Victoria Hospitals Foundation

What Victoria Hospitals Foundation does

Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF) is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization founded in 1989 and headquartered on the Royal Jubilee Hospital campus in Victoria, British Columbia. It operates as the exclusive charity partner for Island Health's two referral hospitals—Royal Jubilee and Victoria General—raising philanthropic funds to support medical equipment, caregiver education, research, and special projects on Vancouver Island. The foundation's core activities are fundraising and capital deployment rather than direct healthcare delivery; donors contribute to equipment that represents 40% of all hospital equipment at the two facilities, and the foundation's funding has cumulatively surpassed $233M since inception, with $24M+ raised in the most recent reporting year.

The foundation's product surface spans multiple giving programs and signature events. Donation vehicles include one-time and recurring monthly contributions, planned giving (wills/estates), gifts of securities (stocks/shares), tribute donations (Caring Spirit caregiver recognition, honorary and memorial gifts), workplace giving (Payday Lotto, Employee Giving), and peer-to-peer fundraising. Signature events include the Visions Gala (raised $3.65M in 2025, $13.2M+ over 30+ years), Miracle Gala ($1.43M in 2026), and the Uplands Golf Tournament. The flagship capital campaign, "It's Time for Surgical Evolution," is a multi-phase effort with a $21M+ target funding surgical robotics (da Vinci, Mazor), minimally invasive surgical tools, and cancer care equipment.

Commercially, the foundation operates a hybrid go-to-market combining event-driven and sales-led major gift cultivation. The foundation's customers are individual donors, family foundations (Jawl Foundation $2.5M commitment), corporate partners (Andrew Sheret Limited $500K, Craig Mearns $1M matching pledge), and institutional partners (Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria, BC Place, RBC, Fairmont Empress). The leadership team is small—fewer than 20 staff including CEO Avery Brohman, Director of Philanthropy Colleen Bronson, and Annual Giving & Events Manager Danielle Mulligan. Geographic scope is regional (Vancouver Island, Canada), and the foundation's competitive position rests on its exclusive institutional relationship with the two referral hospitals, which functions as a regulated monopoly on hospital-directed philanthropy in the region.

Name

Victoria Hospitals Foundation

Legal name

Victoria Hospitals Foundation

Website

https://victoriahf.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Victoria Hospitals Foundation is a Canadian non-profit that raises philanthropic donations to fund medical equipment, education, and research for Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals on Vancouver Island, having raised $233M+ cumulatively and $24M+ in the most recent year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Charitable Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Healthcare fundraising
• Hospital philanthropy
• Medical equipment funding
• Charitable foundation services
• Community health donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream from individual donors supporting hospital equipment, education, and research. Includes one-time and recurring donations.
2. Tribute Donations: Caring Spirit (caregiver recognition), Honourary Donations (celebrations), Memorial Donations (in memory of loved ones), and fundraiser events.
3. Securities Donations: Donations of publicly traded securities, stocks, shares, and mutual funds. Donors receive tax receipt for full fair market value without capital gains tax.
4. Monthly Giving: Recurring monthly donations from donors providing predictable revenue stream for hospitals.
5. Planned Giving: Wills and estates donations allowing donors to leave legacy gifts.
6. Event Fundraising: Signature events including Visions Gala, Miracle Gala, Uplands Golf Tournament, and Visions Bear Raffle generating significant revenue.
7. Corporate Partnerships: Major gifts from foundations (Jawl Foundation $2.5M), family offices ($320K Al & Eileen Gilchrist), corporate donors (Andrew Sheret $500K), and matching gift programs.
8. Payday Lotto: Lottery-based fundraising program for employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Victoria Hospitals Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that raises and channels philanthropic funds exclusively to Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals on Vancouver Island. It funds priority medical equipment (such as surgical robotics, MRI/CT imaging, and NICU equipment), caregiver education and scholarships, clinical research, and special projects. Revenue is generated through individual donations (one-time, monthly, planned/legacy, securities, tribute), major gifts from families and corporate partners, workplace giving, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

