CVCF is proud to announce the launch of the new Vital Signs® Data Hub revealing the latest regional data for the Comox Valley.

On May 15, 2023, Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF), together with community partners and sponsors, will launch Comox Valley’s Vital Signs Data Hub, a new website that will centralize over 70 regional data indicators related to our people and the environments in which we live, learn, work, and grow.

Vital Signs is a community check-up conducted by community foundations across Canada that measures the vitality of our communities, identifies significant trends, and shares regionally specific data in 10 key areas critical to quality of life. The program is coordinated nationally by Community Foundations of Canada and locally by the Comox Valley Community Foundation.

“Vital Signs helps broaden understanding of how we are doing as a community,” said Christine Helpard, CVCF’s President. “We hope this resource will encourage discussion and provide current, relevant statistics that can be used to create impactful solutions that address local needs.”

The new Data Hub may be accessed by visiting here.

“We are incredibly grateful to our Advisory Network, an enthusiastic group representing more than 12 local non-profit organizations, whose insights helped guide this initiative,” said Susan Auchterlonie, CVCF’s executive director. “And to all of our generous sponsors, including the Comox Valley Community Health Network and First Credit Union, whose funding made the project possible.”

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President Matt Beckett with retiring Board members Bert Heeringa and Bruce Bell

At its June Board meeting, Matt Beckett, President of the Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) issued a heartfelt thank you to four retiring Board members.

Dr. Harry Panjer served on the Board of Directors for more than six years, most recently as Vice President and before that, as the CVCF’s 9th President. He guided Vital Signs from initial concept through to delivery of a document that tells the story of the Comox Valley and provides insight into the issues and challenges facing our community. He also completed the Foundation’s governance and policy manual and offered his actuarial skills to assist with fund distribution and cash flow management.

Brenda Kelm served as the CVCF’s Treasurer for almost her entire six years on the Board. In addition to overseeing the Foundation’s finances, she introduced and led many initiatives, including the recent adoption of a new fund and donor management platform. She provided endless hours of training and mentorship to staff and her fellow Board members.

Bert Heeringa served for more than three years, most recently as Chair of the Marketing and Fund Development committee. His voice will be particularly missed at the Board table, as well as in the community promoting the Comox Valley Community Foundation and the work it does.

Bruce Bell offered the Foundation a strong background in governance, as well as experience as a CVCF fund holder – the Oyster River Conservation Fund – during his short tenure. Bruce stepped down from the Board to assume the role of Chair of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.

“Harry, Brenda, Bert and Bruce are all strong supporters of the Community Foundation and our mission to enrich life in the Comox Valley,” said Matt Beckett, President of the CVCF. “We cannot thank them enough for their leadership and contributions over the years. The gifts of their time and expertise offer a legacy to the CVCF and to our community that will be felt for many years to come.”

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The Comox Valley Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Dr. Harry Panjer has been elected as President.

He succeeds Dr. Norm Carruthers, who served as president for the past three years.

Harry Panjer is a resident of the Comox Valley and holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo. He has served on the Comox Valley Community Foundation board for four years as secretary, vice-president, chair of Vital Signs and chair of Governance Review. He also served as the founding chair of the Centre Wellington Community Foundation in Ontario and he has served as president of two major professional actuarial associations. Locally, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Comox.

The Comox Valley Community Foundation has served our region for 20 years, working with donors to create legacies in the form of permanent endowment funds, now worth over $12 million. Grants are distributed from income earned, preserving the capital to ensure a perpetual stream of funds.

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There are three major foundations in the Comox Valley; the Comox Valley Community Foundation, the North Island College Foundation, and the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation.

As fundraising conduits for their respective target areas – the community, the college, and the hospital – all three rely upon the generosity of the community in order to meet their financial needs.

All three also recognize that the proverbial fundraising dollar is split many ways – not only among the foundations, but among every other non-profit organization in the Comox Valley.

