Reimagining Charity: How United Way BC Is Leading the Way
By Michael McKnight, President & CEO, United Way British Columbia
This week, as we continue to celebrate the Province of BC’s proclamation of October 30 as BC Non-Profit Recognition Day, I am marvelling at the remarkable contributions of the non-profit sector. At the same time, I am reflecting how much has changed in the charitable landscape in recent decades. Twenty years ago, if you heard a call for help for people experiencing hunger in the community, putting together a food hamper could have been enough to get them through the gap.
But today, the challenges facing our communities are more complex, persistent, and urgent than ever. Many BC families need more than a one-time stopgap. They need support for aging parents, childcare, connection, and access to culturally safe services. The old charitable model is no longer enough.
At United Way BC, we’ve been asking ourselves a fundamental question: What does it mean to be a modern charity?
The answer is not just about doing more; it’s about doing things differently.
Not long ago, we set out to develop a framework to help us explore what these differences might look like and “Cultivating Transformation: How Charities Can Deliver Exceptional Impact” was the result.
This framework was galvanizing for United Way BC, an organization that believes in constant improvement. It also offers value for other charities and non-profits across BC as a discussion piece intended to help organizations in our sector improve their own work.
Our work on this subject determined that a modern charity is both mission-driven and data-informed. An effective and sustainable modern charity uses evidence to guide decisions, measure impact, and ensure that every dollar makes a difference when used where it’s needed most. It’s tech-enabled by leveraging digital platforms—like Salesforce CRM, which we now employ—to connect with donors, streamline operations, and tell stories that matter. And it’s community-centred, co-creating solutions with those who live the realities we seek to change.
A modern charity is also agile, meaning that it’s able to respond quickly to emerging needs, whether that’s support for people after a wildfire evacuation or an unprecedented urban crisis—as we did immediately after the recent tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Festival–or more.
All of this is in service to people—real people in need. Reimagining ourselves as a modern charity has never been about process: it’s fundamentally about the people we serve. Our end goal has always been to facilitate demonstrable, meaningful, long-term community impact.
This evolution in our thinking isn’t just about United Way BC, though. It’s about all of us. It’s about how we, as a society, choose to respond to growing inequality, climate disruption, and social fragmentation. It’s about building a future where charitable work isn’t a band-aid, but rather a catalyst for lasting change.
Happily, United Way BC is not the only charity in BC considering the challenges and opportunities of the present and future. Our colleagues at Vantage Point recently issued their annual report on the State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector. The report is an excellent example of the sector’s reliance on data and collaboration, which underscores the value in our findings and direction.
As Vantage Point notes, the purpose of the report is “to provide high-quality data that helps us to understand how BC’s non-profits are faring, both collectively and at the individual organizational level.” So, how is the sector faring? Tellingly, the official title of the 2025 report is “Stretched Thin” and I encourage you to read the report and reflect on what the data (from more than 500 BC non-profits) tell us.
A key takeaway is that many organizations, faced with a myriad of pressures, are struggling. We certainly feel this, but we also know that we are not alone and that we are stronger when we are United with community, with donors and supporters, and with other non-profits who remain dedicated to helping those in need.
Modern charity isn’t just about giving—it’s about building systems that work for the people they serve. United Way BC is steadily moving towards this goal with increasing lockstep with other community partners in the social sector. We are proud of our progress and committed to walking this path towards becoming a truly modern charity.