Nanaimo Community Hospice

What Nanaimo Community Hospice does

Nanaimo Community Hospice Society is a registered Canadian charity (BN #133194043 RR0001) founded in 1979 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, originally as Mid-Island Hospice Society by Olivia Thomasson and Lynn Green, RN, and renamed to its current identity in 2003. The organization provides free hospice care, grief support, palliative care, and community education to children, youth, adults, and families facing advanced illness, end-of-life, and bereavement across central Vancouver Island. Its core programs include Professional Grief Counselling (1:1), Group Grief Support, Wellness Programs, Child and Youth Program, Advanced Care Planning, Palliative Care Support at NRGH, and Community Outreach Services delivered via a mobile vehicle launched in 2019. The organization annually serves more than 1,750 clients through a model that combines professional counselors with a 42-hour-trained volunteer force of 150 client-facing volunteers plus 80 thrift shoppe volunteers.

The underlying delivery model is human-led and community-based rather than technology-driven, with services delivered at the St. George Crescent headquarters, in clients' homes, at the NRGH Palliative Care Unit, in schools, and through the mobile outreach vehicle. Nanaimo Community Hospice generates revenue through charitable donations (monthly giving, legacy/bequests, one-time gifts), annual fundraising events (Hike for Hospice, Winter Market, Cycle of Life Tour, raffles), and a social enterprise thrift shoppe whose profits are reinvested into programs. There are no technology platforms, mobile apps, or proprietary digital products underpinning service delivery.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: clients reach the organization through direct referrals (including a dedicated child/youth referral form), community outreach, word-of-mouth from volunteers and past clients, and embedded partnerships with local healthcare institutions and corporate sponsors. All programs are provided at no cost to clients regardless of age, means, or culture, positioning Nanaimo Community Hospice as the sole comprehensive no-cost hospice service provider in the Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island region.

Name

Nanaimo Community Hospice

Legal name

Nanaimo Community Hospice Society

Website

https://nanaimohospice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nanaimo Community Hospice is a registered Canadian charity providing free hospice care, palliative support, and grief counselling to children, youth, adults, and families facing advanced illness, end-of-life, and bereavement across central Vancouver Island.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), End-of-Life Emotional & Spiritual Support (Chaplaincy/Counseling) In-Home (HSABAFAH), Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

Keywords

• Hospice palliative care
• Grief counselling services
• Bereavement support programs
• Community hospice society
• Thrift shoppe charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Nanaimo

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on charitable donations from the community including monthly giving programs, legacy/bequest giving, and one-time donations. Major annual fundraising events include Hike for Hospice, the Cycle of Life Tour, Winter Market, and various raffles (Gift of Flight, Football Ticket Raffle, Gift of Hope 50/50).
2. Thrift Shoppe Sales: The Nanaimo Hospice Shoppe is a social enterprise where 100% of profits support hospice programs and services. The shop sells donated clothing, dishes, books, furniture, and other items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nanaimo Community Hospice delivers no-cost hospice, palliative, and bereavement programs to children, youth, adults, and families in central Vancouver Island, including one-to-one professional grief counselling, group grief support, wellness programs, a child and youth program, advance care planning, and palliative care volunteer support at NRGH. Service delivery is sustained by approximately 150 client-based volunteers, an 80-person volunteer thrift shoppe social enterprise, and a 42-hour volunteer training curriculum, with funding from donations, fundraising events, and 100%-profit thrift shoppe revenues.

Product overview

Nanaimo Community Hospice is a single, unified hospice care organization offering compassionate, no-cost programs for individuals facing advanced illness, end of life, and grief. The core product portfolio includes Professional Grief Counselling (1:1 support for children, youth, and adults), Group Grief Support (peer-based shared experience groups), Wellness Programs (mind-body support), Child and Youth Program (age-appropriate grief support), and Advanced Care Planning. These services are delivered alongside a Palliative Care Support program at NRGH hospital and Community Outreach Services via a mobile outreach vehicle. The organization also operates the Hospice Thrift Shoppe as a social enterprise, where all profits fund the free programs and services. The 42-hour volunteer training program supports service delivery across all client-facing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Victoria Hospice / Cycle of Life TourcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Nanaimo Bar Team participates in the annual Cycle of Life Tour, a cycling fundraiser organized by Victoria Hospice that supports compassionate hospice care across Vancouver Island. Every dollar raised stays on Vancouver Island to support local hospice programs. The partnership includes spin-a-thon events and community fundraising initiatives.
• Country Grocer (Save a Tape Program)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough Country Grocer's Save a Tape Program, community groups receive 1% back in gift cards when receipts are collected and submitted. This provides ongoing passive fundraising support for the hospice.
• Norm's Plumbing & Heating (HVAC for Hospice)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWith every HVAC install, Norm's Plumbing & Heating donates to support Nanaimo Community Hospice's care, counselling, and programs for those in the community living with grief and loss.
• Junk In Our TrunkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJunk In Our Trunk provides eco-friendly junk removal services, picking up gently used items from donors' homes and delivering them directly to the Nanaimo Community Hospice Shoppe to stock the thrift store.
• Donate a Car CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonate a Car Canada facilitates vehicle donations to Nanaimo Community Hospice. They handle pickup to sale and send proceeds directly to the hospice. Donors receive tax-deductible receipts.
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (Palliative Care Unit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNanaimo Community Hospice volunteers provide support services to patients and families at the Palliative Care Unit at NRGH, with orientation and mentoring provided to new volunteers. This partnership extends hospice services into the acute care setting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Campbell River Hospice Society: Campbell River Hospice Society delivers hospice and grief support services on northern Vancouver Island. It mirrors Nanaimo Community Hospice's mix of volunteer-led palliative support, bereavement programs, and community education within a small-town British Columbia setting.
• Comox Valley Hospice Society: Comox Valley Hospice Society is a community hospice serving the Comox Valley region of Vancouver Island, providing directly comparable hospice, bereavement, and palliative support services. Both organizations operate as registered charities with volunteer-driven delivery models in the same provincial geography.
• Hospice Toronto: Hospice Toronto is a community hospice providing in-home hospice care, grief and bereavement support, and public education in Toronto. It is highly comparable in service mix and volunteer-driven delivery, though it operates at significantly larger scale in an urban Canadian market.
• Vancouver Hospice Society: Vancouver Hospice Society provides hospice and bereavement support services in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia. It operates with a similar volunteer-driven, community-based, donation-funded model focused on grief support and end-of-life care.
• Cowichan Valley Hospice Society: Cowichan Valley Hospice Society provides hospice palliative care and bereavement support to residents of the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. It is highly comparable in scope, mission, and volunteer-driven community-based service model to Nanaimo Community Hospice.
• Victoria Hospice: Victoria Hospice is the closest direct peer - a community hospice also serving Vancouver Island that organizes the annual Cycle of Life Tour cycling fundraiser in which Nanaimo Hospice participates. Both organizations deliver hospice care, grief support, and volunteer-driven palliative services to their respective island communities.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association: The CHPCA is the national voice for hospice palliative care in Canada, providing advocacy, education, and resources to member hospices including community-based organizations like Nanaimo Hospice. It represents the broader industry umbrella under which Nanaimo Community Hospice operates.
• BC Hospice Palliative Care Association: BCHPCA is the provincial association representing hospice and palliative care organizations across British Columbia, including Nanaimo Community Hospice. It provides a regional peer network and policy voice that directly parallels Nanaimo Hospice's service mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NanaimoCommunityHospice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Nanaimo Community Hospice