BC Healthy Communities

What BC Healthy Communities does

BC Healthy Communities Society is a province-wide not-for-profit organization headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, that administers healthy-community development programs on behalf of the B.C. Ministry of Health and in partnership with all five regional health authorities (Interior, Island, Fraser, Northern, Vancouver Coastal) and the First Nations Health Authority. Its core offering is the PlanH program, which provides grants, resources, and learning opportunities to local and Indigenous governments across two funding streams: Community Connectedness (up to $5,000 per grant) and Healthy Public Policy (up to $15,000 per grant). In 2024, the program disbursed $290,000 across 31 projects; in 2025, $250,000 across 31 projects, with record Indigenous-government participation.

Adjacent programs include Age-friendly Communities (built on the WHO Age-friendly Cities Framework), Active School Travel, Child and Youth Mental Well-Being Resources (published with Vancouver Coastal Health), and Community Capacity Support delivered on a cost-recovery basis. The organization uses standard web-based and SaaS infrastructure — WordPress content site, SurveyGizmo/Alchemer for applications and evaluation surveys, Campaign Monitor for email newsletters, and Zoom/Teams for webinars — alongside an interdisciplinary staff combining planning, public health, and community engagement expertise. Revenue mechanics are not commercially transactional; BC Healthy Communities funds operations via Ministry of Health appropriations for PlanH, supplementary regional health authority contributions (e.g., the $30,000 Vancouver Coastal Health top-up in 2024), and limited cost-recovery fees from Community Capacity Support engagements.

Name

BC Healthy Communities

Legal name

BC Healthy Communities Society

Website

https://bchealthycommunities.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BC Healthy Communities is a Victoria-based not-for-profit that administers PlanH and related provincial grant and capacity-building programs on behalf of the B.C. Ministry of Health, serving local and Indigenous governments province-wide with grants, resources, and convening services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Development Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Financing, Budgeting & Grants Management (HLAJAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Health Equity & Social Determinants Program Funding (HLAJALAK)

Keywords

• Community health programs
• Grant funding administration
• Age-friendly communities
• Public health capacity building
• Healthy community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ministry of Health Funding: The PlanH program is funded by the B.C. Ministry of Health and administered by BC Healthy Communities Society. This represents the primary funding source supporting all grant programs and organizational operations.
2. PlanH Grant Disbursements: PlanH Healthy Communities Grants are distributed to local and Indigenous governments across two funding streams: Community Connectedness (up to $5,000 per grant) and Healthy Public Policy (up to $15,000 per grant). In 2024, $290,000 was distributed across 31 projects. In 2025, $250,000 was allocated.
3. Vancouver Coastal Health Partnership: Vancouver Coastal Health Authority provided additional funding of $30,000 in 2024 to fund two Healthy Public Policy projects for communities within its area, supplementing the core Ministry of Health funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BC Healthy Communities is a not-for-profit society that administers grant programs (PlanH and Age-friendly Communities Grants) and provides capacity-building resources and workshops to local and Indigenous governments across British Columbia. It channels funding from the B.C. Ministry of Health and regional health authorities into community-driven healthy community projects, with two main PlanH funding streams (Community Connectedness up to $5,000 and Healthy Public Policy up to $15,000) plus AFC grants, and offers cost-recovery Community Capacity Support services using interdisciplinary expertise in planning, public health, and community engagement.

Product overview

BC Healthy Communities is a province-wide not-for-profit organization that facilitates the ongoing development of healthy, thriving, and resilient communities through a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The organization's core offerings include: the PlanH program (providing grants, resources, and learning opportunities for local and Indigenous governments to create healthier communities through two funding streams: Community Connectedness and Healthy Public Policy); the Age-friendly Communities program (supporting communities to become inclusive for older adults through grants and resources based on the WHO Age-friendly Cities Framework); Active School Travel (promoting safe active transportation for students); and Child and Youth Mental Well-Being Resources (focused on protective factors for youth). The organization also provides Community Capacity Support services (cost recovery) for multi-sectoral collaboration, and maintains Resources including Community Stories and Webinar Videos. BC Healthy Communities partners with the B.C. Ministry of Health and regional health authorities to deliver these initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PlanH

Quantifiable outcome

• 2024: 31 projects funded totaling $290,000. 2025: 31 projects funded totaling $250,000 with record Indigenous community participation.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and secondary.

• Interior HealthmajorOthersRegional health authority partner supporting community health initiatives. In 2025, Interior Health led with eight successful PlanH grants across the region.
• Island HealthmajorOthersRegional health authority partner. In 2025, Island Health communities received seven PlanH grants.
• Fraser HealthmajorOthersRegional health authority partner. In 2025, Fraser Health region received six PlanH grants.
• Northern HealthmajorOthersRegional health authority partner. In 2025, Northern Health received four PlanH grants.
• First Nations Health AuthoritymajorOthersFirst Nations Health Authority communities received eight PlanH grants in 2025, supporting Indigenous-led health and wellness initiatives.
• Fraser HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fraser Health on youth engagement projects. Fraser Health shared MDI survey data with City of Mission that revealed youth underperformance areas, informing the youth engagement in city planning project.
• City of Powell RiversecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of webinar on advancing the BC Accessibility Act by addressing ableism and promoting participation for children with disabilities.
• University of Victoria School of Child and Youth CaresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting the Community Belonging Project, providing research and implementation support for child and youth well-being initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BC Recreation and Parks Association: BC-based nonprofit supporting parks, recreation, and active living across the province. Comparable in delivering grants, training, and capacity support to BC municipalities for community well-being, with significant overlap in Active School Travel-style programming.
• Public Health Association of BC: British Columbia-based nonprofit that advocates for and advances public health through research, policy, and community engagement. Directly comparable in operating geography and mission, with overlapping focus on health equity and community-based health initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• ParticipACTION: National nonprofit promoting physical activity and active living across Canada. Comparable in advancing population-health through community-level programming and partnerships, though with a narrower physical-activity focus versus BCHC's broader community-health remit.
• Vancouver Foundation: BC's largest community foundation, granting to health, social, and environmental initiatives. Comparable as a BC-based grantmaking nonprofit supporting community well-being, though at much larger scale and broader thematic remit than BCHC.
• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: National health charity funding research and community health promotion in BC and beyond. Comparable as a nonprofit grantmaker for health-focused community initiatives with provincial delivery mechanisms.
• United Way British Columbia: Large BC-based grantmaking and capacity-building nonprofit funding community health and social initiatives. Comparable in being a multi-program provincial nonprofit distributing grants and supporting community capacity in British Columbia.
• Canadian Public Health Association: National public health nonprofit advancing population health through advocacy, knowledge translation, and partnership. Overlaps with BCHC in public health promotion and community-health grantmaking philosophy, though operating at pan-Canadian rather than provincial scale.
• Vibrant Communities Canada / Tamarack Institute: Canadian institute supporting community change collaboratives across Canada. Comparable in facilitating multi-sectoral collaboration and community capacity building, with similar funder/intermediary role though broader in scope (poverty reduction, community vitality).

Regional players

• Alberta Recreation and Parks Association: Provincial nonprofit supporting active living, recreation, and community well-being in Alberta. Comparable in delivering training, resources, and capacity-building services to municipalities and community organizations at the provincial level.
• Healthy Communities Manitoba: Manitoba-focused healthy communities initiative with similar provincial mandate to support local governments in community health and well-being. Directly comparable in structure and mission as a provincial nonprofit promoting age-friendly, active living, and community connectedness programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bc_hc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/thebchc
• Facebookfacebook.com/bchealthycommunities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bchealthycommunities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BC Healthy Communities