BC Council for Families

At the BC Council for Families recent Annual General Meeting, the talk amongst members and guests was about the many financial challenges faced by non-profit organizations and community agencies in BC throughout 2009 and the opening months of 2010.

In his Executive Director's report, Glenn Hope faced the issue head-on, saying, "Like many non-profit organizations in BC right now, -- like many families -- the BC Council for Families has had to make some pretty hard financial decisions over the past several months, but I’m proud to say that thanks to the creativity and dedication of our staff and the thoughtful, careful, fiscal guidance of our Board of Directors, we are mapping out a secure future for the Council, focusing on diversifying our funding support, on identifying cost efficiencies, and on maximizing opportunities for revenue generation. The heart of what we do, as always, will remain on providing the supports, the training, and the information resources that families and family service providers have come to depend on us for."

Board President Sylvia Tremblay emphasized the critical need to continue working for families, despite the many challenges: "In an environment of restricted funding, where programs and services to families are being curtailed while the needs of families grow increasingly more desperate, is the voice for prevention going unheard? This question is one that the Board and staff of the BC Council for Families grapple with, and will continue to grapple with in the months and years ahead. But here’s what I know: It will take creativity, it will take persistence, it will take a willingness to try new approaches, it will take partnerships and collaboration between government, nonprofits, business, academics, and communities. And because these are all things that the BC Council for Families excels at, I know that this organization will continue to be in the thick of supporting and strengthening families for many years to come."

>> Read about our activities and accomplishments in our 2009/10 Annual Report.

>> And watch the accompanying video, "I wish", to hear what kids, parents, and people working with families in BC want to change about how families in this province are supported.