Grant and Funding Programs Offered by West Coast General Hospital Foundation

West Coast General Hospital Foundation is a non‑profit charitable organization established in 1990 to support West Coast General Hospital and the Westhaven long‑term care home in Port Alberni, British Columbia. The Foundation raises money from individuals, businesses, estates and community events, then allocates these resources to purchase priority medical equipment, support capital and service‑improvement projects, and contribute to staff education and practice improvement initiatives. Its financial support helps ensure that local clinicians have up‑to‑date tools and that patients in the Alberni Valley benefit from high‑quality, timely care close to home.

The Foundation focuses its funding on clearly defined health‑care needs within the hospital and long‑term care environment. Donations are used to acquire urgently needed medical equipment and new technologies, and to back targeted projects such as the acquisition of a Haemobank blood fridge—life‑saving infrastructure for transfusion medicine. In addition to equipment purchases, the Foundation now partners on broader projects and initiatives that improve clinical practice and staff competencies, such as education and training activities that enhance patient care.

Funding is generated through one‑time and monthly donations, planned and estate giving, corporate contributions, special lotteries like province‑wide "Split the Pot" draws, and local fundraising events. Rather than running open public grant competitions, the Foundation typically works with Vancouver Island Health Authority partners and hospital leadership to identify priority needs and then directs its financial support accordingly.

The primary beneficiaries of the Foundation’s funding are patients and residents served by West Coast General Hospital and Westhaven, along with the health professionals who care for them. By channeling community philanthropy into equipment upgrades, service enhancements and staff development, the Foundation strengthens the regional health system and contributes to better outcomes for people living, working and playing in the Alberni Valley.

The Foundation emphasizes appreciation, integrity, transparency, responsibility and collaboration as core values. It highlights how donations are used through campaign updates, blog stories, and donor‑recognition tools such as a donor wall and plaques tied to cumulative giving levels. A volunteer Board of Directors and an Executive Director oversee fundraising strategy, stewardship and allocation of funds, working closely with Island Health partners to ensure that projects financed by community donations align with clearly defined hospital priorities and improve local care quality.