family sharing an embrace, grandparents and grandchildren

Join Vancity Community Foundation in contributing to thriving communities by creating a fund to provide sustained or immediate support for charities and non-profits so that their vital work can continue. Using our experience and community connections we will work with you to develop a giving strategy that simplifies your annual giving, while maximizing your impact.

Funds for Individuals, Families, and For-Profit organizations

A range of short- and long-term fund options are available to individuals, families and for-profit organizations:

  • Kinship Funds allow you to join other Kinship Fund holders in designating the annual giving from your fund to one or more Collective Impact Funds. Annual grants from all Kinship Funds are pooled together allowing for larger, more impactful, and collective support. VCF mobilizes the collective funds to provide grants, advice, capacity building, and programming for community organizations, ensuring that this support is reaching trusted organizations that serve the folks most impacted by the affordability and climate crises.

    Kinship Funds present an opportunity to practice restorative philanthropy. Through Kinship Funds, individuals and families create a legacy of just and equitable giving by committing to make grant funding available to underserved communities while trusting the community organizations to identify solutions and make decisions on the best use funds. 

  • Donor Designated Funds create an enduring legacy of support for the causes you are most passionate about. Designated Funds are invested, with annual grants supporting a specific set of charities at the same percentages every year.
     
  • Donor Advised Funds allow individuals, families, or organizations to create and enduring legacy with the flexibility to respond to changing community needs or individual passions and interests, and the option to receive granting recommendations from VCF. Advised Funds are invested, with new annual grant recommendations made each year.  
     
  • Legacy Funds are Donor Advised Funds, Kinship Funds, or Donor Designated Funds that are activated after your lifetime, through a gift in your will. Legacy Funds can help ease the administration of your estate.
     
  • Give & Grant Funds allow donors making a single large donation to distribute those funds to multiple charities. While Give & Grant Funds may remain open over time, they are not invested, and each new contribution must be distributed to charities within a short time frame.  

Funds for Charities and Community Organizations

Several short- and long-term fund options are available to registered charities and community organizations:

  • Agency Self-Sustaining Funds are created by charities to build a sustainable revenue stream that supports their operations. These funds are also an attractive estate gift option for your charity's donors. Community Advised Funds allow community organizations to support other charities.
     
  • Community Advised Funds are invested, with new annual grant recommendations made each year. Charitable Giving Funds allow charities to raise funds for specific charitable causes they are passionate about, with the intent of spending down over a short time horizon.  

Benefits

While each fund type has unique benefits and advantages, all of our funds come with:

  • Advice and support in choosing the right fund type for you, your family or your organization.
  • Access to ongoing advice and support for identifying grant recipients.
  • A Deed of Gift (legal agreement) that sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Foundation and the donor.
  • Charitable tax receipts for eligible gifts into the fund.
  • An optional "fund page" in our online directory of Community + Donor Advised Funds.
  • The option to enable online donations into your fund (from your supporters, family or friends).
  • The option to donate in a variety of ways including registered securities and cash.
  • Access to the "Advisor Portal" to view fund activity at any time.
  • Fund administration, periodic reporting on fund activity, CRA reporting, and due diligence.

A Collaborative Approach Focused on Community

Leveraging our experience, knowledge and deep connection to community, VCF's philanthropy team is available to help you make a difference with your grant recommendations when you open a Donor Advised Fund. We are pleased to offer you advice and support to adopt community-centric approaches by identifying opportunities for you to use your fund to:

  • Support local organizations that are Indigenous or Black -led or -serving.
  • Advance Truth & Reconciliation
  • Contribute to the development of affordable community housing
  • Provide critical support to local grassroots organizations, especially in the Downtown Eastside
  • Address urgent or critical community needs, especially in the areas of social and climate justice, poverty reduction and financial inclusion
  • Support organizations working at a systems-change level

We may also invite you to give with other fund advisors, so that collectively, grants are larger and more impactful.

An Investment Strategy Focused on People and Planet

Investment Pie ChartThe capital of our long-term funds (Donor Designated Funds, Community + Donor Advised Funds and Agency Self-Sustaining Funds) is pooled and invested together for greater impact:

  • Approximately 10% of the portfolio is invested directly, without sacrificing financial returns. These investments are mainly in the Affordable Community Housing Accelerator Fund, which supports the creation of climate-ready community-owned affordable rental housing by working with not-for-profit, co-operative and Indigenous organizations to fund affordable housing development projects.
     
  • Approximately 90% of the capital is invested in socially responsible investments with Vancity Investment Management (VCIM). Socially responsible investments screen out harmful practices and industries, including fossil fuels. VCIM invests in responsible, progressive companies with competitive growth potential. Once a company is selected, it is actively monitored for its environmental, social and governance (ESG) progress. In areas where companies can do better, VCIM actively uses shareholder advocacy and resolution processes to encourage companies to continually improve their practices. Working with VCIM allows us to make a difference through our investments. You can read more about the difference that we make with VCIM through their impact stories and shareholder advocacy reports.  

 

For more information or to set up a fund, please contact:

Terran Bell
Manager, Donor Relations
Terran_Bell@Vancity.com
604-877-6584