Comox Valley Hospice Society

What Comox Valley Hospice Society does

The Comox Valley Hospice Society (CVHS) is a Canadian nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Courtenay, British Columbia, at 2900 Cliffe Avenue within the Ocean Front Village development, where the 6-bed Aitken Community Hospice is co-located. CVHS delivers free hospice palliative care, grief and bereavement support, caregiver support, advance care planning, and youth grief services to residents of the Comox Valley. Core programs include palliative support visits in homes, hospitals and care facilities, caregiver emotional support, grief support groups and one-on-one grief counseling, Grief 101 educational modules, Death Cafe discussion groups, a weekly Mourning Coffee Cafe, a Nature Walks program, a curated Lending Library, and a youth program for those impacted by the toxic drug crisis delivered in partnership with Comox Valley Foundry. Residential hospice beds are operated by Golden Life Management under contract with Island Health; CVHS staff and volunteers provide complementary psychosocial and emotional support within the facility.

The underlying technology stack is minimal and non-proprietary: a Squarespace website, Eventbrite registrations for educational modules, downloadable PDFs for advance care planning resources, and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). Service delivery is entirely human-led by a small staff and trained volunteers. All services are provided free of charge to clients.

CVHS generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit model: individual donations and bequests fund over 70% of the annual operating budget, with over 90% of operating costs covered by donations, bequests, fundraising events, and grants combined. Additional revenue streams include an annual Cycle of Life Tour cycling event (the Cyclepaths team raised $101,057 in one event), grants from Island Health, United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island, the Province of British Columbia, Comox Valley Community Foundation, and Community Action Initiative, plus annual membership dues, an endowed fund at the Comox Valley Community Foundation, a legacy giving program via Willpower, and vehicle donations through Donate a Car Canada. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on referrals from physicians and Island Health, word-of-mouth, and partnerships with local healthcare and community organizations. Customers are individual community members across four primary segments: individuals facing end-of-life or grief, caregivers, youth impacted by the toxic drug crisis, and healthcare/community professionals who refer clients.

Name

Comox Valley Hospice Society

Legal name

Comox Valley Hospice Society

Website

https://comoxhospice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Comox Valley Hospice Society is a Canadian nonprofit founded in 1983 that provides free hospice palliative care, grief and bereavement support, caregiver support, and youth grief services to residents of the Comox Valley, British Columbia, through a small staff and trained volunteers. Services are funded primarily by individual donations, bequests, grants, and community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Hospice / Hospice House (Facility-Based) (HLADAHAC), Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC), Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)

Keywords

• Hospice palliative care
• Grief support services
• Caregiver support
• Advance care planning
• End-of-life care

Headquarters

HQ city

Courtenay

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. Individual Donations and Bequests: Charitable donations from individuals are the primary revenue source, funding over 70% of annual operating budget. Donors can give one-time, monthly, or in memoriam donations. The organization also receives legacy bequests through estate planning.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from fundraising events including the annual Cycle of Life Tour cycling event, pasta dinners, Facebook fundraisers, and third-party hosted fundraisers. The Cyclepaths team has raised over $101,000 in a single event.
3. Grants from Government and Foundations: Grants from Island Health, United Way Central & Northern Vancouver Island, Province of British Columbia, Comox Valley Community Foundation, and other service clubs and organizations. The organization also received a 3-year grant from Community Action Initiative for a youth grief program.
4. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide society members voting rights at general meetings, based on calendar year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Comox Valley Hospice Society is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit that provides free hospice palliative care, grief support, caregiver support, advance care planning, and youth grief services to individuals and families in the Comox Valley. Services are delivered by trained volunteers and professional staff across homes, care facilities, the community-based Aitken Community Hospice (6 beds), and group/community settings, with programs including Grief 101 workshops, Death Cafe discussions, Nature Walks, and a lending library. All client services are offered at no charge, funded primarily by charitable donations, bequests, fundraising events, and grants.

