Community Action Funds
Residents of Greater Victoria have always shared a strong sense of community. One where we work together and support each other as we create a vibrant, caring community for all.
And whether serving on the frontlines of this pandemic, or providing other vital services and programs that contribute to the resilience, recovery and well-being of our community, our local charities need our help now more than ever.
Give confidently today to the cause areas that matter to you.
Building Community Action Together
Community Action Funds allow you to give confidently to the cause areas that matter most to you.
Whether your passion is to support the arts, health related programs, the environment, gender or racial equity or one of the many other cause areas that impact the wellbeing of our community, when you make a gift to a Community Action Fund, you can have confidence that your gift will be put to the highest and best use.
There are two ways your contribution can support the Community Action Funds:
- Give to the broader Vibrant and Caring Community Fund allowing the Foundation to respond to critical needs as they arise.
- Concentrate your gift on one or more of the specific cause areas. Each Community Action Fund offers you the opportunity to focus your philanthropy on one of the complex issues faced by our community.
Click on each of the ten icons below to learn more about these funds, or click here to donate now.
Our Community Action Funds
How Your Gift Has Impact
Your gift to a Community Action Fund between January and May will be distributed through Victoria Foundation’s trusted granting program – the Community Grants Program.
The Community Grants Program supports federally registered charities and qualified donees in the Capital Region with flexible, general operating funds. The program relies on Victoria Foundation’s long-standing and reputable process that consults with and gathers input from leading sector experts and a voluntary advisory committee comprised of Victoria Foundation board members and other community leaders.
Contributions made outside of that program’s cycle (between June and December) will be distributed into the community based on available granting fund balances and community needs within each cause area. For more information on how granting decisions are made from the Community Action Funds, contact our team.
To learn more about how your gift to a Community Action Fund can have impact, check out some great impact stories in our Spring 2022 Make it Happen!
Benefits of Giving to Community Action Funds
- Together We Can Do More: Your gift is combined with donations from other individuals, families and organizations, having maximum impact within a shared area of interest.
- Learn How To Have The Most Impact: Learn more about trends, issues and opportunities affecting your preferred areas of interest by visiting
the Community Action Fund website or attending one of our upcoming seminars. - You Can Give With Confidence: Rely on our in-depth community knowledge and partnerships within the community to ensure your gift will be put towards the highest and best use.
- Have The Impact You Want: Choose the cause areas most important to you.
Ways to Give
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Cheque
Send cheques to the Victoria Foundation at #200 – 703 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1E2; made out to the Victoria Foundation. Note the name of the Community Action Fund in the memo line or in a cover letter. If you prefer to receive your tax receipt by PDF, please include an email address with your donation.
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Credit Card
Use the online form below or call the Victoria Foundation at 250.381.5532 to make your credit card donation to one of the Community Action Funds.
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Online Express
Online Express is the platform that can be used to make donations to the Community Action Funds using your credit card. Using the form below, select your chosen fund from the drop down menu and complete the online giving form. This will allow you to receive a tax receipt instantly.
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PayPal or Recurring Gifts
To setup a recurring gift, or make a donation from your bank account, please use our CanadaHelps account to make your donation. Be sure to select your chosen Community Action Fund from the drop down menu below.
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Publicly Listed Securities
When publicly listed securities are donated to the Victoria Foundation, the tax on the capital gain is eliminated. To take advantage of the tax savings benefit, the donor must transfer the securities “as is” – either through an electronic transfer from the donor’s brokerage account to the foundation’s brokerage account, or in the form of a share certificate in the donor’s name delivered to the foundation.
We will work with you and your advisors to ensure the transfer is smooth and your donation receipt is delivered to you. Simply complete the step-by-step instructions on our Donation Form for Gifts of Securities and send a copy to your broker and to the Victoria Foundation. We will look after the rest.
You will receive a donation receipt for the fair market value of the securities based on the closing price on the date the securities are received into the foundation’s account.
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Victoria Foundation Fund Holders
We invite you to give to your preferred Community Action Fund using the available to grant balance in your fund in one of the following ways:
Donor Central: Logon to DonorCentral. Scroll to the bottom of your homepage to the ‘Grant Opportunities’ section. Simply click on the name of your chosen Community Action Fund box and grant as usual.
Email: Send an email listing your requested grant amount, fund name, and purpose (name of the Community Action Fund) to donorservices@victoriafoundation.bc.ca.
Be sure to select your chosen Community Action Fund from the drop down menu below.
FAQ
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How will my donation be used?
Your gift to a Community Action Fund before May 14, 2022 will be distributed within your desired cause area through Victoria Foundation’s trusted granting program – the Community Grants Program. Contributions made after May 14 will be distributed from the Community Action Funds based on available granting fund balances and community needs within each cause area. For more information on how granting decisions are made from the Community Action Funds, contact our team.
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How are distributions made through the Community Action Funds?
Donors can have confidence their gift is being put to the highest and best use. The Foundation’s close connections and face-to-face dialogues with local charitable organizations – together with research from reports like our annual Victoria’s Vital Signs – allow us to provide insightful, effective grants. From approximately January – May, grants are distributed from the Community Action Funds through the Community Grants Program. Contributions made after May 14 will be distributed from the Community Action Funds based on available granting fund balances and community needs within each cause area. For more information on how granting decisions are made from the Community Action Funds, contact our team.
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Can I support a specific charity through my gift to a Community Action Fund?
No. Gifts to the Community Action Funds will support the areas of greatest need within one of the specific nine (9) cause areas. Donors are not able to specify a charity within that cause. If a donor wishes to support a specific charity our donor services staff will be happy to assist with those grant recommendations. Contact donor services at 250.381.5532 or donorservices@victoriafoundation.bc.ca
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Will I get a tax receipt for my donation?
Yes. All donations will be tax receipted by the Victoria Foundation.
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Will the Victoria Foundation be charging any fees?
We do not currently charge any fees on the Community Action Funds. However, to ensure we can continue to provide this vital support, the Foundation will be assessing a fee in the future against each Fund as a whole. Donors will receive the full value of their gift on their tax receipt.
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Which organizations have received funding from the Community Action Funds?
Since the creation of the Community Action Funds in 2020, all donations to the funds were distributed through Victoria Foundation’s trusted COVID response granting program; the Community Recovery Program. The Community Recovery Program supported federally registered charities and qualified donees in the Capital Regional District with flexible, general operating funds in response to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. See the 2021 Distribution List HERE, and 2020 Distribution List HERE. You can also check out our 2022 Make it Happen to read stories about how the Community Action Funds have had impact over the past year.
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How can I stay up to date on the impact of the Community Action Funds?
You can receive current information on the impact of your support by visiting the Community Action Fund webpages. You can also check out our 2022 Make it Happen to read stories about how the Community Action Funds have had impact over the past year.
Once a year, donors to the Community Action Funds will receive an impact report that will also be available on our Community Action Fund webpage.
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Can my organization apply for funding?
Community Action Funds allocate funding to key areas of community wellbeing. Funding is allocated based on current needs within community. During the Community Grants Program cycle (approximately Jan-May), funds will be allocated to eligible organizations through that program.
Community Action Funds have been designed to support community in the areas of greatest need. If you are a funder or large-scale organization with a primary fundraising purpose, please note that other organizations without strong fundraising capacity or financial stability may be given priority consideration. We encourage you to reach out to our program manager if you have questions about your eligibility for future funding opportunities.
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Where can I get more information?
You can find a list of media stories and other information on the Community Action Funds on our What’s New page. For all other questions and inquiries, please email info@victoriafoundation.bc.ca or call 250-381-5532.