Closing the support gap: How B.C. charities make a difference

British Columbians are generous. According to a February 2025 study by Leger, the people in this province are among the Canadians who continue to give the most to charities. Simultaneously, however, B.C. saw the steepest decline in dollar amount donated in 2024 compared to 2023.

The research group attributes this trend in donations to an uncertain and challenging economy. Not so coincidentally, however, those conditions are also leading to a rising demand for the services that charities provide. “We are experiencing a period of increased cost for food, housing and clothing in a time where workforces are being threatened with uncertainty,” says Kim Findlay, divisional director of development at The Salvation Army. “All of which has meant an increase in demand for programs and services for young families, individuals and seniors looking for any help they can get to survive.”

The Salvation Army is the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country, serving 400 communities across Canada and Bermuda. The charity offers a range of services: food banks and meal programs; shelter and housing support; addiction rehabilitation; long-term and palliative care; life-skills development, such as budgeting and cooking; and children and youth programming, like after-school activities and camps.

Three million people visited The Salvation Army for assistance in 2024. “People who thought they’d never need help are struggling today because of the different crises we are facing as a society,” says Findlay.

Elissa Morrissette, senior vice president and chief development officer at the BC Cancer Foundation, is also seeing this increased need. “Charities across B.C. are navigating sustained demand, rising costs and increased competition for visibility in a crowded information environment,” she says. “At the same time, health‑system needs are growing as our population ages and new technologies reshape care. Meeting this moment requires resilient funding and trusted partnerships—exactly where philanthropy excels.”

Charities act as the bridge between urgent community needs and the resources to meet them, notes Morrissette. The BC Cancer Foundation works with BC Cancer to support cancer care in B.C., furthering research, recruiting talent, purchasing leading‑edge equipment and helping open clinical trials to improve treatment outcomes. “This local focus means the impact is felt in our own communities, by our neighbours, family members, colleagues and loved ones,” says Morrissette.

Donations support critical work taking place at BC Cancer’s six regional centres across the province, as well as the four new BC Cancer centres in development in Surrey, Burnaby, Nanaimo and Kamloops, and two research centres. “That support fuels everything from discovery research to earlier detection to cutting-edge treatment and care technologies,” she says.

For the community

Charities fill service gaps, improving resources or making these important supports more accessible. “Charities play a crucial role in providing essential services across a whole spectrum to those in need,” Findlay says. “These are essential services that would otherwise go unserved, leaving a vulnerable community unassisted.”

This also extends to cancer care in the province. “In our publicly funded healthcare system, government funding supports the standard of care,” Morrissette says. “The Foundation’s role is to elevate care beyond that baseline—by investing in innovative research, clinical trials, state-of-the-art technologies and BC Cancer’s world-class research and clinical teams.”

Philanthropic advances with BC Cancer don’t just benefit one community, notes Morrisette. “For example, advances in immunotherapy research led by BC Cancer teams in Victoria and Vancouver are now bringing hope to blood cancer patients from across B.C.”

Charitable giving is an easy way for people to make a difference in their own communities—and it can come in many forms. “With pressures on disposable income, many donors are considering making a gift of appreciated securities, which is a tax-efficient way to make a charitable donation,” says Findlay.

He adds that there are also many other ways to make a difference with The Salvation Army, beyond the traditional—and always necessary—option of financial donations. “Additionally, you can volunteer your time, donate new or gently used goods to thrift stores or make planned gifts, such as including the organization in your will or donating retirement funds,” Findlay explains.

“We are grateful to work with donors making transformational investments in provincial research programs, many of which are deploying first-in-Canada and first-in-the-world approaches,” says Morrissette. “We are also seeing a significant increase in thoughtful individuals who are including BC Cancer Foundation in their estate plans by planning for future gifts.”

Participating in fundraisers is another way to give back. Morrissette offers the annual Workout to Conquer Cancer, now in its 10th year, as an example. The month-long exercise fundraiser brings together thousands of participants and teams from across the province to fundraise and raise awareness for BC Cancer and the Foundation throughout May.

“Giving is how we protect what matters most in our communities,” notes Morrissette. “Even in tougher economic times, consistent giving—at any level—keeps momentum behind the innovations that improve outcomes for families across the province,” she says.

Everything counts

With administration costs that are among the lowest in Canada, The Salvation Army strives to ensure every donation has the greatest impact, notes Findlay. Within each region, the organization will often focus its efforts within the local community to address its specific needs.

“No matter the size of the donation, each dollar makes a difference, transforming people’s lives,” he says. “When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community.”

Findlay adds: “When poverty gives someone an impossible choice, your donation is their answer.”

Morrissette reiterates that as the fundraising partner of BC Cancer, every dollar stays in B.C. to drive advancements in cancer research and care.

“Cancer, unfortunately, impacts everyone in our province, whether personally or a loved one who has faced it,” she says. “When donors and BC Cancer’s innovative leaders come together, we’re able to create solutions that reach patients and families in every corner of the province: earlier detection, more treatment options and care that’s closer to home. We’re deeply grateful for each donor whose support is shaping the future of cancer care in British Columbia.”

Learn more: 

SalvationArmy.ca
BCCancerFoundation.com