Collective Impact Funds: Empowering Communities Together

This Giving Tuesday, we’re excited to introduce our Collective Impact Funds, developed to reflect Vancity Community Foundation’s (VCF) new strategic plan and priorities.

These funds are designed to make giving simpler, more impactful and rooted in trust.

By pooling resources from donors, partners and the broader community, we’re able to support local leaders and organizations who know what their communities need most.

What are Collective Impact Funds?

Collective Impact Funds are a way for you to join forces with others and make a bigger difference. Instead of giving alone, your donation is combined with others to support community-led solutions that empower communities to face challenges like affordable housing and climate change. Every dollar goes further, helping build a future where everyone thrives.

Our four Collective Impact Funds each address a key community need. These funds reflect our vision and strategic priorities: empowering local organizations, advancing equity and building thriving communities for everyone.

The impact so far

Since their creation, Collective Impact Funds have helped channel meaningful change by supporting community organizations leading the work on the ground. Each fund has its own story and its own impact. Take a look at the projects and initiatives these funds have helped bring to life.

Climate Justice and Community Resilience Fund

This fund champions a just climate transition by helping community organizations strengthen connections and build resilience; key ingredients for facing the growing impacts of climate change. By investing in resilience, we’re ensuring neighborhoods can adapt, thrive lead the way amid these challenges.

Here are some of the recent projects that have benefited from this fund:

The Non-Profit Climate Resilience Project: Together VCF, SFU, and Downtown Eastside organizations developed a roadmap for implementing climate mitigation strategies that will support local climate resilience and be translated into a scalable model for under-resourced communities across Canada.

Neighbourhood Cool Down Pop-Ups: Peers from the Climate Equity Action and Resilience (CLEAR) project organized “Neighbourhood Cool Down Pop-Ups" in the Downtown Eastside to distribute cooling kits to help residents stay safe during extreme heat and hotter summer months.

Megaphone Magazine’s Climate Journalism Series: Co-created by its peer newsroom and a professional journalist, this special edition explored the impact of climate change on life in the Downtown Eastside and brought vital community perspectives to the forefront.

Donate today to s upport more community-led climate solutions.

Affordable Community Housing Fund

Mobilized by the Vancity Affordable Community Housing Program, this fund is dedicated to protecting and expanding community-owned, affordable and climate-ready homes. It provides early-stage funding and capacity-building support for projects led by non-profits, co-operatives, First Nations and Indigenous organizations, helping them build or acquire housing that meets community needs.

Here is a glimpse of some recent projects supported by this fund:

More Than A Roof Housing Society: Multi-year funding helped build their housing development capacity, resulting in more safe, affordable homes for families.

Kettle Society: Began redeveloping their drop-in centre into a mixed-use housing project with expanded mental health services for Vancouver’s most at-risk residents.

The Namgis First Nation: Received support for a feasibility study which included financial planning and site assessments to prepare for purchase of 67 homes from Renewal Developments, an innovative venture with a mission to rescue, relocate, modernize, and repurpose quality single-family homes from growing urban areas to non-urban communities.

Help build more affordable homes - make a gift today.

Downtown Eastside Community Reciprocity Fund

This fund channels trust-based grants and supports programs at 312 Main, a hub for social and economic innovation in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) that is home to more than 80 non-profits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven organizations. Its focus is to strengthen community connections, create dignified work opportunities and transform 312 Main into a climate resilience center for the neighborhood.

Some of the initiatives that have received funding include:

Downtown Eastside Employment Program: Offers residents an opportunity to work at 312 Main, where they learn valuable skills supporting community and member programming.
312 Main Desk subsidy program: Ensures workspaces are available to Black and Indigenous led organizations enabling access to member programming and fostering connections with other impact organizations
312 Main Member programming: Helps tenants build capacity, strengthen their missions, and form connections with other organizations driving innovation in the social sector.

Donate today to h elp create more opportunities in the Downtown Eastside.

Youth and Elders Regenerative Fund

This fund invests in trust-based grants to support projects that build and preserve intergenerational connections between youth and Elders in Indigenous and Black communities. These relationships foster purpose, healing, cultural sharing and social support, creating spaces where traditions thrive and communities grow stronger.

Some of the programs recently funded with unrestricted grants include:

Umoja Operation Compassion Society: Deliveres culturally grounded programs for newcomers and racialized communities, fostering belonging and empowerment.

Hogan’s Alley Society: Advances culturally informed housing and community engagement for people of African descent in Metro Vancouver.

Ininīwikistayīkewin Seed Library: Supports Indigenous-led food sovereignty and seed sharing, building resilience and cultural connection.

Moccasin Footprint Society: Uplifted Indigenous knowledge, youth mentorship and community-led solutions rooted in ancestral teachings.

Empower youth and elders - make a gift today.

This Giving Tuesday, consider supporting Collective Impact

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity. We invite you to join us in creating collective impact by donating one or more of the Collective Impact Funds showcased in this article. Your gift is pooled with others to create real, lasting change—proven by the impact we’ve made together.

Ready to make a difference? Every gift counts!

Check out our Giving Tuesday Landing Page to learn more.