The Sunrise Foundation

The Community Foundation movement started in the United States and Canada about the middle of the 20th century and has rapidly spread across the world. All of them start small.

In Vancouver 75 years ago, Alice McKay sought the advice of W.J. Van Dusen, a partner in MacMillan-Bloedel, on what to do with the $1,000 she had saved from her secretarial job. She wanted to invest her savings in a way that was both creative and significant for the people of British Columbia. Mr Van Dusen added $1,000 to Miss McKay’s savings and challenged nine other donors to match his gift. Then, with that initial endowment of $11,000, he created Vancouver Foundation.

This modest fund of capital has today grown to more than $1 billion and Vancouver Foundation, among the largest community foundations in North America, serves donors, charitable organisations and the people of British Columbia in a wide variety of ways. Over time it has grown to become a vitally important feature of the social and cultural landscape of British Columbia.

Time shows us that, when properly organised and carefully run, a community foundation can make a significant contribution to the quality of life in its town, city or region. It can be a very powerful force for good.