2025 Vancouver Foundation Magazine
In the 2025 Vancouver Foundation Magazine, we reflect on a pivotal year of transition and resilience. Amid a growing funding crisis, B.C.’s charitable sector continues to meet the moment — with the help of people like you. They remind us of what’s possible when we show up for one another. See how their courage, creativity, and generosity are shaping brighter futures across B.C.
Highlights from this issue
- Nonprofits bracing for impact, again – Why the charitable sector faces unprecedented demand, burnout, and instability, and how funders can help steady the ship. (Go to article)
- DTES’s thinning safety net – How funding cuts are forcing hard choices for organizations serving Vancouver’s most underserved. (Go to article)
- When community shows up – Filipino BC’s powerful, grassroots-led response to the tragedy following Lapu Lapu Day. (Go to article)
- From worlds apart, a shared legacy – The inspiring story of a couple’s lasting impact on the next generation. (Go to article)
- Mosaics for mental health – How art is being used as a pathway to healing and giving. (Go to article)
- Everlasting dreams – How one woman’s lifelong love of animals became an enduring source of support for animal welfare. (Go to article)
- Small dreams, mighty connections – Neighbourhood Small Grants celebrate 25 years of building belonging across B.C. (Go to article)
More from this issue:
Mosaics for mental health
By Amy Romer When Eileen Clabburn established donor advised funds with Vancouver Foundation, it wasn’t just about giving back, but about honouring the memory and lives of her loved ones. A huge advocate for the public library, Clabburn’s mother was big on community and giving wherever she could. “Mom was a great philanthropist,” said Clabburn. When she and Clabburn’s sister passed away two years apart, she wanted their spirit of generosity to live ... read full story ...
Small dreams, mighty connections
By Stacey McLachlan Photos by Isabella Falsetti and Marlon Martinez A tiny newspaper ad changed everything. Yunuen Perez Vertti had been in Canada just three months when she spotted it — something called Neighbourhood Small Grants offering up to $500 to bring neighbours together. She applied on a whim to the Vancouver Foundation-backed program, thinking an art event might ... read full story ...
When community shows up
By Amy Romer Photos by Jamie Poh On April 26, a deadly incident took place at the end of the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver where a car drove into a crowd, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more. The emotional toll has been heavy. Grief, helplessness, and guilt haunt the community, even those who walked away physically ... read full story ...
Nonprofits bracing for impact, again
By Esther Tung Illustrations by Inma Hortas Photos by Jamie Poh and Peggy Lam As demand for nonprofit services reaches record highs, government grants are drying up. Nonprofits are left scrambling, being forced to shutter programs, lay off staff, or close their doors, just at the very moment they’re needed most. A report from Carleton University found that in ... read full story ...
October 2025