Orange Shirt Day

Join the One Day's Pay campaign

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. 

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. 

Donate one day's pay

One Day's Pay partner organizations for 2025

Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation

A Cree-led philanthropic foundation supporting the social, cultural and economic development of the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec. It funds initiatives in education, youth development, health, culture and community resilience.

Learn more
Indigenous Watchdog

A federally registered non-profit that monitors and reports on the progress of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. It curates credible, current information to educate and empower Canadians to take action toward Reconciliation.

Learn more
Moccasin Footprint Society

A charitable organization that supports Indigenous sovereignty through education, cultural revitalization and land stewardship, guided by Secwepemc and Nuxalk. They are solutions focused, supporting community led work.

Learn more
The Orange Shirt Society

A non-profit organization committed to raising awareness about the lasting impacts of the Residential School system and promoting Reconciliation through the message that
Every Child Matters. 

Learn more

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.

Lessons from five years of partnership

VCF's commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

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. 

Honouring 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's commitments

  • 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.

Resources for continued learning and support

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. 

WAYS TO SUPPORT ORANGE SHIRT DAY
  • Read One Day’s Pay and The Circle on Philanthropy’s Guide to Deeper Engagement. 
  • Learn more about where you live. The First Peoples’ Map can be used to view Indigenous language regions, artists and artworks, place names and community landmarks. You can hear the pronunciation of language names, greetings, places and more.    
  • Use your voice and energy to call for clean drinking water in Indigenous communities, by taking a moment to complete this action asking the Prime Minister to end drinking water advisories in First Nations. 
  • Visit the Feast House, a robust directory of Indigenous-led organizations that you can give to. 
  • Read a book written by an Indigenous author. Support local Indigenous-owned and operated bookstores like Massey Books. 
  • Explore Indigenous music artists like The Halluci Nation, Aysanabee, Logan Staats, Morgan Toney, Crezus, Boogey the Beat, A Tribe Called Red, DJ Shub, Jeremy Dutcher, Cris Derksen and Robbie Robertson.  
  • Watch an Indigenous film from the National Film Board, or check out Monkey Beach, Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls and Smoke Signals.  
  • Shop at, give to or learn more about an Indigenous-owned business, social enterprise, non-profit or charity in your community. Visit Strong Nation’s site for Indigenous books and gifts.
  • 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). 

A heartfelt thank you

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to The Circle on Philanthropy for their ongoing leadership, wisdom and guidance in shaping a more equitable philanthropic sector. Their work continues to inspire us to stay accountable, listen deeply and center community voices in all that we do. 

Vancity Community Foundation aims to work with supporters like you to truly distribute power and build thriving communities where lives are dignified and nature is in balance. At the heart of our new strategic plan is a commitment to being community-led and prioritizing funding for those pushed into the margins – specifically Indigenous and Black communities – in all our work, including across our main areas of focus: restoring affordability, climate justice and resilience and connected communities.