2025 can be your year to get involved in your community’s well-being – be it through volunteering, or by giving to a charity or two that’s meaningful to you. But with so many organizations in need, where do you even begin?
has been helping community members connect with causes that matter since 1936, be it through donating, starting a philanthropic fund or attending community-minded events.
But the work is far from over. As we move into 2025, you might consider adding more philanthropy into your list of new year’s resolutions. Here are some ways you can join your neighbours to make a lasting impact.
1. One major gift you can give is time
So many charitable organizations can do what they do only because of the dedication and enthusiasm of their volunteers. Be it mentoring, packaging necessities, collecting food, dog-walking or so many other opportunities, you can make a big impact simply by donating your time to a non-profit or charity.
How do you find volunteer opportunities? If you know a cause you’d like to support but don’t know where to start, connect with a local volunteer services organization, such as , or the . They connect willing volunteers with causes that need their help and are an excellent place to start your volunteering journey.
2. Give to the Community Action Funds
at the Victoria Foundation are one of the most convenient and flexible ways you can make confident decisions in your giving so that you can make the greatest impact.
Simply choose from 10 funds that represent different cause areas in the community, such as food security, housing, education, gender equity and more.
Your gift will be combined with other donors’ gifts, and the funds are then granted strategically to many organizations within the cause area that serves the community in crucial ways.
Organizations like The Soup Kitchen in Victoria received a grant from the Food Security fund this year to help with the costs of over 36,000 meals to people facing hunger. It’s all thanks to donations from good-hearted people in the community.
“The grant has helped the program not only support at-risk community members but also address a significant increase in the number of dinners served,” says a volunteer for The Soup Kitchen.
3. Leave a legacy through your Will
One of the most popular ways to leave a legacy gift is through a Will.
Wills can be powerful tools for change. Whether you want to support a local organization or a registered charity anywhere in Canada, you plan your gift for the most lasting impact.
Donors can designate a specific gift or a portion of their estate to the Foundation and, in doing so, become members of the .
Victoria’s to have left a gift from their Will to organizations that support women’s needs – a cause close to their hearts, as former teachers and union workers.
“At a certain point in your life, you need to think about where you want your money to go, and where it will have some impact,” says barb. “Rather than being in the back of your mind or something you do on a whim, you need to really think about what you want your legacy to be.”
4. Become a Gadsden member and attend philanthropic events
The invites emerging generations of philanthropists to attend networking sessions with all kinds of social purpose leaders.
This year, Gadsden members took a tour of Greater Victoria’s Food Security Distribution Centre, a wide-scale centre that connects the community’s most vulnerable with fresh, local food.
Past events included an ‘enterprise mini market’ at ecologyst, a sustainable clothing factory, where members networked with local vendors selling products to benefit social causes and were given tours of the factory.
This year-long, flexible cohort program helps new donors build philanthropic relationships, and helps them create their own charitable fund that they can use to make grants every year to their favourite causes.
For more information on how you can start making a positive impact in your local community, visit .
