Ways to Give
Every child deserves a caring mentor. Your support — in any form — helps match children facing adversity with the adult role models they need to thrive.
Choose How You'd Like to Help
Whether you give financially, shop with purpose, or partner as a business — every act of support opens a door for a child.
Donate Now
Make a one-time or monthly financial gift. Every dollar stays on Central Vancouver Island and goes directly to mentoring programs.
Give Today50 Doors Campaign
Open a door for a child waiting for a mentor. One gift of $1,500 — or $125/month — funds a full year of mentoring.
Open a DoorCorporate Partnerships
Sponsor a program, engage your employees, or partner with us on a campaign. We'll build a package that works for your business.
Explore PartnershipsBig Deals Boutique
Shop or donate clothing at our social enterprise boutique in Nanaimo. 100% of proceeds support local youth mentoring.
Visit the BoutiqueLegacy & Tribute Giving
Honour a loved one or leave a lasting legacy. Tribute gifts and planned giving create impact that endures for generations.
Learn MoreOur Supporters
Meet the donors, businesses, and community partners who make mentoring possible across Central Vancouver Island.
See Our SupportersWhy Give to Big Brothers Big Sisters?
At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we appreciate all supporters — from donors to volunteers to advocates. We believe that changing the course of young lives can in turn change our community's future.
We are the leading youth mentoring organization in Canada
BBBS of Canada has 150 agencies in over 1,000 communities, serving more than 23,000 children nationwide.
Over 70% of our budget comes from non-government sources
We depend on your generosity. Only 25% of our funding comes from government — the rest comes from donors like you.
Our services are completely free to families
We do not charge any fees to recruit, screen, monitor, and support the volunteers, youth, and families we interact with every year.
Named one of Forbes Top 10 Gold Seal Charities
We are one of the most cost-effective charities in the industry. We use money wisely and make your funds go further.
Mentoring creates life-long positive impacts
Littles are 46% less likely to initiate drug use, miss half as many school days, and show a 20% higher graduation rate than the national average.
We are accredited by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada
We meet and exceed national standards for service quality, volunteer screening, and child safety.
Donate Now
Your financial support allows us to provide careful screening and matching of volunteers with children, and the ongoing professional management needed to keep mentoring relationships going strong.
Make a Donation
Your donations help us make and sustain matches between Bigs and Littles. By donating, you are joining our mission of positively affecting children in your community.
Unlike many other non-profit organizations, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island raises over 70% of its operating revenues from non-government sources. We are committed to spending each dollar responsibly and with transparency.
CRA Charity #: 879200111RR0001
Legal Name: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island
How Your Gift is Used
The process of matching deserving children with positive adult role models can be costly. With such a large portion of our funding coming from our Recycled Clothing Program, we are proud to say that your clothing donation really does help our kids get matched with mentors.
- Volunteer screening and background checks
- Mentor training and onboarding
- Ongoing professional match support
- Volunteer recruitment and marketing
- Quality assurance and program evaluation
- New program development
50 Doors Campaign
Help us open 50 doors for children waiting for mentors on Central Vancouver Island.
One Gift. Sustained Mentoring Support.
A Door is Opened
Your gift of $1,500 — or $125/month — helps cover the costs involved in creating and sustaining mentoring matches and programs. That's one door opened.
A Match is Made
Our professional team screens, trains, and carefully matches a caring adult volunteer with a child who needs them most.
A Life Changes
That child gains confidence, improves in school, and builds the resilience to face whatever comes next. The return to society is $23 for every $1 invested.
Open a Door as an Individual
A gift of $1,500 helps support the costs involved in creating and sustaining mentoring matches and programs. Or give $125/month — your recurring gift creates the stability that allows mentoring relationships to thrive. Every dollar stays on Central Vancouver Island. Full tax receipt issued.
Corporate Sponsorship Tiers
Align your business with one of Canada's most trusted charities. Corporate sponsorship of the 50 Doors Campaign offers meaningful community visibility and employee engagement opportunities.
- Supports the costs of creating and sustaining a mentoring match
- Named recognition on our website
- Social media thank-you post
- Tax receipt for full amount
- Supports mentoring matches and programs for children in our community
- Logo on campaign materials
- Recognition at our annual event
- Social media feature
- Tax receipt for full amount
- Helps sustain mentoring matches and programs at scale
- Presenting sponsor naming rights
- Logo on all campaign materials
- Speaking opportunity at annual event
- Dedicated social media campaign
- Tax receipt for full amount
Questions about the 50 Doors Campaign?
Corporate Partnerships
Partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island to strengthen your community, engage your team, and build your brand.
An Ideal Community Partner
Having served Canadian families for almost 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has earned its position as one of the most well-known and respected brands in the charitable sector. With 123 local agencies operating in over 1,000 communities, we are an integral part of the Canadian social fabric.
Our ability to innovate and collaborate, and our history of demonstrated success with some of the most recognized brands in Corporate Canada, makes us an ideal charitable partner for businesses of all sizes.