“Each foundation, and any of the non-profits – for instance YANA (You Are Not Alone), or the (Comox Valley) Child Development Association – all of them are parts of the community that are important to lift up, and when we lift our community up, we all benefit from it,” said Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation communications and fund development manager, Katie Maximick.

Each of the three local foundations has specific purposes, directions and missions.

The NIC Foundation’s primary objective is to raise funds to support scholarships and bursaries, as well as to fundraise for needed equipment and educational resources.

The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation is in place to enhance and ensure quality healthcare in the Comox Valley – at St. Joseph’s General Hospital, and, in the future, at the new Comox Valley Hospital.

“I often hear ‘why should we donate when the government pays for it?’“ said Maximick. “But as they are learning how much each province gets for healthcare, we still come up short, and then where does that money come from? That’s what we are here for – to fill the gaps. To bridge that gap and make sure Comox Valley residents have the best healthcare they can get.”

The Comox Valley Community Foundation’s objective is broader-based. It’s mission statement is “to provide for the enrichment of the quality of life in the community by providing a vehicle and service for donors with varied interests and levels of giving.”

CVCF president Norm Carruthers said making sure the donated funds are properly distributed is an ongoing challenge.

“There is always more granting requests than we could hope to satisfy,” he said.

He said the foundation’s newest tool, the Vital Signs report, released last month, will help grant seekers tap into outside resources to realize their requests.

“Alberni Community Foundation did their first Vital Signs last year, and within six months, the charities in their community had arranged a million dollars in outside funding to benefit the community… We expect that to be happening here, with our groups. Because of the Vital Signs, they will all be able to more effectively apply for grants.”

While each of the three has its own focus, there is a collaborative cohesiveness among all three foundations.

“For instance, whereas a college foundation could actually provide scholarships to attend the university, it’s the community foundation that can provide funds for the students other costs – childcare, medical,,, that collaborative approach to holding up our community members to achieve community vitality, is really the end goal of the collective organizations,” said CVCF executive director Jody MacDonald. “We can come at it from different angles, but the long-term goal is the same.”

“Everybody, in the community, is connected,” said Maximick. “So our three foundations, if there are more opportunities for us to work together to make things better, we need to seek out those partnerships where we can do that, and work together.”

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— Image Credit: Spencer Anderson / Echo Staff

The first-ever Vital Signs report for the Comox Valley was released this week, offering residents a data-focused portrait of the community.

The report, the result of a partnership between several community organizations, compiles federal provincial and local data on the region, touching on health, housing, homelessness, household income and a myriad of other topics.

But the report also draws on direct feedback from 1,024 Valley residents who were asked to give their views during a community survey over the summer, lending the report local resonance.

For example, when asked: ‘Do you generally have enough money to buy the things you need to live well?’, three per cent of respondents replied ‘never,’ while 32 per cent said ‘sometimes’ and 65 per cent replied ‘always.’

When asked if the majority of their family income came from working within the Comox Valley, 50 per cent replied ‘yes,’ while 19 per cent answered ‘no’ and 29 per cent answered they were retired.

The survey also listed respondents’ top three priorities for what factors make up a ‘good’ community, with 44 per cent indicating the environment and 42 per cent listing health and wellness. Thirty-seven per cent listed arts, culture and recreation.

Conversely, only 15 per cent listed ‘getting around and transportation’ as a priority, and just 16 per cent listed opportunities for youth, and 18 per cent said education and lifelong learning. One per cent said ‘none of the above.’

Respondents were also asked to rank healthcare delivery, local services and access to jobs among the multiple pages of questions published Tuesday.

“We really heard from the residents of this community,” said Jody Macdonald, project manager of the report.

Macdonald, who introduced the report alongside 2016 Vital Signs chair Harry Panjer, also praised local officials for their cooperation in compiling and reviewing data for the document.

The Comox Valley Community Foundation took the lead on the project in partnership with the United Way of Central and Northern Vancouver Island and the Comox Valley Social Planning Society and its supporters.

In an introduction to the report, Panjer said the hope is that the data collected in the document will be used businesses, governments and other organizations to inform and take action to improve the quality of life for residents.

