The Victoria Foundation has gratitude for the year we’re leaving, and much excitement for the milestones ahead.
Looking back to the year we’ve left behind can come with moments of learning, a sense of pride at our achievements and, of course, gratitude for those around us who strengthened the charitable sector and supported our community.
At the Victoria Foundation, we are very thankful to the charitable sector for the resilience, compassion, and flexibility it’s given to improve the well-being of Greater Victoria this year. During the Canada Post disruption, in particular, I’m heartened to see organizations widening other channels for people to give during one of the busiest times of year.
I would like to extend thanks to our community partners, who we are very proud to work with each year and who’ve made great impact in 2024, including the City of Victoria, the University of Victoria, the Government of British Columbia, the South Island Prosperity Partnership, the Times 91原创 and CHEK TV.
Also, for the leadership of our board of directors, the professional advisers we partner with, and our community filled with donors who share their vision and generosity.
This time of year, charitable organizations are working head-on to ensure our region’s most vulnerable are protected from the cold and have access to a support network.
Thanks to your generosity, charities like the Sooke Shelter Society can continue providing safe shelter and necessities for the unhoused, while faith-based groups like the Coastline Church can continue providing meals and community for those in need. Also, the arts sector brings back joy and hope to the season.
The Victoria Foundation, as your community foundation, continues to change and grow along with the community.
Peeking behind the curtain for 2025, we’re working “on purpose,” shifting our tune, to lay the groundwork for collaborations that will make a true and lasting impact. While we’re an organization that makes grants, we’re also working upstream with everyone in the region on solutions to issues deeply rooted in our community.
Our department of innovation and impact will be at the helm of the work we plan to collaborate with the community on, in order to tackle our region’s complex challenges. We further look forward to welcoming new board members and staff, and to continuing our focus on reconciliation in everything we do.
I’m also pleased to say that 2025 will bring a milestone anniversary: 20 years of the Vital Signs program — an influential “report card” on the health of our region. And together with foundation partners, we plan to launch the 2025 Civil Society report, a major study that measures the economic and social impacts of the charitable sector in the capital region.
I invite you to stay tuned for the special celebrations being planned for these significant events. And I keenly anticipate the remarkable work we will do together, as a community, to keep Greater Victoria healthy and prosperous for everyone who calls this region home.
Here’s to a collaborative new year!
Sandra Richardson is CEO of the Victoria Foundation.
