About United Way British Columbia
Helping British Columbians tackle critical social issues, through local love.
About Us
Our Vision
A healthy, caring, inclusive community.
Our Mission
We strengthen vital connections that support people in need in our local communities.
United we are stronger: we’re United Way British Columbia!
As of October 1, 2023, nine organizations across the province have joined together to become United Way British Columbia – one organization, united to ensure communities in BC’s North, Interior, Lower Mainland, and Central & Northern Vancouver Island thrive.
More than ever before, BC communities need help addressing critical social issues. As a unified provincial organization we have consolidated our resources to respond to urgent needs in real-time in order to drive positive, lasting change in our local communities.
The unified organization serves over 4.5 million British Columbians, delivering resources and support to the people who need it most. Our areas of focus include Emergency Response, Children & Youth, Seniors, Poverty, Mental Health, and Food Security.
Our Impact
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Annual Report
Together, we are strengthening vital connections. Discover the impact United Way British Columbia had last year because of you. (For the best experience when clicking links on the Annual Report please use CTRL + Click to open URLs in new tab.)
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Financial Statements
Discover how United Way British Columbia puts donor’s money to work with transparency and accountability.
Local giving, local results
Dollars raised locally, stay local. That’s our continued promise to you. Four Regional Councils exist to represent and drive the mission of United Way British Columbia in local communities and regions. Made up of multi-sectoral representatives – including community members and labour – the Regional Councils provide leadership, guidance, and help us identify opportunities for impact in local communities.
Senior Leadership
United Way British Columbia Senior Leadership oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization and manages ongoing relationships with United Way stakeholders, including donors, investors, sponsors, volunteers, and employees.
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Michael McKnight
President & CEO -
Jeff Calbick
Chief Operating Officer -
Tamara Isaak
Chief Financial Officer -
Katharine Harrold
Chief Revenue Officer -
Irene Chanin
Chief Social Enterprise Officer -
Dan Nielsen
Chief Transformation Officer -
Tanjeet Kalsi
Manager, Office of the President & Board Governance
Meet Our Board
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Robin Dhir
Board ChairPresident, Twin Brook Developments Ltd.; Strategic Advisor, Fasken
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Nicolas Jimenez
Vice-ChairPresident and CEO,
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. -
Sinéad Scanlon
Secretary-TreasurerPartner,
BDO Canada LLP -
Rudy Kerklaan
Board Past ChairCommunity Leader
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Janet Andrews
Secretary-Treasurer,
New Westminster & District Labour Council -
Tracy Antoine
Senior Director Programs and Policies for Indigenous Markets,
RBC Royal Bank -
Jason Arnold
Member, United Steelworkers Union, Local 7619, Teck-Highland Valley Copper Mining Operation
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Jameel Aziz
Superintendent/CEO, Prince George School District No. 57
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Helen Blackburn
Chief Financial Officer,
Coast Capital -
Travis Bryson
Partner, Accounting and Assurance, MNP LLP
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Ian Gordon
President,
North Okanagan Labour Council -
Pauline Hadley-Beauregard
Partner,
Crux Strategic Clarity -
Deborah Hopper
Vice President,
Nanaimo Duncan & District Labour Council -
Orion Irvine
Regional Director,
Canadian Labour Congress -
Heather Johnson
Senior Consultant,
HR West Consulting -
Lisa Kershaw
Managing Partner, Board Director, Boyden Canada
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Lindsay Matthews
VP Customer Experience and Public Affairs,
ICBC -
Jennifer Robins
Executive Director,
Launch Financial Services Society
Working together to strengthen our community
United Way British Columbia’s Campaign Cabinet consists of over 30 executive leaders from a variety of industries and sectors across BC.
By providing their extensive experience, expertise and knowledge to help us strategize and attain our goals – both financially and socially – the Campaign Cabinet is crucial to the success of the annual fundraising campaign.
Every year, this hugely talented and influential group generously gives their time to help us raise millions of dollars to strengthen vital connections to help those in need in the communities we call home.
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Lisa Dooling
Campaign Cabinet ChairDirector, People & Community, Neptune Terminals
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Paul Dangerfield
Campaign Cabinet Vice-ChairPresident, Capilano University
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Armin Amrolia
Deputy City Manager, City of Vancouver
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Julie Armour
Senior Vice President – Pacific Region, TD Canada Trust
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Scott Baker
Vice President Engineering & GM Vancouver Operations, Westport Fuel Systems
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Etienne Bruson
Vice Chair and National Assurance Leader, Deloitte
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Lisa Campardo
Regional Vice President, Fraser Valley Market, RBC Royal Bank
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James Clarke
Chief Financial Officer, Seaspan
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Lesley Cormack
Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of British Columbia – Okanagan
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Stephen Curran
Partner, Lakes, Whyte LLP
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Bob Dhaliwal
Secretary Treasurer, ILWU Canada
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Ryan Douglas
President, Klohn Crippen Berger
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Angus English
Vice President, Water & Wastewater – Canada, WSP Canada Inc.
