We have officially made it through the ten darkest weeks of the year. The days are finally getting longer and lighter.
Despite the extra light outside, I have been struggling to feel it inside. The challenge of remaining informed of all that is happening in the world, while not distracted or dark is very real.
I did three things this past week that made me feel better.
A few days ago, as I sat down to work, my anxiety was too high from the non-stop news cycle to focus. The speed of policy changes and announcements are meant to overwhelm our systems, and I got caught up in it. I closed my computer and went to the mountains. Two hours later, I felt like I could focus again. This is not something that can be done every day, but creating work environments that encourage people to take breaks and care for themselves in the midst of this challenging time is critical for self-regulation and productivity.
I took action. It has long been noted that action is the best antidote to anxiety. Earlier this week, I wrote a letter to express my disappointment that organizations in our community were hosting an event with an anti-LGBTQ2S+ speaker. This was in many ways, a small act, but it reminded me that I have a voice and that I need to use it. Importantly, it also connected me with someone I didn’t previously know and brought us together. Activism can be a source of both strength and community building.
I grounded myself in my work, placing value on the efforts beyond the noise. I focused on the direct services and advocacy, and innovation and entrepreneurship of our grantee and investment partners. This has reminded me what is important and also given me energy and hope.
Over the course of the coming year, I intend to use this newsletter and other Foundation vehicles to highlight the ways in which communities are coming together to build, innovate and protect one another. Please share your stories – big and small – so we can learn from one another and celebrate together.
The Houssian Foundation’s 2024 theme was connection. This theme emerged from the feedback so many of you gave us about the value you find in connecting with each other – in-person, across portfolios, and on issues you are tackling every day.
It’s a focus that is likely to carry forward in years to come as we collectively face both immense possibility and significant challenge. We believe that connection and interconnectedness is the most impactful way through this time.
Personally, connections with all of you is what feeds me in this work every day.
To wrap up the year that was, we want to highlight initiatives that represent connections – across communities, organizations, sectors and geographies.
Highlights from 2024
Protecting the Great Bear Sea: After two decades of Indigenous-led collaboration, Coastal First Nations, government partners, and funders achieved a milestone agreement to protect the Great Bear Sea off the northwest coast of British Columbia. This initiative brings $335 million in new investments to safeguard the land and waters. We are proud to support this historic effort.
Feminist Leadership and Organizing: THF Grantee partner, Oxfam, convened 40 leaders from Canadian feminist organizations for a knowledge-sharing and strategy session on reproductive justice, housing, workers’ rights, and gender-based violence. Charged with hope, the Feminist Influencing Group gathering emphasized the transformative power of in-person collaboration to sustain feminist movements.
Moving Forward to Zero Carbon Homes and Buildings: For the last year, THF has been bringing together partners to maintain the momentum underway towards zero carbon homes and buildings. Alongside many other partners, clean Energy Canada, the Pembina Institute, and Zero Emissions Innovation Centre on policy, and of Neighbours United in organizing has been critical to recent affirming (and re-affirming!) decisions in municipalities across British Columbia in support of zero carbon buildings.
Addressing Gender-Based Violence: YWCA Metro Vancouver – alongside a group of powerful advocates – launched an initiative to name gender-based violence for what it is – an epidemic. You can read about this effort and sign their letter to the Premier here.
Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week: VIFW highlights how fashion can build connections with Indigenous values, wisdom, and history. It also serves as a vehicle for raising awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls across the country. This powerful event is not to be missed. Mark your calendar for 2025!
These highlights – among many other gatherings, site visits, learning calls and meetings – reaffirm the profound impact of coming together. As we reflect on 2024 and look to 2025, we are grateful for the opportunity to work and learn alongside such dedicated partners and communities.
Wishing you joy and peace this holiday season.
Warmly,
Mira
Grantee Partners in Action:
Saint James Music Academy offers high-quality music education and mentorship to youth in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, fostering talent, hope, and a strong sense of belonging. Earlier this year, we had the privilege of documenting the inspiring dedication and passion of the faculty and musicians in a short film, thanks to filmmaker Carmen Pollard and her team.
