What's New
Discover what's new at Vancouver Foundation, including our most recent stories, media releases, updates, and events. You can search for older stories using the search bar below or you can click the filters in the sidebar to explore by topics and programs.
In November 2020, we launched the Fund for Gender Equality in partnership with Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) to support organizations that are working to advance gender equality through...
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January 21, 2021
Earlier this year, 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...
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January 7, 2021
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Story by Jenny Lee-Leugner. Images courtesy of the featured organizations. Despite challenges posed by COVID-19, charities and non-profits have proven that innovation is possible through sheer...
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December 24, 2020
Trust is one of the core guiding principles of Vancouver Foundation’s Community Response Fund (CRF) grants. “The people requesting money from the fund — they know community. They know what they need...
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December 24, 2020
"There's a sense of pride in being able to respond quickly, collaboratively, and meaningfully,” says Michael McKnight, president and CEO of United Way of the Lower Mainland (UWLM), as he reflects on...
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December 24, 2020
Prior to COVID-19, for a will to be valid in British Columbia, it had to be signed by the will-maker in the physical presence of two adult witnesses who also signed in the presence of one another. On...
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December 24, 2020
In the heart of Tofino, Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) rallied quickly to support their community when COVID-19 changed everyone’s lives. With physical distancing measures in place, busy summer...
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December 24, 2020
2020 has challenged us in ways we never expected. COVID-19 came out of nowhere, hit hard, and rapidly changed nearly every aspect of our lives. At Vancouver Foundation, we resolved early on to step...
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December 20, 2020
This spring, the BC Nurses' Union (BCNU) put the income from its Vancouver Foundation endowment fund not towards hospital equipment or emergency room supplies, but towards the Vancouver Food Bank. “...
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December 15, 2020
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...
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December 15, 2020
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Story by Stacey McLachlan. Photo by Claudette Carracedo. Liz Barnett has seen it all in her 30 years working in non-profits. She worked through Y2K and 9/11. She’s been facing the horrific realities...
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December 15, 2020
The Community Response Fund (CRF) brought immediate relief to charities and non-profits working hard to respond to urgent needs and keep their doors open. Here are some of the organizations the CRF...
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December 4, 2020
Photo by Vincent L. Chan. Above: Siobhan Barker (left) leads the culturally appropriate food hamper program and Lama Mugabo (right) is a board member at Hogan's Alley Society. As society grapples...
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December 4, 2020
Written by Meera Eragoda. Photos by Marina Dodis. Above: Am Johal (left), Elena Yugai, and Shagufta Pasta. Am Johal is Director of SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Serving on Vancouver...
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December 4, 2020
by Sasha Dryden Though headquartered in Hong Kong, the Simon K. Y. Lee Foundation has strong roots in Vancouver. In 2015, the Lee family established a donor advised fund with Vancouver Foundation in...
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November 30, 2020
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...
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November 26, 2020
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If you are considering making a donation before the end of the year, please keep in mind the following dates to ensure you receive a 2020 tax receipt : Friday, December 4th - Deadline for mutual fund...
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November 18, 2020
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Photo: Keiko Honda's project collects stories of people's experiences during the pandemic. Photo by Kayla Isomura. By Jenny Lee-Leugner Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) has always been about...
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November 17, 2020
By Meera Eragoda. Image above courtesy of Still Moon Arts Society. Vantage Point’s No Immunity report in May highlighted the precarity facing non-profits at the start of the pandemic. In a survey of...
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November 17, 2020
When our leadership team gathered in President and CEO Kevin McCort’s office on March 16, we had no idea it would be their last time in the same room. The executives had exchanged increasingly...
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November 17, 2020
Photo: George and Jean Hutchison. Courtesy of Lynda Hutchison. When Vancouver Foundation asked Lynda Hutchison to take part in a gift match supporting those impacted by the pandemic, the answer was a...
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November 12, 2020
Left to right: WISH Drop-In Centre Society Executive Director Mebrat Beyene, Eastside Culture Crawl Society Artistic & Executive Director Esther Rausenberg, and our Board Chair Tom Shepansky...
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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...
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November 10, 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...
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November 9, 2020
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The unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic have widened gaps and deepened inequities. Women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people in particular have faced disproportionate...
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November 3, 2020
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