Having the document is important for policy-makers to make informed decisions – something that can prove difficult without enough information, said Bill Anglin, a former Courtenay city councillor and United Way board director.

“It’s important to get that local data,” he said.

Norman Carruthers, president of the Comox Valley Community Foundation, agreed, adding the additional data can lead to tangible benefits.

Carruthers referred to Port Alberni as an example, stating that organizations in that community, which completed its own Vital Signs report last year, used the information to apply for and receive $1 million in grants for projects and programs.

“So Vital Signs can be a game-changer, it really can,” he said.

Pam Munroe, secretary for the Comox Valley Social Planning Society, lauded the document. Her organization was directly involved in forming the questions that went out to residents in the formal survey earlier in the year.

“It’s a very readable document, and you can see at a glance the things that interest you,” Munroe said.

Although the report is available in the short, visually-pleasing format referred to by Munroe, reams of more detailed data is also available online at the Comox Valley Community Foundation website.

Members of the public can download and view the quality of life survey report, which includes detailed survey responses. Also available is the detailed data and source report, which includes data compiled by local, regional, provincial and federal sources.

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One in three Valley residents — especially those living in Cumberland — have a strong sense of belonging, according to a Comox Valley Community Foundation survey.

In the first-ever Vital Signs online quality of life survey, respondents rated their sense of belonging on a scale from zero to 10. The overall score for the Valley was 7.3. Cumberland scored eight, significantly above Comox, Courtenay and the rural areas. K’ómoks First Nation residents scored even higher, but the number of responses was small.

Overall, the survey garnered 1,024 responses.

“The geographical distribution of respondents over Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland, and Areas A, B and C was roughly in line with the populations,” project chair Harry Panjer said. “A bit surprising was that about 70 per cent of respondents were female, outnumbering male respondents by over two to one. Not surprising was that only a few respondents were under the age of 20. Similarly, the population over age 80 was also under-represented, presumably due to the survey being conducted online.”

Vital Signs is a national program to support action towards improving the quality of life of Canadians. Findings from a 2015 Community Foundations of Canada report connect health, happiness and sustained employment to a strong sense of belonging and connection.

In partnership with the United Way, the CVCF will launch a Vital Signs report and detailed survey results Oct. 4.

“The report is intended to paint a picture of where we stand on a variety of indicators of the various aspects affecting the quality of life here,” Panjer said. “It is intended that many organizations serving the community will use the report to inform them, and help guide them in making strategic and operational decisions.”

He expects the report will be used largely by service clubs and other agencies to establish funding priorities, and by charities looking to obtain funding.

“Local politicians will be interested in reading about the broader issues in the community,” Panjer added. “Two more detailed back-up documents that are in preparation will be helpful to those wishing to dig a bit deeper.”

The next survey is likely to be conducted in about 2019, once data from the 2016 census is updated. In the intervening three years, Panjer said the foundation will follow up on issues coming from the first report through a program of ‘conversations’ with the community.

The report will be available following a Vital Signs launch event. The public is invited. Contact CVCFadmin@shaw.ca for details, or follow foundation news on Twitter @cvcfed.

Also this fall, the foundation will be issuing a call for Canada 150 grants to foster a greater sense of belonging, to support meaningful reconciliation and to leave a lasting legacy. For more information, visit cvcfoundation.org

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The Comox Valley Social Planning Society will be holding its (20th Anniversary of Incorporation) 2016 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, June 7, at noon in the Courtenay Library Meeting Room.

Guest speaker, Jody MacDonald, United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island, will talk about the Vital Signs Project, a partnership between the Comox Valley Community Foundation, The United Way, and the Comox Valley Social Planning Society.

After Jody’s talk there will be a review of the 2016 Annual Report and the election of board members. Everyone is welcome. FMI: Bunny Shannon, 5779bunny@gmail.com or 250-335-2003.