Victoria Hospitals Foundation operates as a unified charitable fundraising platform supporting Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals on Vancouver Island. The Foundation offers a comprehensive suite of giving programs including the flagship 'It's Time for Surgical Evolution' campaign (raising $17M+ for robotics and surgical innovation), recurring donation options (monthly giving, payroll deductions), legacy giving (wills & estates, securities), tribute donations (Caring Spirit caregiver recognition, memorial gifts), and signature events (Visions Gala, Miracle Gala, Uplands Golf Tournament). The Foundation channels 100% of donations toward priority medical equipment (funding 40% of hospital equipment), education, research, and special projects. Key funded equipment includes da Vinci surgical robotics, Mazor neurosurgical robotics, MOLLI breast cancer technology, SPY-PHI fluorescence imaging, CT/MRI scanners, and neonatal care equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• It's Time for Surgical Evolution: Surgical innovation campaign raising funds for robotics and minimally invasive surgical equipment
• Visions Gala
• Miracle Gala
• Caring Spirit
• #HumansFirst
• Payday Lotto
• Tribute Donations
• Uplands Golf Club Annual Heart Tournament

Products and services

• It's Time For Surgical Evolution Campaign Flagship multi-phase fundraising campaign raising approximately $21M to bring the Da Vinci surgical robot, Mazor neurosurgical robot, and 60 precision oncology tools to Vancouver Island hospitals. Targets individual and major donors on Vancouver Island interested in advancing robotics, neurosurgery, and cancer care at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals.
• Monthly Donation Program Recurring monthly donation program that lets individual donors make ongoing, predictable contributions to hospital equipment, education, and research priorities at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals.
• Wills & Estates (Planned Giving) Legacy planned-giving program enabling donors to leave gifts to the Foundation through wills, bequests, and estate plans, sustaining long-term support for the Island's referral hospitals.
• Gifts of Securities Tax-efficient securities donation program allowing donors to contribute publicly traded stocks, shares, and mutual funds, receiving a tax receipt for full fair market value without capital gains tax.
• Tribute Donations Umbrella tribute giving program allowing donors to make charitable gifts in honor of a caregiver (Caring Spirit), to celebrate a person (Honourary), or in memory of a loved one (Memorial Donations), stewarded through the Director of Philanthropy.
• Caring Spirit Program Caregiver recognition program under which donors honor a specific hospital caregiver by making a donation in their name; recognized caregivers receive pins, certificates, and acknowledgment from supervisors.
• Payday Lotto Workplace lottery-based giving program that allows participating employees to make convenient payroll-deduction contributions supporting hospital equipment and care.
• Employee Giving Corporate workplace giving program that enables employees at partner organizations to contribute to hospital priorities through payroll giving, one-time donations, and corporate matching gift programs.
• Fundraise With Us Peer-to-peer fundraising program letting individuals, teams, and community groups create and run their own fundraising campaigns or events with proceeds directed to the Foundation.
• Visions Gala Annual black-tie signature gala hosted at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria that has raised more than $13.2M over 30+ years and a record $3.65M in 2025. Includes live and silent auctions plus a pledge drive with major donor matching.
• Miracle Gala Annual gala supporting women's health, cancer care, and pediatric programs at Victoria General Hospital that raised $1.43M in 2026.
• Uplands Golf Club Annual Heart Tournament Annual charity golf tournament at Uplands Golf Club that raises funds for cardiac care at the Island's referral hospitals.
• Visions Bear Raffle Pre-gala raffle tied to the Visions Gala, offering $100 tickets for a chance to win prizes such as a Diamond Tennis Bracelet, 7-Night Mexico Getaway, and Sunset Sips Tea Party, with odds of 1 in 330 and 33 prizes.
• Heather A. Simpson Scholarship Education scholarship program that covers up to 50% of tuition for Island Health employees pursuing healthcare education upgrades; awarded to 240+ employees in 2024 and 510+ total caregivers in the most recent year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Robotic surgery reduces hospital stays by 60%, blood transfusions by 90%, recovery room stays by 50%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria (PFFGV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2025PFFGV committed second 10-year $250,000 pledge for pediatric and neonatal care. Donated $37,000 in 2025 for Giraffe OmniBed Carestation. Total giving exceeds $350K since 2011 pledge. Firefighters from Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Langford, Colwood, Central Saanich, and Sidney participate.
• Fairmont Empress HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host venue for annual Visions Gala, Victoria's premiere black-tie fundraising event.
• Visions Steering CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Volunteer committee led by Charlotte Salomon KC for third consecutive year, overseeing annual Visions Gala with 100+ volunteers supporting the event.
• Island HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictoria Hospitals Foundation is the exclusive charity partner for Island Health's Vancouver Island referral centres—Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals. The Foundation raises funds for equipment, education, research, and special projects at these facilities.
• Victoria Heart Institute FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding the Vascular Risk and Prevention Clinic (VRPC) facilitating SAVE BC program at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
• Da Vinci Surgical Systems (Intuitive)coreTechnology or IntegrationDa Vinci surgical robot manufacturer enabling first minimally invasive robotic surgery program on Vancouver Island at Royal Jubilee Hospital.
• Mazor Robotics (Medtronic)coreTechnology or IntegrationMazor X Stealth neurosurgical robot being introduced at Victoria General Hospital, one of few centers in Canada with this technology.

