Vancouver Foundation
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| Founded | incorporated 1943 (established by act of the Provincial legislature, 1950) |
|---|---|
| Focus | Community foundation |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Location | |
Region served | British Columbia |
Key people | President & CEO, Kevin McCort |
| Endowment | CAD$1.5 billion |
| Website | vancouverfoundation |
The Vancouver Foundation is a not-for-profit organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia and one of largest of the 201 community foundations in Canada. Their mission statement is "to harness the gifts of energy, ideas, time, and money to make meaningful and lasting impacts in communities." They administer over 1,800 funds and assets totalling over CAD$1.5 billion, on behalf of individuals, families, corporations and charities.
Vancouver Foundation was founded in 1943[1] by Alice MacKay who had saved $1,000 from her secretarial job and wanted to help homeless women trapped in a cycle of poverty.[2] Inspired by MacKay, lumberman and philanthropist Whitford Julian VanDusen oversaw the establishment and incorporation of the foundation.[citation needed] VanDusen added $10,000 to the endowment and encouraged nine friends to match his own gift for a total initial fund of $101,000. In 1950, the Foundation was incorporated by the Legislature of British Columbia in a Special Act.[3]