Curious on how much your household can save by making a switch off of fossil fuels? THF grantee partner Clean Energy Canada has created an interactive calculator to show how much your household can save by switching to clean energy solutions.
YWCA’s CEO, Erin Seely calls for attention and policy towards gender-based violence in this powerful op-ed.
With support from Coast Funds, the Gitxaała Nation has implemented sustainability upgrades at the Crest Hotel in Prince Rupert, including the installation of heat pumps to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This project underscores Indigenous leadership in advancing environmental stewardship, economic resilience, and long-term community prosperity.
We are excited to share with you Reconnecting: The Houssian Foundation’s 2023 Grant-Making and Investment Report. Our team spent the last stretch of the summer season reflecting and gathering stories from partners and grantees. This report is a testament to the collective efforts of this community and we’re proud to share it with you today.
In a year marked by unprecedented challenges and shifts, we chose the theme of our report to be “Reconnecting”. As the world moved on past the initial impact of the pandemic in our lives, we know that many of you have felt the distance in community that came out of that time of isolation. We marked 2023 with a commitment to connect with one another and to create new bridges across our portfolio areas.
A message from Jessica Houssian and Mira Oreck: Reflecting on the year’s challenges and achievements, and our growth as a Foundation.
Focus Areas and Strategies: Insights into our grant-making approach and the work we are supporting in gender justice, climate and conservation and community connection.
Grantee Highlights: Stories of impact from our grantee partners, including Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, My Climate Plan, and many others.
Investment Strategy: An overview of our mission-aligned investments.
Member Associations: Acknowledging our partnerships and networks that support our collective learning and impact. We invite you to explore the report and join us in reconnecting with partners and peers building and renewing our civil society.
Yesterday was a great day to celebrate the milestone achievement of the Great Bear Sea Project for Finance Permanence. After more than two decades of dedication, this initiative will safeguard the Great Bear Sea, ensuring cultural vibrancy, supporting resilient communities and economies. The Houssian Foundation is thrilled to have contributed to this historic initiative. We encourage you to learn more about the impact of this achievement here.
Earlier this month, I participated in a day-long gathering at Brew Creek Lodge with funders from across Canada, convened by the Tamarack Institute. The focus of the gathering was on funding initiatives rooted “in place”— meaning, funding that occurs in a specific location. This concept sparked lively discussions amongst participants about those culturally rooted in place, the impact of people being displaced and the challenges of funding in shared or contested space.
photo credit: Karen Tam Wu
Later in the month, I had the privilege of spending several enriching days with our new Program Director, Environment, Karen Tam Wu (see more below) in the East Kootenays with our grantee partner, WildSight. We saw wildlife and learned about efforts to protect important wildlife species in the Elk Valley. At the local community garden, we toured a brand new farming centre that will grow greens year round in a facility the size and shape of a shipping container. We ventured into a grove of ancient cedars in the inland temperate rainforest. The breath of the beauty was juxtaposed with the scale of our up close view of the metallurgical coal mines in the region.
One particular encounter stood out to me. We were driving on a backroad heading towards a lunch spot, when a big black pick-up truck drove past us. The driver slowed and then quickly reversed to pull up beside us. Our grantee partner said, “Not to worry, he probably just wants to know where we are headed”. In fact, when the older man, dressed in camouflage, rolled down his window and greeted our grantee partners by name and he asked if he could pay his dues to join WildSight right there and then. He shared the many reasons he cares about this region and wanted his voice included in their efforts.
photo credit: Karen Tam Wu
It was there that I was reminded of the value of funding “in-place”, because in an environment where so much is curated online, algorithms don’t always allow our paths to cross. Funding organizations rooted and respected “in place” is an opportunity to learn how to break down barriers in order to tackle the planet’s most pressing issues.
Looking ahead, I eagerly anticipate many additional site visits this summer with longstanding partners and potential collaborators. These experiences allow our team to learn and be challenged and hopefully, deepen our collective impact.
Onward,
Mira
Welcome Karen!
We are thrilled to welcome Karen Tam Wu to the Houssian Foundation team as Program Director, Environment.
