Each September, Vancity Community Foundation invites settlers and non-Indigenous Canadians to move beyond reflection and take meaningful action toward Truth and Reconciliation by joining the One Day’s Pay campaign. 

What is One Day’s Pay? 

Launched by a group of friends and colleagues, One Day’s Pay is a national campaign leading up to  Orange Shirt Day and  National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. It encourages settlers and non-Indigenous Canadians to give one day's pay or what they can afford. 

If you’re able, consider donating a day’s pay to an Indigenous-led organization. Despite making up 4.9% of the population, Indigenous organizations receive just 0.07% of charitable funding in Canada. 

Join the movement
 

VCF and One Day's Pay

VCF has been an advocate, partner and supporter of the One Day’s Pay campaign since the movement started five years ago, activating the campaign amongst our community and supporters. Together we have mobilized funding towards Indigenous-led non-profits and grassroots organizations. Each year, VCF donates one day’s worth of our staff’s wages to an Indigenous-led and –serving organization with sustained multi-year support.  

Learn more about how we engage with the One Day’s Pay campaign as a settler-led philanthropic organization, and some suggestions for how other foundations and non-profit organizations can join the movement.

Read our blog article feature with One Day’s Pay Lessons from five years of partnership:

To explore more resources that embody the spirit of the work we do, we invite you to read some of our recent blog articles: 

• Reimagining Philanthropy 
• Restorative Philanthropy and VCF 
• Orange Shirt Day 2024: VCF's Continuing Truth and Reconciliation Journey

At Vancity Community Foundation (VCF), we recognize that Reconciliation begins with truth. VCF recognizes that philanthropy, like most institutions in our country, is a part of colonial systems that perpetuate exclusion and inequity. We are committed to acknowledging the realities of colonialism, honoring Indigenous leadership and actively working toward a more just and equitable future. 

Honoring the land and its Peoples 

VCF operates on the ancestral, unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, among others across British Columbia. We acknowledge that these lands were never surrendered and that our presence here is a result of colonial laws and systems that displaced Indigenous Peoples. We recognize the environmental degradation caused by colonization and its disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities. 

Acknowledging historical and ongoing injustices 

We confront the legacy of physical and cultural genocide, including residential schools, the Sixties Scoop and systemic violence against Indigenous women and girls. These injustices have deeply disrupted Indigenous cultures and communities. Yet, Indigenous Peoples continue to lead with resilience, preserving traditions and driving movements for justice and environmental stewardship. 

Addressing wealth and power inequities  

VCF acknowledges not only the role of colonial systems—and philanthropy itself—in perpetuating exclusion and inequity, but also our own place within these structures. We are committed to shifting resources and decision-making power to Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving communities, recognizing that true Reconciliation requires economic justice. 

Taking action toward Reconciliation 

We are proud members of The Circle on Philanthropy and signatories of it’s Declaration of Action for the philanthropic community. This means we are actively working to fulfill the vision of Indigenous Peoples and support the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Calls to Justice for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. 

VCF is committed to: 

• Decolonizing our practices by challenging white-dominant norms and embedding Indigenous ways of knowing.
• Collaborating with Indigenous partners to build right relations rooted in care, reciprocity and mutual respect. 
• Prioritizing Indigenous-led initiatives in our funding, partnerships and advocacy. 
• Embedding Reconciliation in all aspects of our work, from philanthropy and social finance to community engagement and capacity building. 

We understand that Reconciliation is a complex and ongoing journey. VCF is committed to walking this path with urgency, humility and accountability.

September 30th is a time to honour Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities, and to reflect on the ongoing impacts of colonialism. These days aren’t just about remembrance —they’re a call to action. Continued learning is one of the most powerful ways we can show up—not just on one day, but all year round.  

Whether you're reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, exploring Indigenous-led organizations or learning more about the land you live on, every step helps build a more respectful and informed future. We’ve gathered a range of resources to help our community deepen our understanding and take meaningful action, together. 

• Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention by phone or online chat. Call toll-free 1-855-242-3310 or start a confidential chat with a counsellor at hopeforwellness.ca . 

• Indian Residential School Crisis Line is a national service for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their residential school experience. Call toll-free 1-866-925-4419. 

• Kuu-Us Crisis Line Society provides crisis services for Indigenous people across BC. Adults/Elders line is 250-723-4050, youth line is 250-723-2040, or call toll free 1-800-588-8717. 

• Métis Crisis Line is a service of Métis Nation British Columbia. Call 1-833-MétisBC (1-833-638-4722).