Start a fund
Join us in building thriving communities
Take the first step towards meaningful, long-term change. When you establish a Community or Donor Advised Fund with Vancity Community Foundation, you help build stronger, fairer communities. We’ll work with you to create a giving plan that’s easy and impactful – so your support helps today and shapes tomorrow.
Why open a Community or Donor Advised Fund with us
Support what matters most: Provide sustained or immediate funding for charities and non‑profits so their vital work can continue.
Simplify your giving: One fund, one strategy – streamline your annual donations without the complexity. You’ll receive a tax receipt for each contribution into your fund while we take care of all the other administrative details.
Maximize your impact: Leverage our experience and deep community connections to make every dollar count.
Flexible for you: Individuals, families and businesses can all create funds tailored to their goals.
Local expertise: Partner with a foundation rooted in community, with knowledge and relationships that amplify your generosity.
For questions about setting up a fund, please contact:
Terran Bell
Terran_Bell@vancity.com
604-877-6584
Find the fund type that fits you
No matter who you are or how you want to make an impact, there’s a fund option designed for you.
Each type offers flexibility and support to help you give in a way that feels right – today and for the long term.
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 of 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 and Grant Funds allow donors making a single large donation to distribute those funds to multiple charities. While Give and 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.
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 set up with an initial gift to VCF – which is invested and grown over the long-term – with grants distributed to the establishing charity each year. These funds are an attractive estate gift option for your charity’s donors looking to leave a lasting gift in their will.
- Community Advised Funds allow charities and non-profit organizations the flexibility to respond to changing community needs. These funds are set up with an initial gift to VCF – which is invested and grown over the long-term – with grants distributed to the establishing charity each year.
FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
We are here to work with you and/or your clients to simplify their charitable giving and to deepen their impact through one of our short or long-term fund options.
Getting started*
We will establish a relationship with your client, working at their pace to move through the following steps:
- We meet with you and/or your client to learn more about your client’s interest in charitable giving.
- We offer advice on various Donor or Community Advised Fund types to help match your client to the fund type that best meets their vision for philanthropy.
- We sign a Deed of Gift (legal agreement) with your client that sets out the fund’s name and the roles and responsibilities of the Foundation and the donor.
- Your client makes their initial contribution.
The minimum starting balance to set up a fund ranges from $10,000 to $25,000. Invested funds target a return of 6.5% over time. The expense allocation for invested funds ranges from 1.25% to 1.5%. The expense allocation for short-term (non-invested) funds is determined by the activity of the fund and ranges from 4% – 5%.
*Community and Donor Advised Funds are invested and administered in accordance with the relevant policies of VCF as amended from time to time.
The benefits of opening a fund with VCF
When you open a Donor Advised Fund with Vancity Community Foundation, you gain more than a fund – you gain a partner committed to helping you make a lasting impact. Here’s what every fund includes:
Expert guidance and ongoing support: Advice on choosing the right fund type and help identifying grant recipients using community‑centric approaches.
Flexible giving and visibility options: Enable online donations, give through cash or registered securities and/or create an optional fund page in our online directory.
Easy access and full administration: Our Advisor Portal allows you to view fund activity at any time, with reporting, CRA compliance and due diligence handled for you.
Collaborative approach: Work with a team deeply connected to community needs.
Community impact opportunities
Our Philanthropy team can help you direct your giving to:
- Indigenous or Black‑led and ‑serving organizations
- Truth and Reconciliation initiatives
- Affordable community housing projects
- Grassroots organizations in the Downtown Eastside
- Urgent needs in social and climate justice, poverty reduction and financial inclusion
- System‑change efforts for long‑term impact
- Collective giving opportunities for greater impact
An investment strategy
focused on people and planet
The capital of our long-term funds (Donor Designated Funds, Community and Donor Advised Funds and Agency Self-Sustaining Funds) is pooled and invested together for greater impact:
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.
Approximately 10% of the portfolio is invested directly, without sacrificing financial returns. These investments are mainly in the Vancity Affordable Community Housing Accelerator Fund, which supports the creation of climate-ready community-owned affordable rental housing.
VCF’S strategic plan
and priorities
Founded in 1989, Vancity Community Foundation believes in the power of collective effort to build thriving, vibrant communities. While our innovative approaches have amplified non-profit work, we recognize that many tools – including philanthropy – have perpetuated inequities.
Our new strategic plan aims to increase equity by focusing on community-owned assets, collective benefits and economic conditions for thriving. We will engage and support communities most impacted by systemic inequalities, ensuring their input and leadership in developing solutions.
Part of the Vancity family
As part of the broader Vancity ecosystem, we maintain a strong partnership rooted in shared values while operating as an independent public foundation.
Vancity Credit Union provides strategic support and sustained funding that enables us to pursue bold, community-led solutions.
Through our partnership with Vancity Investment Management (VCIM), fundholders benefit from responsible investing with rigorous ESG standards, shareholder activism and a commitment to climate action and Indigenous Reconciliation.
Not ready to start a fund yet?
We’re here to help.
For questions about giving, please contact:
Madison Mussell
Madison_Mussell@vancity.com
604-877-7647