Nonprofit Organizations in Vancouver

VCBIA (Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area) Society is a community- based not-for-profit organization situated in a rich cultural and historical Chinatown neighbourhood in Vancouver, BC. VCBIA Society enables businesses, promotes vibrancy, and enhances the well-being of the Chinatown Community. VCBIA Society's mandates include but not limited to: develop, encourage, promote, and protect businesses in the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area, make studies of, and advance any project, plan, or other improvement intended to benefit the VCBIA members, promote matters of common concern to businesses and property owners in the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area, represent its members to all levels of government on matters of common concern. We achieve our mission through our commitment to the principles of innovation, integration, and collaboration, by acting with passion and integrity, and by encouraging community stakeholders' involvement that focuses on economic resilience and sustainability.  

TO DEVELOP, encourage and promote business in the Chinatown Business Improvement Area; TO MAKE studies of, and advance any project, plan, or improvement designed to benefit the Chinatown Business Improvement Area; TO COOPERATE with and aid any person, body, group, or association in projects designed to benefit the Chinatown Improvement; TO RAISE revenue to carry out the purposes of the Society; TO PROMOTE matters of common concern and interest to businesses and property owners in the Chinatown Business Improvement Area, and to bring together businesses and property owners in the Chinatown Business Improvement Area for fulfilling the purposes of the Society.

Vancouver Coastal Health - Community Volunteer Resources purpose is to enhance Community Health Services through volunteerism. Our volunteers are diverse and united in their concern for others. We are committed to supporting healthy lives in healthy communities in Vancouver.

The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is comprised of comics-related events, including readings, presentations, panel discussions, and a large exhibition area featuring publishers and comic authors and artists.

Our Story: Created in 2006 by Carlie Smith and inspired by the famous art and design markets of Europe, Portobello West’s goal is to introduce Vancouver’s style conscious shoppers to the creative pool of artists and designers working here. Now operating as a not-for-profit society, Portobello West is governed by a Board of Directors and a Marketing, Communications and Events Manager. Portobello West remains Vancouver’s premiere SHOP LOCAL market. Voted by the Georgia Straight readers as one of the Top 3 Artisan/Craft Fairs from 2010-2018, Portobello West features a high quality selection of carefully crafted goods worth gushing over. Our Goal: For over 12-years, Portobello West has sought and presented top-notch emerging and established local talent. Featuring up to 90-local artists and designers at a time, Portobello West’s seasonal markets offers up a curated selection of locally designed fashion, art, home decor, gourmet treats, wine & spirits, and more. Our hope is to foster a sense of support and community for local creatives living and working here. We endeavor to inspire a legion of shoppers that are committed to purchasing one-of-a kind creations from our exquisite Pacific Northwest roster of artists and designers. An atmosphere of excitement and exploration awaits you during each of our seasonal signature events! We look forward to welcoming you!

Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) is a one-of-a-kind event that continuously brings together buyers, media, celebrities, industry professionals and innovative designers from around the world to celebrate creativity and fashion. Diversity and multiculturalism are VFW's core values. This semi-annual event has been host to a range of collections from street wear to eco-friendly garments. VFW has established itself as a highly successful and widely recognized event providing a forum to nurture and celebrate the fashion industry. In recent years, VFW has featured internationally acclaimed designers such as Ha Sang Beg, in addition to emerging designers such as Pauline van Dongen.

Vancouver Fashion Week is recruiting volunteers for the upcoming season that will be held at the Chinese Cultural Center of Greater Vancouver from September 19-25, 2016. With the addition of the Vancouver Kids Fashion Show, this season is going to be like nothing you have seen before! We are currently looking for Hair Stylists! If you are interested, please fill out the corresponding form: For Hair Stylists: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PLkoCl9qtyGgsNHmxwN33BQT7aOddVV-KCGJlqlw66s/edit?usp=drive_web If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us! We look forward to working with our local community to create an amazing Spring/Summer 2017 fashion week event.

We rescue perfectly viable food that is destined for our waste stream and get it into the hands of those who are hungry in our society.  We partner with food retailers, nonprofit organizations and volunteer food runners to bring food directly to those who are experiencing food insecurity.

Vancouver Food Runners is a registered Canadian charity working at the intersection of food waste, food insecurity, and environmental sustainability. Using app-based technology, we connect surplus food from local businesses with nonprofit partners serving communities across Metro Vancouver. We’re currently looking for volunteer drivers, known as Food Rescue Heroes, to help transport surplus food from donors to local nonprofits. Using the Vancouver Food Runners app, you can claim rescues that fit your schedule and make a direct impact in your own community. Most rescues take about 30 to 60 minutes and are flexible and self-directed. If you have access to a vehicle and want to help reduce food waste while supporting families in your neighbourhood, we’d love to have you join us. Your time helps ensure good food doesn’t go to waste and instead reaches people who need it most.

The Vancouver Fringe is an 11-day theatre extravaganza, hosting over 800 shows from 90 different artists, and attracting upwards of 40,000 attendees.

VHF advances the appreciation and conservation of our city’s diverse heritage places and their stories. We raise awareness of the vital contribution that heritage makes to a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable community. Vancouver Heritage Foundation recognizes the diverse history and cultural heritage of Vancouver and that the city is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.

The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC) is seeking qualified and enthusiastic individuals to join our dedicated team of docents – volunteers who share a passion for human rights and social justice, through Holocaust-based anti-racism education. Volunteering as a docent is a wonderful opportunity to share your dedication to the pursuit of a more just world, supporting programs the aim to empower students and the general public to become upstanders against antisemitism and other forms of racism. About the VHEC The VHEC is devoted to Holocaust-based anti-racism education and commemoration, reaching more than 25,000 students each year. The Centre produces thematic exhibitions as well as holds Western Canada's largest collection of Holocaust-related artefacts, testimonies and archival documents. The VHEC offers educational programs and supports educators through professional development, and access to resources, school programs and events. The VHEC also presents commemorative programs, book launches, film screenings, public programs and conferences for teachers. The VHEC’s teaching philosophy emphasizes an interactive approach, encouraging exchanges between docents and students/visitors, through exhibition tours, as well as educational workshops in schools and virtual platforms. For more about the VHEC visit www.vhec.org