Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Vancouver Foundation

Vancouver Foundation was established in 1943 when a Vancouver secretary, Alice MacKay, donated her savings of $1,000 to help women struggling with homelessness. Her generosity inspired local lumber magnate Whitford VanDusen and other philanthropists to build on this gift, creating an initial endowment of $101,000 in 1943. The foundation was formally incorporated by a provincial statute in 1950, which expanded its mandate to allow donor gifts and bequests to support any charitable cause in Canada. Over the following decades, Vancouver Foundation grew into one of the country’s largest community foundations, now stewarding more than 1,800 endowment funds established by individuals, families, businesses, and charities, with total assets exceeding $1.5 billion. Since its inception, it has granted over $1 billion to thousands of charities and community projects, becoming a pillar of philanthropic support in British Columbia.

The foundation’s mission is to harness the energy, ideas, time, and financial resources of donors to create meaningful and lasting change in communities. As BC’s community foundation, it provides funding to hundreds of non-profit organizations and initiatives every year across a broad range of sectors – from social services and health, to education, arts and culture, the environment, and youth development. Vancouver Foundation connects generous donors with local needs by creating permanent endowment funds and investing the capital strategically; the income generated is then distributed as grants to support projects that address the root causes of social issues and improve quality of life province-wide. The foundation also leads special initiatives and partnerships to tackle under-served priorities, such as investing in leadership opportunities for racialized youth or promoting women’s participation in philanthropy, reflecting its commitment to community-driven innovation in the philanthropic sector.

Leveraging its grantmaking expertise and community reach, Vancouver Foundation often serves as an intermediary for public funding programs that support the non-profit sector. For instance, in 2003 it partnered with the Government of BC to administer a fund aimed at improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation swiftly co-launched a community response fund with other partners to provide emergency relief for front-line charities. It also worked with the Government of Canada (through Community Foundations of Canada) to channel urgent federal relief grants to local organizations across the province. In 2023, Vancouver Foundation was selected as a lead partner to help the BC government distribute new funding to strengthen the charitable sector, in collaboration with Indigenous organizations and community foundations throughout the province.

In carrying out these public funding mandates, Vancouver Foundation aligns each initiative with its strategic values and community-centered approach. The foundation advocates for flexible, multi-year funding that bolsters organizations’ long-term capacity and allows them to adapt to emerging challenges. It also prioritizes equity by ensuring resources reach populations and areas of greatest need or those historically under-served. For example, Vancouver Foundation’s grant programs place particular emphasis on supporting Indigenous-led organizations, rural communities, and groups representing equity-denied populations, so that funding is directed to those most impacted by social challenges. Guided by principles of social justice, the foundation strives to share power with communities and to trust local expertise in decision-making, helping to ensure that public funds under its stewardship create lasting, inclusive benefits for all.