Why Donate to Vancouver Foundation

The heart of giving

Most of us care about our homes, our communities, the places we have lived, played, worked, and raised a family. Many of us want to find a way to give back to these places. To show our appreciation, out of a sense of duty, or just because it feels good to give, [and give back].

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”

- William James, philosopher & psychologist

With Vancouver Foundation -- Canada's largest community foundation -- it's possible to give back to your community now, and leave a legacy for the future as well.

We work with you to set up an endowment fund -- a kind of savings account dedicated to philanthropy. We help you put aside money that will be used for the charity or project of your choice.

Vancouver Foundation has helped thousands of donors make a positive difference in their communities, and in the lives of the people who live there.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

- Sir Winston Churchill

The heart of giving

It's easy to set up your own endowment fund. Vancouver Foundation will do all the paperwork, and we look after issuing your grant cheques. You just need to make three decisions:

1. Timing

Choose the timing. Do you want your endowment fund to be established:

  • immediately (and you can start giving grants right away)
  • in a short time, through a savings program
  • later, through your estate.

2. Type of fund

Decide on the type of fund you would like:

  • Donor-Advised Fund - you select all charities or projects that will benefit (includes Scholarships and Bursaries)
  • Field of Interest Fund - you dedicate your funds to a general area (like Arts and Culture, or Animal Welfare) and one of our advisory committees decides on the specific charity or project to support
  • Community Impact Fund - pool your money with others to address emerging community needs.

3. Finances

You can choose any number of financial instruments to set up your fund. There are many options, including cash, securities, and life insurance.


Endowment Calculator

Use this endowment calculator to discover how your gift will give remarkable support to the community year after year. Enter the amount of your initial gift to us. Then choose a time period to see how much your fund will have granted to charities, and how your fund has grown.

Gift Amount (example $10,000):

Period in Years (1-100):

The calculator uses a consistent rate of return of 6% per year. The calculator further assumes we will each year disburse 3.5% of the market value of the endowment to charities as grants, and that an average of 1% of the market value of the fund will be allocated to administration and investment management costs.



For further information or to personally discuss your philanthropic objectives please call Development and Donor Services at 604.688.2204.


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Vancouver Foundation advantage

We add value to your giving through our knowledge, connections, experience and flexibility

We have extensive knowledge of community issues and needs, and are well connected to the community and charities. Combined with our 65 years of grantmaking experience, and our flexibility, we can offer you advice on your donations and help ensure your giving is effective.

We serve as one-stop for all your philanthropy needs

You can support any number or types of projects through one organization. You can change what types of projects you give to from year to year. And, we do all the work for you.

We focus on legacy giving

When you give a gift to Vancouver Foundation, you can be assured it will continue to grow and benefit the community both now and for years and years to come.

Donors