High-impact investment program to build resilient communities in Vancouver

By Dorothy Bartoszewski

Vancity and Vancouver Foundation have launched the Resilient Capital program.

This high-impact investment program will help build resilient communities by making up to $15 million available for qualifying social enterprises. It also includes a new product for depositors who want to make a guaranteed fixed return on their money while backing social enterprises that are making a positive impact in the community.

Faye Wightman, CEO of Vancouver Foundation, says there are many philanthropists who want to go beyond simply donating money to good causes.

“The idea that they can now support local projects – with high social and environmental impact – while also making a return on their investment, is a perfect way to help them expand their support of the community,” she says.

In developing the Resilient Capital program, Vancity and Vancouver Foundation each provided $1.75 million in first-loss revenues. This $3.5 million commitment has already attracted an additional $6.85 million via long-term Vancity deposits made by 12 individuals and organizations:

• Vancity Community Foundation
• Tides Canada Foundation
• Illahie Foundation
• The Grain Workers Union
• PosAbilities
• Bealight Foundation
• Carol Newell
• Fraser Wilson
• Lundin Foundation
• The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation
• United Steel Works District Three
• an anonymous investor

There is now $10.35 million of capital available through this program. Vancity intends to build on this strong base with support from additional impact-focused depositors, potentially growing this patient capital program up to $15 million through additional five- to seven-year deposits.

The Resilient Capital program can help accelerate the growth and impact of emerging social enterprises and provide much-needed equity capital and loans, with flexible repayment terms. Resilient Capital Program investee enterprises include Save-on-Meats, Atira Property Management and Corporate Knights.

For more information about the Resilient Capital program and Resilient Capital term deposits, click here

Dorothy Bartoszewski is Communications Coordinator with Vancouver Foundation 

Building a Green Generation: Vancouver Foundation program kick-starts youth environmental projects

By Dorothy Bartoszewski

Wendy Szeto was a bit skeptical about the idea of planter boxes popping up on her boulevard in Vancouver’s leafy Dunbar neighbourhood. “At first, we didn’t think we would participate in the project,” she says. “But we decided to give it a try. And we are so glad!”

Szeto lives on the same block as 14-year-old Michelle Marcus, who is shy and soft-spoken, but a keen environmentalist. She really wanted to start a community garden, but didn’t have access to any land. So she dreamed of growing food in planter boxes on the generous boulevards of her street.

Michelle Marcus with seedlings for Generation Green Boulevard Veg!

Then she heard of Vancouver Foundation’s Generation Green Awards. The project offered young people, aged 6-24, cash awards for projects that would “green” their neighbourhood. Vancouver Foundation wanted to celebrate Vancouver’s 125th birthday and support the city’s goal of becoming the world’s “Greenest City.” They also wanted to empower a generation of community leaders.

Marcus’ “Boulevard Veg!” project was one of 19 chosen. As soon as they were made, her neighbours snapped up the planter boxes. A few months later, the planters were overflowing with cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, beets, beans, peas and potatoes.

For Szeto, who came from Hong Kong 30 years ago, growing her own food was a revelation. “I never knew you could grow your own food in the city. But it was so easy! We grew beans and green onions. They taste so good!” she says.

“We got to know our neighbours too, because you are out on the street to water the plants, and harvest, and your neighbours are out there too, and you have something to talk about. Before, I didn’t know my neighbours’ names. Now I know all my neighbours. It’s been a multi-purpose project.”

Marcus, too, is thrilled: “Everyone was amazed at what we could grow! I’ve seen lots of people taking walks and looking at the signs. I wanted to bring people together and teach them about the environment and growing food, and it really worked.”

Across Vancouver, 18 other youth projects were greening their own patches of the city. Other awards funded solar-powered panels at a school, alternatives to shark-fin soup, First Nations ethno-cultural gardens and a plethora of innovative projects.

In fact, Vancouver Foundation was so inspired by the results of the Generation Green projects that last month, president and CEO Faye Wightman announced the continuation of the program in 2012.