Scale indicators31 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sunnybrook Foundation: Foundation for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a major Toronto academic and trauma hospital. Comparable in scale, donor-base composition, and equipment/research campaign focus.
• Vancouver General Hospital Foundation: Charitable foundation raising funds for Vancouver General Hospital, a major tertiary referral centre. Direct peer to VHF in mission (hospital-directed philanthropy), revenue model (galas, major gifts, planned giving), and beneficiary base (regional hospital equipment and research).
• St. Paul's Foundation: Foundation supporting Providence Health Care's St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. Operates the same model — exclusive charity partner for a major BC referral hospital, signature galas, and major-gift campaigns for equipment and research.
• BC Children's Hospital Foundation: Provincial charity for BC Children's Hospital, raising funds for pediatric equipment, research, and family-centered care. Comparable in fundraising mechanics (signature events, major gifts, monthly giving) and donor cultivation, though focused on a children's hospital rather than a general referral centre.
• SickKids Foundation: Major Canadian hospital foundation for The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Closest large-scale analogue in terms of gala-led, multi-channel fundraising for pediatric equipment, research, and caregiver support.
• Calgary Health Foundation: Charitable foundation raising funds for Calgary's major hospitals (Foothills, Peter Lougheed, Rockyview). Comparable model: signature galas, capital campaigns for equipment, donor stewardship, and community-driven fundraising.
• Ottawa Hospital Foundation: Charity partner for The Ottawa Hospital, one of Canada's largest academic health centres. Comparable in mission (exclusive hospital charity), campaign structure, and major-gift fundraising operations.
• Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation: Foundation raising funds for Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary. Comparable peer in pediatric hospital philanthropy, gala-driven fundraising, and major donor campaign execution.
• Health Sciences Centre Foundation (Manitoba): Charitable foundation for Manitoba's largest hospital, raising funds for equipment, research, and patient programs. Comparable operating model to VHF with regional monopoly and multi-stream giving programs.

Others

• Vancouver Island Health Authority (Island Health): The publicly funded health authority that operates Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals. Not a fundraising peer, but the strategic partner whose operations and capital planning define VHF's case for support and beneficiary base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VictoriaHF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ourvichospitals
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourvichospitals
• Xx.com/ourvichospitals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victoria Hospitals Foundation