Karen brings a wealth of expertise and leadership in energy and climate policy, nature conservation, and responsible forestry. Formerly with the Pembina Institute from 2015 to 2022, Karen served as Director of the Buildings and Urban Solutions Program before becoming Regional Director for B.C. Her tenure was marked by pioneering program strategies, rigorous policy research, and impactful government relations. Notably, Karen contributed to the BC Climate Solutions Council from 2017 to 2024. Karen holds a B.Sc. in Natural Resource Conservation, and was registered professional forester in B.C. until 2023. She serves on the boards of BC Hydro and the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre.
Karen’s contributions have been widely recognized, including accolades from Business in Vancouver as one of the most influential business leaders in B.C. and a Georgia Straight Trailblazer. She is a recipient of the Foresight Industry Impact Award.
Beyond her professional achievements, Karen is passionate about nature, enjoys riding her bike and adventuring in the mountains, and remains deeply engaged as a climate action advocate and policy researcher.
Karen will add invaluable expertise to our team, deepening our relationship to our climate and conservation portfolio. Please join me in welcoming her!
Celebrating the work of Houssian Foundation partners:
The Building a Childcare System that Works for Immigrant and Refugee Women was a 2.5 year initiative led and hosted by PIRS. The team recently launched a final report showcasing their learnings.
I hope this Earth Day finds you in some way connected to the beauty and struggle of the land you are living on. As strife on our planet intensifies and time runs thin, I find myself increasingly drawn to solutions and collaborations of all kinds.
Across our province, remarkable work is taking place to advance both climate solutions and conservation of our lands and water. The Houssian Foundation is proud to work in partnership with many of these organizations, tackling these issues directly.
The Zero Emissions Innovation Centre, with its Zero Emissions Building Exchange and Building-to-Electrification initiatives, offers positive findings that all-electric homes are cost-effective province-wide, detailed in this op-ed.
Living Here, a journalism project from Neighbours United, shares stories of individuals addressing energy and conservation challenges, including a forester driving change in Salmo, a Yukoner installing a heat pump, among others.
My Climate Plan introduced their first solutions partner, Mike Nowotniak at Method Air. Mike’s company installs heat pumps across the Lower Mainland. My Climate Plan is also hosting a webinar on April 23rd, so you can learn about heat pumps.
As we reflect on the significance of all this work, I’m reminded of the urgency to act and the necessity of hope.
We’re currently gathering with grantee partners at West Coast LEAF’s Equality Breakfast, alongside community members, advocates and activists with a shared passion for gender justice. It’s one important way we commemorate International Women’s Day, a time for global recognition and celebration of the remarkable achievements of women in all spheres—social, economic, cultural, and political.
The significance of International Women’s Day has never been more pronounced as women worldwide confront unprecedented challenges to their rights. In recent years, we’ve seen gender-based violence and economic inequalities escalate, and witnessed alarming assaults on the rights of women, trans and non-binary people, both in Canada and around the globe.
As I step deeper into my role as Program Director, with a focus on gender justice and community, I’ve been curious about the joys, challenges and learnings that overlap in these movements. Whether it’s ensuring shelter and meals for women and their families, championing accessible childcare, fostering mentorship connections with young women and girls, or advocating for fundamental rights, each aspect of this work holds greater significance than ever before.
We are proud to partner with many organizations tackling these challenges directly through movement building and organizing, policy and advocacy and by providing direct – lifesaving – services.
Below is a list of our grantee partners working on gender justice everyday.
This past year, it has felt like the earth beneath us is shifting.
It was the Earth’s warmest year on record. We’ve been witnessing wars that are displaying the darkest sides of humanity. We are seeing a cracking down of civil rights and personal autonomy. It is easy to get lost in the sorrow and feel isolated in the polarization of this time. I have certainly had my days feeling that way.
It is for that reason that I want to end this year focusing on what has brought me hope and helped to ground me. These milestones from our grantee partners remind me that amidst the shifts in the world are powerful examples of progress and shared humanity.
Two provinces are bringing in free contraception for their residents after years of advocacy work to make this happen. British Columbia pioneered free prescription birth control in Canada, and Manitoba is on track to provide universal cost coverage for prescription contraception. Our grantee partners Action Canada and OPTIONS – amongst many others – played an important role in this significant step towards reproductive health equity.