To see the 19 projects and learn more about Vancouver Foundation’s Generation Green program, click here 

Dorothy Bartoszewski is Communications Coordinator with Vancouver Foundation

Vancouver Foundation hosts Vitality Sessions to engage business, government, nonprofits, and citizens

By Meriko Kubota

Vancouver Foundation released its Vital Signs report for Metro Vancouver on Tuesday, Oct. 5, along with 15 other community foundations across Canada. To find out how Metro Vancouver is doing, come On the Road to Vitality with us by watching this video.

Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs for Metro Vancouver helps to inform the Foundation’s decisions with respect to grants, community partnerships, organizational collaborations and other program activities. It also serves as a key resource of community knowledge to engage donors, funders and partners, as well as community stakeholders.

The Vital Signs report is created by the community for the community. Many volunteers contributed to the selection of relevant and reliable data. Sharing the Vital Signs information and encouraging its use is integral to our vision of healthy, vibrant and livable communities across British Columbia.

With the support of Vancity, Canada’s largest credit union, Vancouver Foundation will be hosting community dialogues, “Vitality Sessions” from November 2010 through March 2011. These Vitality Sessions will be hosted in the six sub-regions of Metro Vancouver:

Our conversations will be co-hosted by community foundations in these sub-regions, engaging business, government, nonprofit, and residents of the regions. The purpose of these Vitality Sessions is to provide a space for conversation and support for positive change in our Metro Vancouver communities.

Please visit our website for more information on Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs for Metro Vancouver and updates on our Vitality Sessions: www.vancouverfoundation.ca/vitalsigns

Meriko Kubota is Manager of the Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs Team.

New times, new tools

Throughout the month of October the Vital Signs Canada blog will feature guest bloggers who are experts on various aspects of community vitality. Today’s contributor is Faye Wightman, President and CEO of the Vancouver Foundation

 In 2009, Vancouver Foundation took part in the Vital Signs initiative, but we tried something different.

Many of the young people involved in our organization were interested in Vital Signs, but felt it didn’t accurately represent their perceptions, and their experience of life in Vancouver. They wanted something that had more of a youth perspective. So, for the first time, we supported a Vital Signs that was specifically designed for, and by, young people.

Youth Vital Signs (YVS) was a year-long, youth-driven research and public opinion initiative that gave a fresh voice to Vancouver youth aged 15 to 24.

We captured the experiences of Vancouver youth through a public survey and a separate mobile text survey. We also analyzed census data and gathered youth stories.

The results of YVS were markedly different from the ‘typical’ Vital Signs in some cases, and in others, remarkably similar. One thing that stood out was young people’s enthusiasm at being consulted – 1,700 filled out the on-line survey or a hard copy version, and 3,000 responded to the text survey.

Many of their answers showed that they were far more optimistic about the future than adults in some ways, and in others, far more pessimistic. They brought up different concerns — especially around personal safety and the environment.

For highlights, or more detail, you can see the whole Youth Vital Signs report at   www.youthvitalsigns.ca

We learned many things through this process. We learned that youth have strong opinions, good ideas and a concern for the future of their community. We learned that there are many decision-makers who want to know how youth experience the world, and are willing to provide support and resources to make sure youth are heard.

We also learned that if we want to reach youth, we need to use their tools. Most polling companies don’t include people under 18 in their polls. Even if they did, it might not be effective, as many young people use cell phones rather than land lines. This means that youth are not usually included in the traditional public opinion research that is used to shape policy and investment decisions.

To overcome this, the YVS project contacted a local leader in powering mobile communities and wireless social networking. The company issued a five-question poll by text message to its 15- 24-year-old clients, with dramatic results — 3,000 replies were received in a single day.

While the results of this kind of poll are not statistically valid (because it’s not a random sample) the response rate was huge and fast. It showed that youth are willing to share their opinions and can be reached very quickly, if you use their preferred communication tools.

At Vancouver Foundation, we learned that, if we are serious about our concern for the world we leave our children, we should ask them what kind of world they want.

Youth Vital Signs survey showed us that — whether they are part of an ethnic minority; gay or straight; a new immigrant or someone who has lived here their entire life; whether they live with their parents or in foster care – young people all want a roof over their head, safety on the streets, equal opportunities for education, a green and livable city, and a voice on the future of their community.

(* thanks to Lynne Slotek and her blog entry of October 15 for the paraphrased title).