Vancity supports wildfire relief efforts through donation matching program
August 23, 2018
More than 560 wildfires are raging across almost all corners of the province. Thousands of people have been displaced and thousands more are on alert. The situation is expected to deteriorate further, given prolonged dry and windy weather conditions. As a province, we all need to pull together during this terrible wildfire season.
Relief efforts
To encourage donations to support the relief efforts, Vancity is launching a donation matching program. For every dollar you donate to the Vancity Humanitarian Fund between now and September 30 at 11:59 p.m., we’ll match it (up to $100,000) and give it to the Canadian Red Cross to support the BC wildfire relief efforts. As part of these efforts, Vancity has also already made a corporate donation of $10,000 to the Canadian Red Cross.
The provincial government recently announced that it will be matching donations made for forest fire relief up to $20 million, so your donations to the Vancity Humanitarian Fund will be tripled through matching by Vancity and the provincial government. For example, a donation of $100 to the Vancity Humanitarian Fund will be matched by Vancity and the provincial government to become $300.
How to donate
There are three ways to donate online (the simplest and most efficient way):
Gifts of $20 or more will receive a tax receipt.
#1
Vancity members can make a donation through online banking using the “Pay Bills” function and choosing the VCF Donation form (in the left side bar menu). Select Vancity Humanitarian Fund from the top of the dropdown menu.
#2
Anyone can make a donation to the Vancity Humanitarian Fund with their credit card through the Vancity Community Foundation website. Any Visa, Mastercard or American Express is accepted, and receipts are generated automatically. Donate now.
#3
Vancity Visa* cardholders can donate as little as 2,000 points online at myvisarewardsplus.com1or by calling Vancity Visa at 604.877.4999 or 1.800.611.8472
Support for affected members
Members affected by the wildfires should check in with the credit union to talk about options for relief on mortgage payments and other debts, both personal and business. Please call our central desk at 604.877.7000. If you have questions or need to talk to us, we're here to help.
About the Vancity Humanitarian Fund
Vancity developed the Vancity Humanitarian Fund in September 2015 in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and to provide ongoing support for organizations that address this and other humanitarian causes.
1 To donate points online, log into your My Visa Rewards Plus account. Click on the “Charity” tab and then the “Donate Now” button. In the space provided, enter the number of points you wish to donate and specify Vancity Humanitarian Fund as the name of the registered Canadian charity you would like to donate to. Click submit.
* Visa Int./Vancity, Licensed User.