Product overview

The Comox Valley Hospice Society operates as a non-profit charitable organization providing a coordinated suite of hospice, palliative, and grief support services. The core offerings include Palliative Care Support, Caregiver Support, and Grief Support Services, supplemented by specialized Youth Support for those impacted by the toxic drug crisis, Advance Care Planning education, and a Lending Library of resources. The Society also facilitates community programs such as Grief 101 workshops, Death Cafe discussions, and a Nature Walks Program. Residential hospice care is provided through the affiliated Aitken Community Hospice. Funding is supported through Donation Programs, a Membership Program, and fundraising initiatives including the Comox Valley Cyclepaths team. All services are provided free of charge to community members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Palliative Support Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of people served annually with a small staff and dozens of volunteers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BC Centre for Palliative CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS is affiliated with the BC Centre for Palliative Care, a provincial organization working to improve access to and quality of palliative care in British Columbia.
• BC Hospice Palliative Care AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS holds membership in the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association, the provincial body representing hospice palliative care organizations across British Columbia.
• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS is affiliated with the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, the national body for hospice palliative care in Canada.
• Island HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS partners with Island Health's Hospice and Palliative Care End-of-Life Program and Home and Community Care Nursing. Island Health contracts Golden Life to provide medical care at Aitken Community Hospice. CVHS staff and volunteers supplement medical care with psychosocial/emotional support.
• Comox Valley FoundrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS partners with Comox Valley Foundry to deliver a three-year youth grief support project for youth impacted by the toxic drug crisis. Youth aged 12-24 are referred through Foundry for grief and bereavement services. Funded by Community Action Initiative.
• Golden Life ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolden Life Management is a family-owned Canadian company contracted by Island Health to own, operate, and provide medical care at Aitken Community Hospice. CVHS provides complementary psychosocial and emotional support programs through staff and volunteers within the hospice.
• Donate a Car CanadaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonate a Car Canada facilitates vehicle donations for CVHS. They accept vehicles in any condition, handle all aspects of the donation from pick-up to sale, forward net proceeds to CVHS, and donors receive a tax receipt within 2 weeks.
• WillpowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS is a proud partner of Willpower, a national initiative encouraging families to consider charitable giving in their estate planning. The partnership promotes legacy giving through wills and estate plans.
• Piercy's Mt. Washington Funeral HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPiercy's Mt. Washington Funeral Home at 440 England Ave in Courtenay hosts monthly Death Cafe events facilitated by CVHS, providing a community venue for candid conversations about death and dying.
• Vancouver Island Federation of HospicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS is a member of the Vancouver Island Federation of Hospices, connecting hospice societies across Vancouver Island for shared learning and advocacy.
• Canadian Virtual HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS is affiliated with Canadian Virtual Hospice, an online resource providing information and support about palliative and end-of-life care.
• Family Caregivers of BCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVHS is affiliated with Family Caregivers of BC, connecting caregivers to resources and support for family caregivers across British Columbia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• VITAS Healthcare: Large US for-profit hospice provider offering palliative and hospice services at scale. Different jurisdiction and business model, but relevant as a benchmark for hospice service delivery at scale.

Emerging players

• Canadian Virtual Hospice: National online platform providing information and support on palliative and end-of-life care. An affiliated partner of CVHS; represents an emerging digital-channel approach that could complement or partially substitute for in-person hospice society services.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association: National association advancing hospice palliative care in Canada; affiliated with CVHS. Provides advocacy and standards rather than direct service delivery.
• BC Hospice Palliative Care Association: Provincial umbrella body representing BC hospice societies. CVHS is a member; the association itself is a broader industry incumbent rather than a direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• Pacific Hospice Society: Vancouver-based nonprofit providing hospice and bereavement support services including grief groups and advance care planning — comparable urban BC hospice society with similar programming mix.
• Nanaimo Community Hospice Society: Vancouver Island hospice society offering palliative support, grief counselling, caregiver support, and advance care planning on a donation-funded model — directly comparable to CVHS in scope and delivery structure.
• Salt Spring Island Hospice Society: Small BC island hospice society offering volunteer-driven palliative and grief support — comparable small-staff, community-embedded nonprofit hospice model.
• Hospice Toronto: Canadian nonprofit hospice society offering volunteer hospice visiting, grief and bereavement support, and caregiver programs in Toronto. Comparable volunteer-led, donation-funded hospice society operating at larger scale.
• Victoria Hospice Society: BC-based nonprofit hospice providing palliative and bereavement support in Greater Victoria. Closely comparable model: volunteer-driven community hospice society with residential hospice beds, advance care planning, and grief programming.
• Cowichan Valley Hospice Society: BC hospice society delivering community-based palliative and bereavement support on Vancouver Island. Closely analogous volunteer-driven, donation-funded service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ComoxHospice
• Facebookfacebook.com/ComoxHospice
• Instagraminstagram.com/comoxvalleyhospicesociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comox-valley-hospice-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Comox Valley Hospice Society