Nonprofit Organizations in Vancouver

The VWMS is passionate about supporting young, aspiring B.C. musicians in all classical music disciplines to further their training and education. We award annual scholarships and bursaries and provide each of our award winners the opportunity to develop and perform a program before an appreciative audience. Scholarships and Bursaries Operating since 1905 to promote classical music, VWMS began offering scholarships in 1923 and bursaries in 1977. These funds helped many artists as they began their careers including Donald Bell, Jean Coulthard, Barbara Custance, Ben Heppner, Jon Kimura Parker, Jamie Parker, the Chooi brothers (Timothy and Nikki), and Avan Yu. Our Scholarship competitions are open to musicians between 13 and 30 and operate under three categories - voice, piano and orchestral instruments - with each discipline held every third year. Our yearly bursary competitions are open to students enrolled in a recognized post-secondary music program in any music discipline. Three winners in each competition receive cash awards. All competitions have qualified adjudicators. Concerts Our winners plan and perform a one-hour concert program, which is a significant development experience. The young performers have shone and engaged us with wonderful concerts.

VAN EXPO thrives on producing and hosting a series of events, shows and fundraisers in the Greater Vancouver Area. Our mission is to entertain, stimulate and educate the general public on important causes, all while raising awareness, contributions and assistance to charitable organizations. These events are also a way to open the door of opportunity for local businesses while giving back to the community. Educating the general public doesn’t have to be stressful, VAN EXPO is paving the way for education to be fun and meaningful. This is where entertainment and philanthropy join forces for a unforgettable time.

The Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association (VBGA) is a charitable not-for-profit, incorporated under the BC Societies Act. Our mission is to engage people of all ages and walks of life in the importance of biodiversity to our lives, and to foster a lifelong love of plants and gardens by virtue of their participation in our programs and services.

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society (VAFCS) is a non profit charitable organization serving the needs of the urban Aboriginal community. VAFCS's mandate is to provide programs and services in health and welfare, social services, human rights, culture, education, recreation and equality for all genders of Aboriginal People of all age groups. VAFCS's hosts, partners and supports many community events throughout the year with Annual Events such as: Family Day, Aboriginal Day, Kids Back to School Back Pack Program, Elders 1 day Bazaar, VAFCS 2 day Craft Fair, Kids Christmas. VAFCS also seeks volunteers to assist with daily activities for the youth, family and elders programs.

We are a student-run organization called VancouverAgainstCorona that is a chapter of an international organization called StudentsAgainstCorona founded at Oxford University. With the reopening of the city, many individuals such as immunocompromised patients, essential workers and the elderly are at higher risk for COVID-19. In hopes to protect these individuals, we are trying to provide non-surgical masks (free of charge and delivered) and would really like your help. We are currently recruiting volunteers to help us lead this initiative.

Vancouver Art Attack! was originally founded in March 2013 to bridge the gap between students, artists and collectors, while also raising funds to support local artists and art-related organizations. Every year, it continues to strengthen relationships within the Vancouver art community.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is a not-for-profit organization supported by its members, individual donors, corporate funders, foundations, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

The Vancouver Art Therapy Institute (VATI) was founded in 1982 as a non-profit society and a charitable organization. VATI has been accredited by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) since 1998. VATI is committed to providing an educational experience that cultivates student creativity, self-awareness, and therapeutic competence. We aim to train art therapists who are active members of the art therapy community, and good ambassadors to the larger community. As a school we offer an art therapy diploma to students who complete our program. Students take face-to-face and online courses, complete 700 hours of volunteer practicum time in the community, and then write a final project. VATI also offers a student run art therapy clinic where students, under supervision, offer art therapy to the public at a very reduced rate.

The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society is a registered secular non-profit organization with year-round programming in the arts and culture scene. Our mission is to foster, promote and celebrate the arts and cultural diversity that Asian-Canadian communities bring to Canadian society. Since 1996, VAHMS has worked closely with local Asian-Canadian communities and organizations that support our vision of becoming the main hub for celebrating Asian-Canadian arts and culture in the Metro-Vancouver area. Our signature project is explorASIAN, a Metro-Vancouver festival showcasing pan-Asian Canadian arts and culture during Asian Heritage Month in May. This year (2021) is the 25th anniversary of both VAHMS and explorASIAN.

The Vancouver Biennale is a non-profit charitable organization that exhibits great art in public space, creating a catalyst for learning, community engagement, dialogue, and social action. Our mission is to make Public Art accessible, engaging, and motivating to create vibrant and inspired communities.

The Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association (VBGA), a CRA registered charity, and the City of Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation jointly operate VanDusen Botanical Garden and Bloedel Conservatory. Both organisations share responsibility for the day to day running of the Gardens in a close and long-standing relationship, since the 1970’s. VBGA Mission The VBGA’s mission is to engage people of all ages and walks of life in the importance of biodiversity to our lives, and to foster a lifelong love of plants and gardens by virtue of their participation in our programs and services.

Founded in 2011, Vancouver Cabaret exists to connect professional Vancouver-based circus artists with an audience, enabling large ideas to take the stage, as well as to inspire the local community by presenting acclaimed work by national and international circus performers.