Uneven Ground: 2026 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Report
BC’s non-profits face similar pressures, but not all start on even ground
Vantage Point’s Uneven Ground: 2026 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Report examines how organizations across the province are responding to rising demand, rising costs, and shifting financial conditions. While organizations face many of the same pressures, they are responding differently.
Across the province, non-profit organizations are:
- Meeting growing demand for services and more complex or severe community needs.
- Navigating rising costs and financial conditions that affect program and service delivery.
- Diversifying revenue, building partnerships, and adapting programs to respond to changing community needs.
- Working to sustain essential programs and services while facing capacity gaps they cannot close alone.
Their efforts demonstrate the sector’s adaptability, but organizations cannot close the capacity gap alone.
Without additional support for non-profits, the services BC residents rely on are at risk.
Why it Matters
Non-profits are essential partners in meeting British Columbians' needs and building strong, connected, and resilient communities. Growing pressures on non-profits affect their ability to meet community needs, even as organizations continue to adapt.
Uneven Ground's findings provide a shared picture of the pressures organizations face and their varied circumstances, helping inform decisions, advocacy, and support that strengthen the sector’s long-term sustainability.
A Call to Action
Please read, share, and amplify the report. By increasing understanding of BC’s non-profit sector, we can work together to sustain the programs and services our communities rely on. Every British Columbian benefits when non-profits are strong.
Thank you to the 400+ non-profit leaders who shared their experiences in this year’s survey. Your contributions provide evidence to strengthen decisions, advocacy, and support for the sector.
The Lawson Foundation, Tiny Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, and Victoria Foundation made the 2026 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Report possible through their generous support.
Dashboards
How do these pressures show up in different communities? Alongside Uneven Ground, our data dashboards offer a closer look at survey findings by region and across rural and urban communities.
Previous Reports
Stretched Thin: 2025 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Report
Stretched Thin is the 2025 installment in Vantage Point’s State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector report series, supported by Vancouver Foundation, Tiny Foundation, and Victoria Foundation. Drawing on insights from more than 500 non-profit leaders across BC, the report explores how organizations are responding to rising demand, increasingly complex community needs, and limited resources. Building on previous findings, it examines financial pressures, workforce challenges, and investments in fund development, planning, and governance to sustain the programs and services communities rely on.
Under Pressure: 2024 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Report
Under Pressure is the fourth installment in a series initiated by a partnership between Vantage Point, Vancouver Foundation, Victoria Foundation, City of Vancouver, United Way British Columbia and Vancity Community Foundation. In this sector survey, we surveyed 558 non-profit organizations across BC to check-in around various trends while also probing deeper into the underlying challenges highlighted in the last report.
Safety Net: 2023 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Report
Vantage Point, together with Vancouver Foundation, Victoria Foundation, Vancity Community Foundation, and United Way BC, released the 2023 State of the Non-Profit Sector Report. We surveyed 757 organizations for this report, and it can be used to help BC’s non-profits in their advocacy efforts and to strengthen the sector’s ability to support the communities we serve.
Unravelling: 2021 State of BC's Non-Profit Sector Report
Vantage Point, Vancouver Foundation, the City of Vancouver, and Victoria Foundation conducted a survey between November 18 and December 7, 2020 to examine the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on non-profit organizations across BC.
Eight months after the pandemic began impacting BC, many organizations have had the opportunity to access emergency funding and assess their situation more fully. While many respondents report feeling hopeful, they remained concerned about their ability to deliver their programs, services, and activities, stressed about the future of their funding, and worried about the possibility of having to shut down their operations.
No Immunity: 2020 State of BC's Non-Profit Sector Report
Vantage Point, Vancouver Foundation, the City of Vancouver, and Victoria Foundation conducted a survey between April 8 and April 21, 2020 to examine how non-profit organizations across BC are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. BC non-profits and charities were invited to identify the ways in which COVID-19 is impacting their organizations, and what types of support would help them continue to serve their communities.