Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation (CVHF)

Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation is a community-based charity established in 1993 to enhance the quality of healthcare in the Comox Valley region of British Columbia. Working in close partnership with Island Health, the Comox Valley campus of the North Island Hospital, Community Health Services, and non-profit long-term care homes such as Cumberland Lodge, Glacier View Lodge and Providence Living at The Views, the Foundation channels charitable donations into concrete healthcare improvements. Funds raised locally stay in the region and support people from infancy through to seniors.

The Foundation’s mandate covers hospital-based acute care, community healthcare so people can safely remain at home, mental health and substance use services, and long-term care. It provides financial support for medical equipment, program development, staff training, research, facility upgrades and a wide range of patient comfort items. Each year it publishes impact reports and financial statements that outline millions of dollars invested in local healthcare priorities.

Funding is organized around clear priority areas. In acute care, the Foundation supports hospital departments such as emergency, surgical services, medical imaging and cancer care by financing equipment like ultrasound machines, mammography units, cardiac temperature management systems, infant warmers and specialized patient recliners. Community healthcare priorities include cognitive stimulation therapy for people living with dementia, safe housing supports that enable home-based care, resiliency workshops for home support workers, and comfort enhancements for vulnerable clients.

Within mental health and substance use, the Foundation backs trauma-informed, community-based initiatives such as overdose prevention training using resuscitation mannequins and AED practice kits, e-bikes for outreach teams, and peer-led or anti-stigma programs. In long-term care, it funds restorative therapy equipment, pressure-relieving seating, music and sensory programs, therapeutic gardens, palliative care education, and comfort funds to ensure residents have essentials and seasonal gifts.

The Foundation does not operate as a competitive grantmaking body with open public calls; instead, it works with Island Health leaders and long-term care partners to identify the greatest needs through regular needs assessments. Priority lists are then communicated to donors, often with specific project descriptions and cost estimates, allowing contributions to be directed to targeted initiatives. Many listed items are marked as funded, showing successful completion of campaigns, while others remain as active priorities.

Through this collaborative model, the Foundation ensures that donor dollars align with clinical priorities and that new technologies, programs and comfort measures can be implemented more quickly than through government funding alone. It also maintains strong governance via a volunteer board of directors and demonstrates transparency through adherence to the Donor Bill of Rights, CRA receipting rules, and the publication of annual financial statements and impact reports.

Beneficiaries include patients at the Comox Valley Hospital, clients receiving home and community care, individuals accessing mental health and substance use services, and residents of local long-term care homes. Funding helps attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals, improves diagnostic accuracy and treatment, enhances safety and dignity in care, and brings joy and comfort to some of the region’s most vulnerable citizens. By connecting community generosity with health system needs, Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation plays a central role in sustaining and elevating healthcare services across the Comox Valley.