Menu

Celebrating Community: Our Most Successful Holiday Giving Campaign Yet!

2024 Holiday Giving Campaign Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

This past December, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) collaborated with 23 local charities to promote our shared giving platform, with the goal of standing together to strengthen local communities and ecosystems. Throughout the month, participating charitable organizations helped amplify the initiative by sharing it through their communication channels. Meanwhile, donors explored causes they cared about and supported the region's diverse needs through the Holiday Giving Catalogue. 

This year marked our fourth Holiday Giving campaign and it was our most successful one yet! Together, we raised an incredible $37,476, thanks to the generosity of 56 donors who made 94 donations—many of whom supported three or more organizations. To all our donors, thank you for your generosity. Your contributions are making a tangible difference, strengthening local initiatives, and supporting the region while highlighting the power of community.  

We are especially grateful to Pacific Sands Beach Resort for being the first local business to join the campaign, contributing $10,000 in matching donations, and to Tofitian Cafe for helping raise funds through our Tip Tap tool, enabling us to redistribute those donations to local organizations doing incredible work across the region.  

As the community foundation serving west coast communities from Macoah to Hotsprings Cove, the CBT is honoured to support the numerous social and environmental charities striving to make the region a stronger, healthier, and more inclusive place to call home. Together, we are building a brighter future! 

If you’d like to continue supporting the incredible organizations featured in our 2024 Holiday Giving Catalogue throughout the New Year, explore the links below to learn more about their impactful work and contribute to their efforts year-round. We’re excited to bring the campaign back in 2025 and look forward to your continued support! 

Local charities that participated in the 2024 Holiday Giving Catalogue: 

Janessa Dornstauder reflects on her community leadership journey

June 19, 2025
Janessa Dornstauder is a settler who is grateful to call Ucluelet her home. Through her work with the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT), Janessa builds partnerships between the diverse groups and communities in the region to achieve common biodiversity conservation goals. She recently graduated from the Leadership Vancouver Island West Coast program, and she reflects on her journey in this blog post. Read more!

Announcing the Spring 2025 Green/Youth Neighbourhood Small Grants

June 19, 2025
We’re excited to share this list of grassroots community projects that received a Green/Youth Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) this past spring cycle. A total of 19 projects were funded in the region! NSG makes empowering, accessible opportunities for residents from all demographics to make their communities more inclusive and vibrant places to live. Check out the blog below to learn more about the projects from the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region NSG program.

Deepening Connections: Reflections on the 2025 BC Biosphere Gathering

June 16, 2025
This past May, the CBT hosted the 4th annual BC Biosphere Gathering in our home region. Each year, this gathering brings together partners from British Columbia’s three UNESCO-designated biosphere regions, Clayoquot Sound, Mount Arrowsmith, and Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound, for a multi-day opportunity to connect, collaborate, and grow stronger together as a network.

Art as Reconciliation: The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre’s Art Program

May 23, 2025
Nestled in the heart of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region, a transformative initiative from the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is redefining the role of public art in cultural renewal, place-making, and reconciliation. The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre (CSBC), currently under development in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations territory, is envisioned as a knowledge hub for education, research, and reconciliation. At the core of this vision is a groundbreaking Arts Program, one that doesn’t just decorate a space but infuses the region with meaning. 

Province of British Columbia Invests $1 Million in Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre to Advance Rural Economic Development

May 22, 2025
he Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is proud to announce a $1 million contribution from the Province of British Columbia through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP). This major investment signals provincial confidence in the transformative potential of the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre, a $17 million facility now in the construction documentation phase in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation territory, envisioned as a regional hub for learning, innovation, and sustainable development. 

More Than a Designation: Honouring nuučaan̓uł (Nuu-chah-nulth) Stewardship

May 14, 2025
We’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the UNESCO biosphere designation, when the efforts of West Coast residents towards a sustainable future were recognized as being globally significant. However, the vitality of this place and the power of its people long predate the UNESCO designation. This place is exceptional thanks to the enduring nuučaan̓uł advocacy for interconnected rights, title, and environmental stewardship.

Clayoquot Biosphere Trust Receives Transformational $1.2M Gift from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation

February 3, 2025
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is honored to announce a generous $1.2 million philanthropic investment from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation, marking a significant milestone in bringing the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre (CSBC) to life. This remarkable gift highlights our shared commitment to strengthening communities, advancing reconciliation, and fostering environmental stewardship.

Join the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre Local Trades Fair! (PDF) 11.38 MB

January 9, 2025
Join the Biosphere Centre Local Trades Fair! We are actively seeking local contractors and tradespeople for various aspects of construction, with a strong emphasis on mass timber construction, sustainable building practices, local material procurement, Indigenous engagement and participation and workforce development and training. Collaborate on this project to make a lasting community impact by contributing to a transformative facility that honors local First Nations and prioritizes sustainable building practices. Click here for more details!

Announcing the Fall 2024 Culture Neighbourhood Small Grants

January 9, 2025
We’re excited to share this list of grass-roots community projects that received a Culture Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) this past fall cycle. A total of 19 projects were funded in the region! Read more about the projects below from the Clayoquot Sound NSG program.

Giving Season is Here: Join the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust in Making a Difference

December 9, 2024
As the holiday season draws near, the spirit of generosity and compassion invites us to embrace the timeless tradition of giving. For those of us living on the beautiful west coast, this time of year serves as a reminder of the supportive communities and vibrant ecosystems we cherish. While we often celebrate the visible aspects of our region, we must also recognize the passionate social and environmental charities tirelessly working to uphold the vitality of the local landscapes and communities. 

Ucluelet Co-op and FCL Donate $300,000 to the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre

December 3, 2024
Ucluelet Co-op and Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) are pleased to announce a joint donation of $300,000 to the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre in Tofino, British Columbia. Ucluelet Co-op and FCL will each contribute $150,000 to this groundbreaking and innovative community project that will see the establishment of the Co-op Community Teaching Kitchen within the Centre.

What does the Living Wage mean to you?

November 19, 2024
With help from Living Wage BC, we’ve calculated the west coast’s living wage for 2024. Across the province and the country, living wages have increased in recent years, mainly because of the costs of rent and food.

Join the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre Local Trades Fair! (PDF) 7.72 MB

November 15, 2024
Join the Biosphere Centre Local Trades Fair! We are actively seeking local contractors and tradespeople for various aspects of construction, with a strong emphasis on mass timber construction, sustainable building practices, local material procurement, Indigenous engagement and participation and workforce development and training. Collaborate on this project to make a lasting community impact by contributing to a transformative facility that honors local First Nations and prioritizes sustainable building practices. Click here for more details!

The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust's Regional Forum: Highlights and Insights from October 2024

November 4, 2024
On October 24, 2024, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust brought together a mix of participants for a gathering on ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations) territory at TinWis. This gathering was all about fostering connections, sharing knowledge, and building strong, collaborative relationships. Attendees included representatives from First Nations, local governments, and organizations involved in environmental research, stewardship, restoration, and sustainable development.

Fostering Collaboration: BC's UNESCO Biospheres Gather in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region

October 9, 2024
In early October, the three BC-based UNESCO Biosphere Regions gathered for knowledge sharing within the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region. Each Biosphere Regions works together on shared priorities including biodiversity conservation and climate action. By leveraging our unique strengths and priorities, we are able to collaborate and support each other’s efforts.