Nonprofit Organizations in Vancouver

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion, friendship, and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Its mission is to create meaningful one‑to‑one friendships and build inclusive communities where everyone feels valued and connected.

BEST, or Better Environmentally Sound Transportation, is a non-profit organization that has been promoting sustainable transportation since 1991. Our vision: Through sustainable transportation, we build vibrant, inclusive communities. Our mission: To activate better transportation options through initiatives, collaboration and leadership. BEST’s current programs include The Bicycle Valet, a social enterprise that provides free and secure bicycle parking, primarily at events throughout Metro Vancouver all year long. The Bicycle Valet relies on a large passionate team of staff, volunteers, and summer students who help foster sustainable transportation options in local communities. Living Streets is BEST’s walking and pedestrian focused program. We work with Neighbourhood Houses and municipalities in BC to organize year-long walking events and opportunities for all ages. One of these events is Walk30: a 5 week fun competition in the spring focused on walking for health, supported by health authorities, municipalities, schools and other workplaces. Since 2010, BEST has run programs focused on improving and increasing transportation options for seniors. Currently, the focus is on a three year systems change project (Seniors on the Move) across BC, as well as delivering workshops to skill up seniors exploring transportation options beyond driving alongside United Way BC.

Established in 1978, Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver’s (BBGV) mission is to support child and youth development through Volunteer-led mentoring programs. Our vision is to put a mentor in the life of every child and youth who needs one. We provide various mentoring programs for children who require extra support and friendship. Having a caring role model has shown to lead to endless positive outcomes for children, because when children are emotionally, socially, and physically healthy, everyone in the community benefits. BBGV serves over 1000 children annually throughout the Lower Mainland and Sea-to-Sky Corridor. Most of the children are from low-income single-mother households, or families who are facing multiple barriers and a lack of positive role models for the child. BBGV strives to ensure that children from all backgrounds have access to our programs.

At Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, our mission is to enable impactful mentoring relationships where children and youth can discover their power and potential, in collaboration with our local communities.

As a leading child and youth mentoring charity, Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland facilitates life-changing relationships that inspire and empower girls to reach their potential, both as individuals and citizens.

BikeHike Adventures is hosting a supported 50 and 100km cycling event looping from White Rock to Fort Langley and we're looking for volunteers to help us with our event. Positions Available: Aid station bike mechanics (4) Aid station staff to help refuel snacks and drinks for all riders 2 lead riders First aid Details of the event are: Date: July 21, 2018 starting 8am until 3pm Start Point: Blackie Spit Point, White Rock Details of the ride are https://www.bikehike.com/Vancouver-50k-ride This is going to be a really fun event and an opportunity for both riders and volunteers to enjoy a great day and meet new people. All volunteers will be given a $200 US gift certificate off of a BikeHike adventure as well as other incentives. If you're interesting in volunteering please fill out your application at https://www.bikehike.com/Vancouver-50k-ride-volunteers  

Biosphere Eco-Cities Canada (BECC) is a national, non-profit network that works to connect all Biosphere Eco-Cities across Canada. A Biosphere Eco-City (BEC) is an urban area and surrounding countryside where cooperation and collaboration ensure that everyone’s actions can contribute to sustainability; ultimately fostering a culture of sustainability. Currently, there are five BEC initiatives across Canada; Ottawa (OBEC), Toronto (TBEC), Brampton (BBEC), Edmonton (EBEC), and Vancouver (VBEC). BECC provides support and acts as a resource and tool for collaboration among BECs while also implementing national sustainability projects. BECs use 10 Themes of Sustainability (transportation, energy, design, habitat, food, natural capital, waste, health, recreation, and sense of place) and 5 Tools of Engagement (Database of Projects, Sustainability Plans, Workshops on Individual Themes, Demonstration Projects, and Council of Stakeholders) to create a culture of sustainability through community engagement, cooperation, innovation and sharing of knowledge, skills and information for sustainability.

Bizzybody Enterprises of Fort St. John, BC is a learning & development and consulting firm providing solutions for individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations. Specializing in Northern, Indigenous, and New Canadian entrepreneurs, innovators, leaders, and reinventors with business and career coaching, training & development, project and events management, strategic and community planning, DEI & cultural literacy education, and online and in-person facilitation.

Boca del Lupo’s mission is to create and present extraordinary performances in unconventional spaces.  The company consciously collaborates with artists diverse in culture and practice, and seeks to engage intergenerational audiences in the Metro Vancouver area. We believe in providing equal opportunities to a diversity of artists and individuals in both emerging and leadership positions. We are devoted to accessibility and we work to broaden the participation, perception and importance of contemporary performance within the multiplicity of Canadian cultures. For Boca del Lupo, collaboration is the core tenet of our creativity. Working across cultures and disciplines our productions are energized by the collision and confluence of difference. Since our inception in 1996, our artistic focus has been one that explores cultural hybridity and interdisciplinary through consciously convening artists from diverse backgrounds and giving them voice within the work through our established processes. We also have a well-established track record in touring, a strong level of engagement with our professional arts services organizations and meaningful outreach into the community.  We proudly take our place as a theatre company that relentlessly expands creative possibilities through unprecedented innovations and partnerships with a repertoire that includes 50 original creations and unique presentations which now includes our annual Micro Performance Series and our social enterprise, MediaLab. Led by Artistic Director Sherry J. Yoon and Artistic Producer Jay Dodge, Yoon is a co-creator and director of the company’s original productions and Dodge’s writing, performances and designs are central in Boca del Lupo’s shows. During the tenure of the pair, the company has received numerous awards including Jessies for Outstanding Design, Outstanding Production, Significant Artistic Achievement and Outstanding Performance; the Critic’s Choice Award for Innovation; and the Alcan Performing Arts Award.

Books For Me aims to promote a love of reading and improved literacy by providing elementary school children with the opportunity to choose books to keep and build their personal library. We run monthly programs in elementary schools and community centres in Vancouver and support book drives to collect gently used books for our program.  We are a 100% volunteer run charity and to date have given away over 100,000 books.

Our 12 neighbourhood Clubs give our kids a place to be amazing, safe, and have fun! We also provide substance-abuse services and support to some of the most vulnerable youth in our community. We offer counselling and employment services for youth and families. We offer programs for families with new babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and parents of teens. And we offer a summer wilderness camping adventure, Camp Potlatch, which is second to none. Annually, we serve over 12,500 children, youth, and families – and no one is ever turned away due to an inability to pay. No one.

For 20 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been nourishing children’s potential by making sure as many of them as possible have access to a healthy morning meal before school, in an environment that allows their self-esteem to grow and flourish. But the Club is much more than a breakfast program: we take a broader approach that promotes the core values of engagement, enrichment and empowerment, and we team up with communities and local partners to develop solutions adapted to their specific needs. Operating from coast to coast, the Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed 167 271 students every day in 1,455 schools.