Partnership Opportunities
🤝 Campaign Sponsorship
Sponsor the 50 Doors Campaign and open multiple doors for children waiting for mentors. Tiers from $1,500 to $15,000 with named recognition and social media features.
View Sponsorship Tiers →👥 Employee Engagement
Research shows that employees who are given the opportunity to give back to their community are more productive, feel more positive about their company, and are more engaged in their work. Your company can participate in a fundraising event or offer employees time to volunteer as mentors.
Contact Us to Get Started →🎁 In-Kind Donations
Donate goods, services, or expertise that support our programs and operations. From printing to professional services, in-kind gifts make a real difference.
Contact Us →📣 Cause-Related Marketing
Align your brand with one of Canada's most trusted charities. Co-branded campaigns, product tie-ins, and community investment programs available for companies of all sizes.
Let's Talk →Why Partner With Us?
Increased Brand Perception
Associate your brand with one of the most well-known and respected brands in the charitable sector — trusted by Canadian families for almost 100 years.
Community Visibility
Leverage our reach across Central Vancouver Island through social media, events, and campaign materials.
Employee Satisfaction
Research shows employees who give back are more productive, more positive about their company, and more engaged in their work.
Tax Benefits
All eligible donations receive a full tax receipt from our CRA-registered charity. Charitable Business Number: 879200111RR0001.
Let's Build a Partnership That Works for Your Business
To explore any of our partnership options or to hear about additional opportunities, contact us. We are happy to work with you to provide creative and effective cause-related solutions.
Big Deals Boutique
Shop or donate clean, gently used women's, men's, and kids' clothing, shoes, purses, and accessories. Every purchase and donation supports youth mentoring on Central Vancouver Island.
About Big Deals Boutique
Big Deals Boutique is a social enterprise operated by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island. We sell gently used women's, men's, and kids' clothing, shoes, purses, and accessories at affordable prices — and 100% of the proceeds support youth mentoring programs in our community.
Our Recycled Clothing Program is one of the most important sources of non-government revenue for our organization. Your clothing donation really does help our kids get matched with mentors.
Wednesday extended hours: 10:00am–6:00pm
Donate Clothing
Donations are accepted during open hours only. We welcome clean, gently used women's, men's, and kids' clothing, shoes, purses, and accessories.
✓ We Accept
- Clean, gently used women's, men's, and kids' clothing
- Shoes, purses, and accessories
✕ We Cannot Accept
- Items that need laundering or repair
- Items showing heavy wear
- Items exposed to moisture or strong odours
Donations are accepted during open hours only. Items should be clean and gently used.
Legacy & Tribute Giving
Honour a loved one, celebrate a milestone, or leave a lasting legacy — your tribute gift creates mentoring relationships that endure for generations.
Tribute & Memorial Gifts
A tribute gift to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island is a meaningful way to honour someone special. Whether celebrating a life well-lived or a milestone worth marking, your gift creates lasting impact for children in our community.
❤ In Memory Of
Honour the life of a loved one with a gift in their memory. A tribute card will be sent to the family of the person being honoured, letting them know a gift has been made in their name. The amount of the gift is kept confidential.
Make a Memorial Gift →⭐ In Honour Of
Celebrate a special occasion — a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or retirement — with a gift in someone's honour. A tribute card will be sent to the person being honoured.
Make a Tribute Gift →🌿 Planned Giving / Bequest
Leave a lasting legacy by including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island in your will or estate plan. A bequest is one of the most meaningful gifts you can make — it ensures children on Central Vancouver Island have access to mentoring for generations to come.
Contact Us to Learn More →Monthly Giving — For Kids' Sake
Becoming a monthly donor is one of the most impactful ways to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island. A recurring monthly gift — in any amount — provides the kind of sustained support that allows us to build and maintain mentoring relationships over the long term.
- Provides a reliable, predictable source of funding that allows us to plan ahead
- Reduces our administrative costs so more of your gift goes directly to programs
- Creates the stability that allows mentoring relationships to thrive over time
- You can cancel or change your gift at any time
- Full tax receipt issued annually
We're Here to Help
Whether you're considering a bequest, a tribute gift, or becoming a monthly donor, our team is happy to answer your questions and help you make the gift that's right for you.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island
2030 Northfield Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9S 3B8
Our Supporters
A heartfelt thank you to the donors, businesses, and community partners who make mentoring possible across Central Vancouver Island.
Our Donors and Supporters
With gratitude to the donors, funders, businesses, and community partners recognized in our 2024 Annual Report. Your support helps create and sustain mentoring matches and programs for children and youth on Central Vancouver Island.
$10,000+
$1,000+
$500+
Under $500
Community Partners
A Special Shout-Out
Coca-Cola
Hosted a warehouse tour and donated beverages for the September Open House.
Rotary Nanaimo North
Donated time and food for the September Open House.
Nanaimo Food Share Society
Partnered to host a Play On at Park Ave Farm.
Bowl Canada
Donated bowling passes for Community Matches.
Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Vancouver Island, 2024 Annual Report, pages 13–14. Names and wording are reproduced as printed in the report.
Join Our Community of Supporters
Learn about giving and partnership opportunities that help sustain local mentoring.