Attending City Hive’s community showcase event for the Youth Climate Innovation Lab was both affirming and hopeful. Witnessing a close-knit group of young individuals from diverse backgrounds present tangible recommendations for addressing climate challenges with humour and joy was truly inspiring.
The implementation of $10 a Day childcare has far-reaching impacts, touching families across the country, including my own. Low-income mothers, in particular, benefit significantly, thanks in part to our grantee partner, Coalition of Childcare Advocates of BC. This initiative has resulted in increased wages for early childhood educators, reduced fees in school age and preschool programs, and eliminated waitlist fees.
Major strides have been made in conservation in BC this past year including the establishment of a new, $300-million conservation fund to advance Indigenous-led conservation, Canada’s first tripartite conservation agreement between federal, provincial and First Nations governments, and a $60 million investment by the province for marine protection in the Great Bear Sea. These commitments have come through years of hard work including from THF grantee partners Nature United and Coast Funds.
The work of our grantee partners is complimented by the hope I feel when speaking to our impact investment partners. In a different way, they are instigating advancement in gender justice and climate solutions. Their work is a powerful reminder that not one sector can solve these challenges alone. We need each other.
Our focus of the upcoming year will be to find intersections in our work that make individual efforts of one organization stronger through collaborations to expand the narrowness of this moment. Our Holiday Open House highlighted for me that connecting across sectors is where the best ideas and partnerships emerge.
In a world marked by polarization, we aim to fight back by fostering unity. We look forward to our continued work together.
To that end, please join me in thanking four Executive Directors the Houssian Foundation has partnered with who have moved on from their leadership roles this past year. They include:
Mebrat Beyene, WISH
Alexa Pitoulis, Fresh Roots
Maryam Al-Khawaja and Majandra Rodriguez Acha, FRIDA
Michelle Fortin, OPTIONS
We hope you enjoy rest and connection this holiday season.
As part of our ongoing commitment to leverage philanthropic giving to promote environmental protection, gender justice, and resilient communities, The Houssian Foundation is proud to announce new and renewed partnerships with these organizations.
New Grants in 2023 • Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland • Coast Funds • Harmony Foundation • Metro Vancouver ZEIC • My Climate Plan • Wildsight • Youth Climate Corps BC
Renewed Grants • Canadian Women’s Foundation • Clean Energy Canada • Climate Justice Organizing HUB • David Suzuki Foundation • Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre • Low Carbon Funders Group • Nature United • Saint James Music Academy
Partnership: Gender Equality Learning
Together: Urban Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
In early June, The Houssian Foundation had the honour of hosting Kate Kroeger, Executive Director and Dr. Val Napoleon, Board Chair of Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights – one of our core grantee partners in our gender equality portfolio – in conversation with Globe and Mail reporter Nancy Macdonald.
If you are looking to support women, trans and non-binary human rights defenders before, during and well-beyond a crisis with rapid response grants, look no further than Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights.
Thanks to so many of you for joining us, and creating a space for connection and learning together.
Partnership: Environmental Protection
Iron + Earth: A not-for-profit worker-led organization with roots in the fossil fuel industry
Congratulations to Iron & Earth on the recently announced $16 million investment from the Government of Canada in support of fossil-fuel workers, Indigenous peoples and communities transitioning to a net-zero economy.
Iron & Earth’s vision is that the fossil fuel industry, Indigenous Peoples, and their communities will play a leading role in building the policy and infrastructure required to reach global climate targets. Their top-level goal is to help ensure a prosperous transition towards global carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Houssian Foundation was proud to be early supporters of Iron & Earth’s work and are thrilled to see this organization scale with this support.
Partnership: Resilient Communities
Saint James Music Academy: Spring Concert a Great Success
photo credit: SJMA
One of the highlights of the year for the Houssian Foundation is attending Saint James Music Academy’s Spring Concert. In front of an audience of hundreds, the students are given an opportunity to be seen, valued and appreciated.
Saint James Music Academy is a non-profit music school that is committed to social change through the power and love of music. They provide free classical music education to the children and youth in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and use orchestras and choirs as models for healthy community living.
The Houssian Foundation is proud to be a long-standing partner to the music school.
