St. Paul's Hospital Foundation

What St. Paul's Hospital Foundation does

St. Paul's Hospital Foundation (legal name: St. Paul's Foundation of Vancouver) is a registered Canadian charitable nonprofit (Registration No. 11925 7939 RR0001) that raises philanthropic funds for Providence Health Care and Providence Living facilities across British Columbia. Founded in 1980 alongside St. Paul's Hospital's 1894 origins, the foundation supports 10+ healthcare facilities including St. Paul's Hospital, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Providence Living at The Views, Foundry youth health centers, and several long-term care homes (St. Vincent's: Brock Fahrni, St. Vincent's: Langara, Youville Residence, St. Vincent's: Honoria Conway). In 2025, supported facilities recorded 553,606 patient visits and 1,239 births, with the Teck Emergency Centre alone handling 100,000+ visits annually. The foundation is currently driving the largest healthcare capital campaign in Western Canada — the Jim Pattison Medical Campus comprising a new 1.2 million sq ft, 548-bed St. Paul's Hospital (opening 2027) and a 400,000+ sq ft Clinical Support and Research Centre (opening 2029), with $48 million in federal funding already committed.

The foundation generates revenue through six fundraising streams: individual donations (one-time, monthly recurring, tribute), planned giving (wills and estates), corporate giving and partnerships, special events (Lights of Hope and Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala), lottery and raffle programs (50/50 and sweepstakes), and securities donations. Distribution channels include an online donation portal, phone and email, in-person donations at the foundation's office inside St. Paul's Hospital, mail, and signature events. Cumulative fundraising includes over $35 million through Lights of Hope (since 1998) and over $28.2 million through the Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala (since 2008). Major recent gifts have come from family foundations including Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation ($2.5M), Chan Better World Foundation ($2M), Conconi Family Foundation ($2M), Aune Foundation ($1M), Eldercare Foundation ($1M), Leon Judah Blackmore Foundation ($1M), and Y.P. Heung Foundation.

The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Glenn Ives, with leadership recently transitioning to President and CEO Sheila Biggers, succeeding Dick Vollet. Core technology is limited to digital donation and event-ticketing infrastructure; no proprietary AI, API, or software products are disclosed. All activities are fundraising-focused rather than product- or service-revenue-generating, with donor-discretionary giving as the sole revenue mechanism.

Name

St. Paul's Hospital Foundation

Legal name

St. Paul's Foundation of Vancouver

Website

https://helpstpauls.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Paul's Hospital Foundation is a Vancouver-based registered Canadian charity that raises philanthropic funds for Providence Health Care and Providence Living facilities across British Columbia, supporting the new Jim Pattison Medical Campus, long-term care villages, and youth health services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare philanthropy and charitable fundraising

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB), Faith-Based & Nonprofit Hospital Systems (HLAFAAAE), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Healthcare fundraising
• Charitable donation programs
• Hospital philanthropy
• Nonprofit foundation
• Community giving campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

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: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, including monthly giving programs and tribute gifts in honor of caregivers or loved ones.
2. Planned Giving: Gifts through wills and estates, providing legacy support for the foundation's mission.
3. Corporate Giving and Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships, employee matching programs, and business donations supporting specific initiatives or general operations.
4. Special Events: Revenue from signature fundraising events including Lights of Hope and the Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala, including ticket sales, auction items, and event sponsorships.
5. Lottery and Raffle Programs: 50/50 raffles and sweepstakes programs providing additional fundraising revenue.
6. Securities and Shares Donations: Acceptance of gifts of publicly traded securities, providing donors with tax advantages while supporting the foundation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Paul's Hospital Foundation is a registered Canadian charitable foundation that raises funds to support patient care, research, equipment, and capital projects across Providence Health Care hospitals and Providence Living long-term care homes in British Columbia. It offers individuals and corporations multiple giving channels — one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving, tribute giving, gift-in-will planned giving, gifts of securities, and corporate sponsorships — and operates signature fundraising events including Lights of Hope and the Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala, along with a 50/50 raffle and sweepstakes lottery program.