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The Comox Valley Community Foundation will be participating in a breakthrough data-gathering process to obtain in-depth knowledge of our community’s most pressing needs.

Vital Signs was first started by the Toronto Foundation in 2001, after a group of civic leaders came up with a new way to engage their community in understanding and monitoring the health and vitality of Toronto. Vital Signs became a national program in 2006 and continues to grow each year across Canada and internationally.

Community foundations across the country have embraced the program. A total of 49 Canadian community foundations are now involved with Vital Signs, with 28 community foundations releasing Vital Signs reports in 2015.

“Community foundations are evolving from being a funder to broader community service,” said Norm Carruthers, president of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. “We’re looking at identifying community needs and will be proving information, support and finances to begin to address problems.

“Vital signs is a way to understand people’s concerns and have the ability to act on them. People can start holding conversations, and we can find a role to help facilitate that process.”

Community foundations use Vital Signs as a catalyst to involve their community and develop a picture of quality-of-life using a wide range of national data and local research. This community knowledge helps foundations decide where to focus their attention and resources to have the greatest impact.

Vital Signs uses community knowledge to measure the vitality of our communities – gathering data and publishing reports on significant social and economic trends to tell the story of how Canadian communities are faring in key quality-of-life areas.

Along with statistical data, another aspect of the Vital Signs project is a survey of residents within the community

The United Way of Central and Northern Vancouver Island is one of the major partners in the local study.

“We are excited to be part of this project,because it will enable us to identify a wide variety of local issues, and then help with the strategic (direction) of our community,” said Jody Macdonald, community development officer for the UWCNVI, and Vital Signs project manager.

Macdonald said the survey will offer invaluable information as to what the community wants.

“We want to know where the priorities are, for the community, both in terms of what the (data) says, and what the people say. Do they match? And where should we be investing the funds to ensure we are enriching the lives of everyone here.

“Another piece of it is that we hope it leads to more vital conversations between agencies, not just within individual agencies, but collaboration across the different funders and agencies that provide the services.”

Other partners in the project include the local Rotary Clubs, the Comox BIA, and the Comox Valley Social Planning Committee.

Macdonald said the information from the report will be a useful tool for all social agencies, when applying for grants and related monies.

“In Port Alberni they did a little survey of the Vital Signs after it was launched and six months afterwards the agencies that had used Vital Signs when applying for grants raised over a million dollars, just by using some of the data,” said Macdonald. “So it does have actionable items for the local agencies, to be able to apply for grants, outside of the community.”

The online survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/VitalSignsComoxValley

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Building community knowledge by taking the pulse on trends and issues in the Comox Valley.

The Comox Valley Community Foundation in partnership with the United Way of Central and North Vancouver Island and the Comox Valley Social Planning Society is launching the first of an ongoing series of Comox Valley Vital Signs initiatives. Vital Signs® is a regular check-up conducted by community foundations to measure the vitality of communities across Canada. It gathers and publishes data on significant social and economic trends in areas critical to quality of life. Vital Signs® reports promote awareness of community issues and can help generate discussion, drive policy change and focus community leadership activities in the Comox Valley.

Thank you to all who participated, the deadline to complete the survey has now passed. We are pleased to have exceeded our goal of 1000 participants. Results of the survey and the Vital Signs report will be available on October 4th.

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Building community knowledge by taking the pulse on trends and issues in the Comox Valley.

The Comox Valley Community Foundation in partnership with the United Way of Central and North Vancouver Island and the Comox Valley Social Planning Society is launching the first of an ongoing series of Comox Valley Vital Signs initiatives. Vital Signs® is a regular check-up conducted by community foundations to measure the vitality of communities across Canada. It gathers and publishes data on significant social and economic trends in areas critical to quality of life. Vital Signs® reports promote awareness of community issues and can help generate discussion, drive policy change and focus community leadership activities in the Comox Valley.

Thank you to all who participated, the deadline to complete the survey has now passed. We are pleased to have exceeded our goal of 1000 participants. Results of the survey and the Vital Signs report will be available on October 4th.

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