by Cherie Payne, Director of Government Relations and Sector Development at Vantage Point

It was extremely windy and surprisingly cold along the water in Victoria on Tuesday February 22, as stakeholders walked over to the Crystal Garden near the BC Legislature to hear from Finance Minister Selina Robinson about the details of BC Budget 2022. 

Vantage Point had two asks of the government with this budget. The first was for support for not-for-profit organizations recovering from the pandemic. The second was support for increased access to high-speed internet. The news was very positive. 

Budget 2022 invests more than $289 million in new funding as part of a five-year plan to connect First Nations, rural, and remote communities to high-speed internet.   

It provides $25 million to the tourism sector for pandemic recovery, including arts and culture organizations –- key tourism draws in every region of the province. Arts Impacts and Amplify BC will flow funding through to communities to support the safe restarts of fairs, festivals, and events around BC.  

The budget gives stable funding to 50 community-based sexual assault response organizations to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.  

190 community organizations working to address racism in BC will benefit from new data legislation that will collect demographic data to help identify gaps in services to Indigenous and racialized communities.  

Notably, Parliamentary Secretary Niki Sharma announced the creation of a $30 million Non-Profit Recovery & Resiliency Fund:  

“Budget 2022 makes an historic $30 million investment in a new Non-Profit Recovery & Resiliency Fund. BC’s non-profits have been there for communities through difficult times. We will be there for them as we recover.”  

The Non-Profit Recovery & Resiliency Fund will be administered by the Vancouver Foundation and United Way BC. This is a significant benefit for charities across the province.   

We’re looking forward to hearing from members and stakeholders about the work still to be done, and questions you may have for government. As we come together to share learnings, observations, and feedback as a sector, we will lift each other up. 

Read more:  

Budget materials: https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/default.htm  

Non-profit fund is mentioned on page 3 of the budget speech: https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2022/pdf/2022_Budget_Speech.pdf  

And on page 7 of the highlights document: https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2022/pdf/2022_Highlights.pdf 

Page 141 of the Fiscal and Economic Plan gives key details: https://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2022/pdf/2022_Budget_and_Fiscal_Plan.pdf