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Feras Elkhalil
President, IT | IQ Tech Recruiters
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Kate Furber
Vice Chair and Managing Partner, BC Region, PwC
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Stephen Gaskin
Regional Vice President, BC Yukon, Scotiabank
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Walter Gerlach
Directing Business Representative, Northwest District 250, International Assoc. of Machinists & Aerospace Workers
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Mark Goldberg
Chief Information Officer, BCLC
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Kevin Gray
Partner, Deloitte
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Karen Hamberg
Partner, Financial Advisory, Deloitte
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Nick Hawkins
Vice President, Commercial Financial Service, RBC Royal Bank
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Sarah Hughes
Vice President, Assurance & Advisory, Teck Resources
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Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan
Associate Vice President, External Relations, Simon Fraser University
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Amber Johnston-Billings
Vice President, Community, Government Affairs & HSEC Systems, Teck Resources
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James Kitamura
Regional President, Personal Banking – BC & Yukon Region, BMO Bank of Montreal
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Steven Lee
North America Business Development Leader, Cummins
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Joe Mazza
Vice President, Energy Supply & Resource Development, FortisBC
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Blair Morrison
Chief Executive Officer, BC Financial Services Authority
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Jeff Murphy
Vice President & District Manager, PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc.
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Rob Munro
Organizing & Membership Development, Unit 4 Assistant Business Manager, IBEW 258
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Chris O’Riley
President & CEO, BC Hydro
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Christina Sampogna
Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau Canada
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John Sandrelli
Managing Partner, Dentons
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Sandeep Sidhu
Chief Information Officer, Emily Carr University of Art & Design
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Grant Stockwell
Senior Vice President & Chief Mobility Officer, BCAA
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Martin Thibodeau
Regional President, BC, RBC Royal Bank
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Yusuf Varachia
Vice-President, External Relations and Community Engagement, Langara College
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Jill Yates
Partner, McCarthy Tétrault
GenNext
The GenNext Task Force is a group of passionate young professionals, using their expertise to engage the next generation of philanthropists.
GenNext aims to connect like-minded individuals to learn more about the needs in their community and create a lasting impact for those who are most vulnerable.
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Heather Kerklaan
Director, Strategic Partnerships, ChopValue
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Courtney Lee
Owner & Founder, Workshop Recruiting & Consulting
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Martina Nikic
Specialist, Partnerships & Content – Evo Car Share, BCAA
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Daniela Ugarte
Corporate Controller, Calibre Mining Corp
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Madeleine Hawkins
Associate, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Since our inception, United Way British Columbia (“United Way BC”) has been rooted in community and we recognize the critical work required to ensure we continue to evolve as an organization that not only works to serve, but also reflects the diversity of our communities. As such, we have started the process of transformational change by embedding the guiding principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) into our organization and the work we do within community.
Justice. We believe that justice is achieved when systemic, institutional, and historical barriers are removed so that all individuals and communities have equal access and opportunity to thrive in all aspects of life. In conjunction, United Way BC is committed to unravelling and dismantling white supremacy by challenging and re-focusing our current approaches to community engagement, funding, and internal practices.
Equity. We welcome all people — regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, identity, postal code, health and ability status, or any other consideration. All people deserve absolute dignity, value, and opportunity to participate justly, fairly, and fully in all dimensions of life in order to reach their full potential.
Diversity. We believe that each individual and/or group of individuals bring a unique perspective, lived experience, and identity. We celebrate the differences that contribute to United Way BC’s collective impact.
Inclusion. We strive to ensure each community member, donor, volunteer, partner, advocate, and employee has equal access and opportunity to contribute toward creating healthy, caring, vibrant communities.
What does this mean for United Way British Columbia?
This means we are committed to actively ensuring that the work we do, and how we do it, recognizes the right of all peoples to be unique, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such.
What is our commitment?
Our vision is a healthy, caring, inclusive community and we are therefore committed to continual growth, action, and accountability.
Where are we in the process?
While we are in the early stages of this process, we hope to achieve a clear path forward in embodying these JEDI principles. This is an evolving journey as we learn more and move to align our practices with our stated values.
We recognize the communities in which we work
At United Way BC, we dedicate ourselves to fostering understanding, respect, and an acknowledgment of the rich histories of the lands and waterways we traverse. Our mission guides us across vast and diverse territories, each with its unique tapestry of languages, governance systems, traditions, and cultural heritage. The relationship with these lands and waterways has been stewarded by Indigenous communities since time immemorial, long before the establishment of contemporary boundaries, and we humbly recognize that many of these territories remain unceded.
We also acknowledge that the following list of Nations is a work in progress, a testament to our ongoing process of improving our learning and understanding. Our commitment is to honor the cultural distinctiveness of each community as we continue to pursue improved and lasting partnerships built on the foundations of respect, humility, and open dialogue.