Product overview

St. Paul's Foundation operates a unified charitable donation and healthcare support platform rather than a traditional SaaS product. Its portfolio comprises donation processing services, annual fundraising events (Lights of Hope and Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala), and healthcare facility support programs including the new Jim Pattison Medical Campus, Providence Living long-term care homes, Foundry youth health services, and specialized care centers. The Foundation does not offer a technical product with integrations, APIs, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Donation Platform Digital donation platform (helpstpauls.com) enabling one-time gifts, monthly recurring giving, tribute giving in honor or memory of individuals, gift-in-will planned giving, and gifts of publicly traded securities to support St. Paul's Hospital and Providence Health Care services across British Columbia. For individual donors and supporters across BC.
• Lights of Hope Campaign Annual holiday fundraising campaign featuring a lights display at St. Paul's Hospital with star naming recognition levels (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Partner) for corporate and individual donors. For individual donors and corporate sponsors across British Columbia.
• Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala Annual Lunar New Year charity gala featuring Chinese Restaurant Award-winning chefs, with corporate sponsorship tiers (Title, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver), ticket sales, and auction items. For corporate partners, individual donors, and community supporters.
• 50/50 Raffle and Sweepstakes Program Lottery programs operated via spf5050.ca and spfsweepstakes.ca providing an additional fundraising revenue stream with prize payouts, drawing broad community participation through ticket purchases. For individual community supporters across BC.
• Corporate Giving and Partnerships Program Dedicated corporate giving program covering corporate sponsorships, employee matching gift programs, business donations, and cause-marketing partnerships that fund specific foundation initiatives or general operations. For corporate CSR, brand marketing, and HR teams across BC and Canada.
• Grateful Patient Giving Program Specialized giving program enabling former patients and families to donate in honor or in thanks of specific caregivers, departments, or care teams at Providence Health Care facilities. For former patients and their families in British Columbia.
• Planned Giving / Gift in Will Legacy giving service enabling donors to make tax-receipted bequests through wills, estates, and other planned gift vehicles supporting the foundation's charitable mission. For individual donors planning estate gifts across Canada.

Quantifiable outcome

• 553,606 patient visits supported in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Concord PacificcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026VIP Reception Sponsor for the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• Glenhouse PropertiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Silent Auction Sponsor for the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• Chinese Restaurant AwardscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026Partnership to elevate the Scotiabank Feast of Fortune guest experience with award-winning chefs contributing signature dishes unique to the gala.
• National Cargo Insurance ServicesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Diamond Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• TD BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• Lowtide PropertiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• JW Marriott Parq VancouverminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Venue Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• Air CanadaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Airline Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• Global News BCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Media Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.
• Fairchild Media GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 February 2026Media Sponsor of the 2026 Scotiabank Feast of Fortune Gala.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Montreal Sacré-Coeur Hospital Foundation (CIUSSS NIM): Quebec-based Catholic hospital with associated foundation activities. Comparable as another faith-affiliated Canadian hospital foundation but serves a different province and is structurally integrated into a public health system.

Direct peers

• Sunnybrook Foundation: Major Canadian hospital foundation supporting Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of Canada's largest academic hospitals. Comparable due to scale of fundraising operations and major capital project campaigns.
• BC Children's Hospital Foundation: Major BC hospital foundation raising funds for pediatric care at BC Children's Hospital. Comparable as another large BC-based hospital foundation with similar signature-event fundraising model and major capital campaign experience.
• Vancouver General Hospital Foundation (VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation): The other major hospital foundation serving the Vancouver metro area, raising funds for Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital. Most direct comparable given shared BC geography, similar fundraising scale, and parallel hospital foundation mission.
• St. Michael's Hospital Foundation: Foundation supporting St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, also affiliated with a Catholic healthcare system (Providence Health in Ontario). Directly comparable due to faith-based hospital system affiliation and academic/teaching hospital fundraising profile.
• Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation (University Health Network): Foundation supporting Canada's largest academic health sciences centre. Comparable in scale and complexity, raising funds for research, equipment, and capital projects at multiple hospital sites.

Broad incumbents

• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: Large national health-focused charitable organization funding research and programs across Canada. Comparable as a health-focused grantmaking body but with disease-specific (cardiovascular) mandate versus hospital-specific scope.
• United Way British Columbia: Regional community foundation coordinating workplace giving campaigns across BC. Comparable as a fundraising intermediary in the same BC geography, though focused on social services broadly rather than healthcare specifically.
• Canadian Red Cross: Large national charitable organization with health and humanitarian programs. Comparable as a major Canadian charitable fundraising entity operating at national scale, though with broader humanitarian mandate.

Others

• Providence Health Care: The Catholic faith-based health system that St. Paul's Foundation exclusively supports. Not a direct peer (it's the beneficiary, not a peer foundation), but the most adjacent ecosystem participant governing capital decisions the foundation funds.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helpstpauls
• Facebookfacebook.com/helpstpauls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helpstpauls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 St. Paul's Hospital Foundation