As B.C.'s not-for-profit organizations play a growing role in providing services in the face of inflation and population growth, they are calling on the provincial government to up their funding to compensate for that very inflation. 

Christine Hawkins, chair of the B.C. Association for Charitable Gaming, said in a letter to B.C.'s Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang that inflation and post-pandemic pressures have eroded the value of annual grants, which almost 5,000 non-profits receive through the community gaming grants program.

B.C. hands out about $140 million through that program. Hawkins points that this figure hasn't increased since 2010, and inflation has reduced its purchasing power. Hawkins also points out the number of organizations applying has increased, meaning more organizations are vying to divide the same pot. 

Ultimately, this means funding for non-profits is not "sufficient" to meet the demands of a growing and increasingly diverse population, Hawkins said. 

"As you will of course, recognize, it is very difficult to provide even the same level of direct benefit to the community with dollars that no longer have the value they did some years ago, much less to meet the increased calls for support we are hearing from residents of B.C.," she said. 

She called on government to "reinvigorate" the community gaming grants program, noting that B.C. has been collecting more money through gaming thanks to the rise of sports gambling. 

At the very least, B.C. should bring up the community gaming grant program to 2024 dollar values, Hawkins said. She also called on the government to consider adding an annual inflationary factor to both the community gaming grant program and the related capital projects grant fund.

"We call upon you to lead this change and to protect the future of British Columbia鈥檚 not-for-profit sector through appropriate increased funding for 2025," Hawkins said. 

Kang's ministry acknowledged that global inflation has been impacting people and organizations across the B.C. and Canada, adding that the province is taking action to help with the cost of living.

The statement noted that the province has upped the maximum amount of money organizations can request to $125,000 from $100,000 for local organizations and to $250,000 from $225,000 for regional organizations following consultations for the fiscal year of 2023-24. 

"With so many important organizations applying for funding, our goal is to ensure we can provide financial support to as many non-profits as possible so communities can continue receiving their valuable services," it reads.