, his family is able to focus on what was most important to George: education and keeping people healthy. Read on to learn how the Hutchisons are making philanthropy a family tradition.

Truly an honour! Margaret Grenier (Gitsxan/Cree) is also an advisor for our Systems Change grant program and serves on the board of The Dance Centre & the Canadian Dance Assembly. https://www.cbc.ca//bc-dancer-performing-arts-prize-1.5800

With the help of a Develop grant, the Trails BC's ‘Greenways for All’ initiative will help address the lack of accessible active transportation and recreation for residents and visitors in Indigenous and rural communities. By engaging Indigenous communities as well as local governments and groups, Trails Society of BC will determine what has worked and what the barriers are in order to create a plan for increased mobility and safe access to jobs, education, services, and health care. #GrantAtAGlance

For our friends working on overdose prevention & response: CMHA BC Division, Community Action Initiative & Public Health Association of BC - PHABC is looking for groups like you to share your work in a webinar that will also help you learn what others are doing. Be sure to send in your submission by November 20 here: http://ow.ly/jqCg50Ck7x6

We're hiring a Manager, Donor Services to support with fundraising and donor stewardship. This is a full-time, 20-month contract. Salary range is $70,000-$75,000 plus benefits. Apply by October 18, 2020 here: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/our-work/people/careers #hiring #fundraising #bcnonprofit

Meet Eva Wickham, a recent recipient of a Neighbourhood Small Grant in partnership with Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. Eva recently rediscovered nature photography as a hobby, and decided to use this outlet to organize like-minded youth in Tla-o-qui-aht traditional territory, otherwise known as Tofino. By mobilizing youth to discover the beauty in their backyards, Eva hopes these photographs can have a greater purpose in benefiting the community. The idea is that each participant... will share one of their favourite photos to make a set of thank you cards. Once the cards are printed, Eva can mail these cards to elders in the community to help combat social isolation and loneliness. We reached out to Eva to learn more about how she hopes these friendly cards will build local connections, all while connecting youth to a creative outlet that nurtures their appreciation for the beauty and nature that surrounds them. #bcnonprofit See more

This year's cover story on the magazine: Mebrat Beyene (WISH Drop-In Centre Society, pictured below), Esther Rausenberg (Eastside Culture Crawl) and Tom Shepansky (our board chair) share what it was like to advise on grants for the Community Response Fund.

Parenting has seen one of the biggest shifts in everyday life since the pandemic began in March, and with that comes new challenges for non-profit organizations that support caregivers through programs and resources that connect families. With support from the Emergency Community Support Fund through Vancouver Foundation, organizations such as the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS) and their Indigenous HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Young...sters) Program have been able to pivot and provide vital services many families require during these difficult times. With this funding, VAFCS was able to provide tablets to at least 40 families and support 50 children and their families graduate from the program through a virtual ceremony that was held in June a testament to the perseverance and commitment of both VAFCS staff and the families. Vancouver Foundation is proud to support a diverse group of charities supporting Indigenous children, youth, and families through the pandemic. Read on to learn how these inspiring organizations are supporting long-term learners during COVID. #ECSFund

The Systems Change & Participatory Action Research grant programs are open to application now until October 16. We encourage you to review guidelines on our website for the program you’re interested in before applying. For returning Systems Change applicants, you may notice subtle changes to your application form. If you’re wondering why, you can refer to the the Systems Change Grant Addendum document on our website. A more noticeable change for Systems Change Develop grant... applicants for this cycle is that you will not need to submit your budget. These are all part of our commitment to making grant applications easier for you. Go to the Systems Change page: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/gr/systems-change-grants Go to the Participatory Action Research page: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca//participatory-action-r #bcnonprofit #grants

We're excited to share the winning 'heartwork', selected by Connie Sabo. There were so many outstanding submissions among the Eastside Culture Crawl community, and we truly appreciate the time and effort put forth to submit your work and share what's in your heart. Now, for the winner Congratulations to Paddy Meade for being selected as the winning submission for our 'heartwork' collaboration with Eastside Culture Crawl! Paddy will be honoured with a donation of $50,000 made in her name to the Vancouver Foundation Community Response Fund. #TheEastSideCultureCrawl #InOurHearts

'Seed the City' is a summer program led by LifeCycles Project Society that supports students in exploring urban agriculture as a viable career path, inspiring solutions-oriented entrepreneurship in the next generation of urban farmers. Using school grounds to set up micro-farm sites, students can gain knowledge on how to grow, harvest, and market local foods, and change the way they interact with their local food system. By participating, students can engage in solutions to climate change and the collapse of biodiversity - just another example of a Test Grant at work in the community! #GrantAtAGlance

To mitigate systemic discrimination and major health disparities for Indigenous peoples in Canada, the Aboriginal Health department of Vancouver Coastal Health has created educational resources to unpack biases healthcare staff may have against Indigenous peoples. Through the use of workshops supported by a Systems Change grant, they’re aiming to increase staffs’ cultural awareness and sensitivity, and explore how staff can deliver culturally safe care to improve access and ultimately reduce health disparities. #GrantAtAGlance

Inheritance, an interactive pick-your-path theatre experience by Touchstone Theatre and Alley Theatre- Vancouver that pauses at key moments and plays out based on audience input, tells a story of three Indigenous and non-Indigenous characters in a land control dispute. A Develop grant helped bring Inheritance to life on stage in March, and enabled it to be a jumping off point for engagement with the public on issues of Indigenous land rights. In conjunction with this play, various collaborators were engaged to research strategies and initiatives both at the citizenry and government level that could bring about change to an unjust land control system. #GrantAtAGlance

Thinking of applying for the Investment Readiness Program, but not sure if it’s right for you? Join this webinar on September 10, 11am PT hosted by Community Foundations of Canada. Register here: https://communityfoundations.zoom.us//WN_j545RV3YRcGI8m1bm

The Investment Readiness Program is open now until October 9. The IRP supports social purpose organizations to become ready to accept social financing and investments. Nonprofits, charities, co-ops, and for-profit social enterprises are eligible as long as you have, or plan to have, a way to generate revenue from the sales of goods or services. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, go to our website:... #bcnonprofit #investments https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca//investment-readiness-p

Calling residents of Vancouver who live near the Arbutus Greenway: Team INTERACT wants to hear from you on how these kinds of developments impact your health and wellbeing. Visit their website to be part of this study: https://teaminteract.ca/vancouver/

On the Table BC is back for its third year to bring communities, individuals, and organizations across the province together creatively and safely to with space for intentional connection. Throughout the month of September, registration will remain open for hosts to sign up and facilitate meaningful conversations. On the Table has a wide variety of tools and resources that include everything from conversation starters to virtual gathering guides, with a fully integrated and custom calendar invite platform that allows you to set the tone for the event - everything you need, step by step! We've learned over the years that sometimes all it takes is a gentle nudge or reminder to connect with those that matter most. So why not put it #onthetablebc this fall - we have a lot to talk about. #bcnonprofit

Switch up the boardroom for a park, meet your book club group out for a picnic, or better yet, take full advantage of Patiotown in Gastown. On the Table BC is a great excuse to support local business and connect with those that matter most on a deeper level than your usual day to day! Sounds like a win-win to us. #onthetableBC