by Vantage Point

While our internal journey to learn and grow in the areas of equitable, inclusive, and sustainable practices started well before the current strategic plan, naming this aspiration explicitly has given the team clarity and purpose to invest as individuals and as an organization. We participate in a range of internal learning opportunities and initiatives that support our operational objective to build policies, practices, and resources that support and solidify our commitment to inclusion and decolonization within our Vantage Point community. 

Our impacts in this area can be hard to pin down. How do we know we’re making progress? Or that we’re having a positive impact rather than unknowingly reinforcing existing systems, behaviours, and unjust results?  

In pursuit of a practical, immediately applicable solution, the team recently convened to talk about how we can leverage something that we know is making a difference and that we have the power to influence – bursary supports to leaders to access Vantage Point open enrolment workshops and labs.  

For over 10 years now, the City of Vancouver Social Policy and Cultural Services have made VP bursary supports available to their grantees. We have added Vancouver Coastal Health – Population Health Initiatives – and the City of New Westminster as partners in providing further bursaries. We also established a more formal VP bursary fund in 2018 to provide more flexible access to bursaries for those not eligible through current partner bursaries.  

Given how the pandemic continues to impact not-for-profit budgets, and staff and volunteer needs for governance, management, and leadership training supports have increased, our bursary requests are mounting. Yet, we have lots to do to both reach and adequately resource supports to Indigenous, underrepresented, and emerging not-for-profit leaders in BC. 

In light of this gap, we are announcing a call to action to our community: Join us in building a Vantage Point Bursary Fund that enhances accessibility of our programs and supports to the whole of our diverse community of not-for-profit leaders across BC. We are committed to assuring clear eligibility criteria that prioritizes: 

• Indigenous people, Black people, and people of colour 
• Youth building careers in the not-for-profit sector 
• Leaders from equity-seeking organizations  
• Leaders from organizations addressing the climate change crisis 
• Leaders from organizations with operating budgets less than $250k and/or outside the Metro Vancouver area 

We have established the Vantage Point Bursary as a distinct fund, to which you can donate now through Canada Helps. Your contribution will help us reach under-funded and often overlooked groups in the sector. And as always, we are so grateful for your support.