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February 2, 2022
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Illustrations by Maria Nguyen The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we do philanthropy and how non-profits serve their communities. We now have the opportunity to reinvent the way we work. So, what’s next as we head into post-pandemic recovery? We talked to five leaders about their vision for our...
January 17, 2022
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Kanon Hewitt, Manami Hara and John Ng in Kuroko* . Photo by Chris Randle. By Madeline Barber According to Vancouver-based theatre actor and director Anjela Magpantay, there’s a hard-to-describe “unsaid flavour” in the room when creating a play that tells Filipino stories with a cast and crew who...
November 19, 2021
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Story by Meera Eragoda Photo credit: Disabled and Here Much of grassroots work is necessarily focused on providing immediate relief to communities in need. Equally important is ensuring policies are put in place for the long-term security and stability of such communities. BC Aboriginal Network on...
November 2, 2021
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According to Tessa Terbasket, when it comes to managing water in the Okanagan, there needs to be a shift “to see water as more of a relation and not a resource for just human benefits. And just change that whole perspective of ‘What can we do for water?’ versus ‘What can water do for us?’”...
September 29, 2021
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Tomorrow is the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation , which is also Orange Shirt Day. This is a solemn time for learning and unlearning. Coming to terms with the grim reality that ours is a nation built on the systemic erasure of Indigeneity requires that we — both individually and...
September 8, 2021
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Story by Madeline Barber For the better part of her career, multidisciplinary artist and CultureBrew.Art Creative Director Valerie Sing Turner has been a point person for connecting people in the arts community with Indigenous and racialized artists. While she has been thrilled to promote her...
August 19, 2021
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Story by Meera Eragoda In June and July alone, BC has seen 90% of the town of Lytton burn down, over 250 wildfires, and a record-breaking heat wave, leading to the province declaring a state of emergency. Fire has become, quite literally, a hot topic. Wildfires are increasing in both size and...
July 16, 2021
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Illustration by Scott Knowles Design At the root of most community challenges you’ll find a system that needs work. That’s why Vancouver Foundation is committed to address the behaviors, routines, authority, and beliefs that contribute to the vibrancy and inclusion of communities across BC. Each...
May 3, 2021
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One of the most troubling trends to emerge during the pandemic is the sharp rise of anti-Asian racism. Nearly half of Asian people in BC experienced racism in the last year [1]. In Vancouver, anti-Asian hate crimes have gone up by 717% [2]. And yet, these statistics don’t capture just how harmful...
March 10, 2021
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Through the Fund for Gender Equality , it was important to support projects that recognize the diversity of gender identities beyond the binary to advance gender equality across the spectrum. It’s with this ethos that we awarded a grant to a project led by Lantern Films and Access to Media...
January 7, 2021
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In 2019 Vancouver Foundation embarked on a project called BetaPhil to explore how we could deepen impact and strengthen equity within systems change grantmaking. We’ve made a commitment to our community that we’ll provide updates, insights, and learnings as the project unfolds. In August, we shared...
December 15, 2020
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Story by Sasha Dryden. Photo by Marina Dodis. Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture is behind KickstART Festival, which ran from 2001 to 2014 to present authentic, non-sentimental expressions of disability experience. In 2020, it was time to shift, and with a Community Response Grant from...
November 26, 2020
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For the first time, charities and non-profits will have a designated parliamentary secretary to work with in government. Congratulations to Niki Sharma who was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary of Community Development & Non-Profits today. By formalizing and acknowledging the important...
November 10, 2020
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Photos by Marina Dodis “It’s profound how quickly funders can pivot when there’s a will and a need,” Mebrat Beyene says as she thinks back to long hours nights helping charities keep their doors open by answering requests for emergency funding. Several days a week, she met with a team of community...
November 9, 2020
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During the pandemic, charities and nonprofits have played critical roles to fill gaps in services the public and private sectors are unable to address. Organizations like SWAN Vancouver have made all the difference for many of our community’s most marginalized populations during these challenging...
August 7, 2020
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Throughout the pandemic, accurate and timely information has been a critical part of BC’s progress in flattening the curve. But essential information has been inaccessible to some communities — and organizations like hua foundation are stepping up to help. hua foundation, based out of Chinatown in...
July 28, 2020
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When Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) had to cancel their largest fundraiser in March due to COVID, they knew it was critical for them to find new ways to raise funds and continue their services. PADS breeds, raises, and trains assistance dogs to provide life-changing independence to people...
June 12, 2020
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Moving to a new country can be challenging in the best of times but during a pandemic, it can be even harder. House of Omeed , a charity in Burnaby, has been on the frontlines of immigrant and refugee settlement since 2016 — and now they’re on the frontlines of COVID-19 too. Based on a relationship...
May 29, 2020
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The arts have a profound way of bringing people together through creative expressions that capture imaginations, challenge the way we think about our world, and provide meaning during difficult times. We need the arts now more than ever. Vancouver Foundation is proud to have supported more than 60...
May 14, 2020
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Report: Arts organizations, sports and recreation groups, environmental organizations and social service agencies may disappear in the next few months. At Vancouver Foundation, we’re serious about our commitment to being community inspired. It’s both our promise and our duty to listen to...
May 8, 2020
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Mothers are the pillars of our communities and during these times of uncertainty, they are especially important in offering stability and care. Organizations like Mom2Mom Child Poverty Initiative are playing critical roles in supporting low-income mothers and children who are among those who have...
May 6, 2020
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At the heart of community foundations is a powerful idea: that each community knows best how to respond to its own local needs and priorities. Through a $1.5 million grant from our Community Response Fund, Vancouver Foundation is proud to support the vital work of community foundations as they...
April 27, 2020
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Job loss, housing instability, and social isolation. These have been some of the top challenges that youth organizations like Zero Ceiling have been tackling during this pandemic. For more than two decades, Zero Ceiling has been supporting youth in the Lower Mainland and the Sea-to-Sky region to...
April 2, 2020
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Some of the most inspiring examples of people coming together to confront adversity during this pandemic are coming out of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). One of the lifelines of the community, WISH Drop-In Centre Society , has been at the forefront of supporting the health, safety, and well-...
March 26, 2020
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Over the course of one week, neighbourhood houses have stepped up to get creative and rapidly shift services and programs to support their communities through the uncharted territory of COVID-19. Often considered the heart of a community, neighbourhood houses create safe and inviting spaces for...