Victorians Asked to Speak Up in Vital Signs® Survey

Posted on July 25, 2012 in General

Victoria, B.C., July 25, 2012 – The Victoria Foundation is asking Capital Region residents to weigh in with their opinions on 12 critical issue areas. It’s part of the annual Vital Signs® community check-up conducted by the foundation.

The report is a combination of public opinion and statistics that provides a snapshot of livability and well-being in Greater Victoria.  Survey respondents are asked to identify what they think are the most important issues facing Greater Victoria today.

This will be the seventh year the foundation produces Victoria’s Vital Signs® and the third year that Island Savings has been the Signature Sponsor.  Subject sponsors this year include the ALACS Fund, CREST (Capital Region Emergency Services Telecommunications), Oakcrest Park Estates and Swiss Natural.

Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson said information tracked in Vital Signs helps non-profit organizations, civic leaders and individual donors make decisions about granting, policy-making and charitable giving.

“At our foundation, we make granting decisions based on the top issues and opportunities identified in Vital Signs and we also make proactive grants in response to the reports,” Richardson said. “Our announcement last week of a physical literacy initiative is a good example of proactive granting inspired by Vital Signs.”

The physical literacy program supported by the foundation’s new Smart & Caring Community Fund is a response to Vital Signs® data that show increasing levels of childhood obesity and declining activity levels. The issue has also prompted the foundation to include a section on sports and recreation for the first time in the series of indicators it tracks and elicits opinions about in the Vital Signs® survey.

The Vital Signs® report is part of a nation-wide initiative, coordinated by Community Foundations of Canada. A total of 13 community foundations across Canada will release local Vital Signs® report cards Oct. 2 this year. A national report will also be issued on that date.

This year, a Victoria’s Youth Vital Signs survey will be conducted in August and released in a separate report also sponsored by Island Savings.

The general Vital Signs® survey will run through Aug. 12. Greater Victoria residents will find the link to the survey on the foundation’s web page at victoriafoundation.bc.ca.

Organizations interested in sponsoring a section of the 2012 Vital Signs survey may contact Sandra Richardson by email or by calling 250-381-5532.

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Background: The Victoria Foundation manages funds gifted either in perpetuity or for specific purposes. The funds or the earnings from them are then distributed as grants for charitable or educational purposes. Established in 1936, the Victoria Foundation is Canada’s second oldest community foundation and the sixth largest of 183. To date it has invested more than $108 million in people, projects and non-profit organizations that strengthen communities in B.C. and across Canada. Read more about the Victoria Foundation’s vision and mandate.

For more information, please contact:

Stephanie Slater
Director of Communications, Victoria Foundation
250.381.5532 ext. #227     Cell: 250.686-8477
email: slslater@victoriafoundation.bc.ca
victoriafoundation.bc.ca