Since our campaign’s inception in April 2008, we have raised close to $1.5 million towards our $3 million goal!

Coining a phrase from local author and artist, Michael Kluckner, we live in “Vanishing Vancouver”.  Vancouver’s heritage buildings are a non-renewable resource. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.  The VHF has been able to accomplish so much due to the generosity of our Founding Pillar and Building Heritage donors, and to the City of Vancouver.  But to ensure we leave a legacy of heritage buildings for future generations there is so much more to be done.

In response the VHF has established three funds that will help strengthen its capacity to sustain and promote Vancouver’s rich heritage:

1. EDUCATION & PUBLIC AWARENESS

$1 million to mount lectures and workshops, develop public tours, and undertake research and writing projects.  Raising awareness about the city’s history and developing diverse education opportunities can change the public perception that old buildings are archaic liabilities. 

• Plans for the future include:
• Launching annual public lectures that offer donors naming opportunities. 
• Continuing to publish map guides on topics such as Art Deco Vancouver and specific neighbourhoods targeted to both the local and tourist markets.
• Publishing and enhancing our communication efforts with pamphlets, books and online materials
  

2. REPAIR & MAINTENANCE

$1 million to ensure heritage houses, commercial buildings & sacred sites receive the special exterior restoration and repair they require. 

• The VHF currently awards more than $35,000 in grants to legally protected heritage homes for exterior projects such as painting in original colours; roof, window, siding, and porch restoration, as well as facilitating conservation plans and assessments. The demand for VHF grants exceeds the capacity to make awards. 
• An annual granting fund of $50,000 would bridge the gap between demand for grants and the VHF capacity to assist in building restoration.
• Residential neighbourhoods have been the focus of the early programs of the VHF because unlike commercial buildings they do not receive incentives and support from other sources.  Sacred Sites, because they are exempt from most funding sources, are part of the VHF granting plans for the future. 
• Over the coming decades our heritage buildings will continue to need maintenance and repair. 
• A legacy fund will ensure they receive the care & attention they need into the future.

3. RESCUE

$1 million Save the Buildings Fund, a self-sustaining fund to rescue threatened heritage buildings by purchasing and holding them just long enough to find a sympathetic purchaser who will undertake their re-development.    

• The benefits of conservation are far reaching: heritage buildings are a legacy of the city’s history for future generations.
• they serve as an economic generator by attracting tourists;
• they add richness and colour to our city;
• and their reuse is part of good environmental practice.
  

With this three-pronged fund strategy, the Vancouver Heritage Foundation will have sustainable resources, enabling the organization to fulfill its mission in the future.

Call Michelle Pullan, Development Director at 604.264.9642 #304
to discuss a gift to the VHF or e-mail: michelle@vancouverheritagefoundation.org