This article was previously published by The Philanthropist Journal and is reprinted with permission.
When British Columbians vote on October 24, much of the discussion will rightly focus on housing, healthcare, and the cost of living. Behind every one of these priorities are nonprofits and charities that turn public policy into services and community programs that people rely on.
That is why we are asking every party in this election to make one clear commitment: keep the parliamentary secretary for community development and nonprofits and fill the role promptly.
A role that almost nobody noticed . . . until it mattered
Created in 2020, the position gave Canadian charities and nonprofits their first designated parliamentary secretary at the provincial level. Amshen Joan Phillip took on the role in November 2024 and held it until her death in August 2026. Since its creation, the position has provided a pivotal connection between government and the nonprofit sector.
Today the seat is vacant, and an election is underway.
As governments change, parliamentary secretary roles are not guaranteed. This one could disappear quietly: no legislation would need to be repealed and no announcement made. Once the votes are counted, a new cabinet and new parliamentary secretaries are appointed. Any position omitted from that list simply ceases to exist.
British Columbians should not accept that outcome. This role has demonstrated its value and must be preserved.
Nonprofits are how government’s work reaches people
Nonprofits are sometimes treated as “nice to have” – organizations that fill gaps at the edges of government work. In reality, these independent, community-rooted organizations often reach people in ways government and businesses cannot. They deliver essential services, create connection, and help make communities across BC places where people can thrive.
Moreover, nonprofits are a significant employer and economic contributor in BC. The province’s nonprofit sector represents 397,000 jobs and employs a diverse workforce that is 70% female, 34% immigrants, 5% Indigenous, and 37% visible minorities. In 2026, the sector contributed $36.4 billion to our province’s gross domestic produce).
“Nonprofits are essential . . . [and] need a representative in government.”
There is no doubt that nonprofits are essential in our province. As such, nonprofits need a representative in government.
The provincial government itself recognizes that nonprofits help deliver priorities such as affordable and supportive housing, homelessness response, food security, arts and culture programs, sports activities that promote well-being, and Indigenous and racial justice, among many others. When a family finds a stable home, when someone gets a hot meal, when a young person joins a team or an artist finds an audience, there is very often a nonprofit at the centre of that story.
Why we need a parliamentary secretary for community development and nonprofits
The parliamentary secretary role is not a hotline for individual organizations, and it was never meant to be. It is a strategic partner at the decision-making table who understands the sector’s strengths and challenges, can see across ministries, and can help government and nonprofits work toward shared goals rather than in isolation. At Vantage Point, as we convene, research, and advocate on behalf of the sector, we have seen first-hand how this role has made it possible to bring sector-wide insights directly into conversations about policy and programs.
When government has a named partner who is accountable for understanding the nonprofit sector, the sector’s perspective can more directly inform decisions that truly meet the needs of BC residents.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, this role helped facilitate targeted support to nonprofits as they worked to uplift communities across BC. For example, the role championed the Recovery and Resiliency Fund, which recognized the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous-led organizations, nonprofit organizations with operating expenses of less than $1 million, organizations in rural communities, and nonprofits supporting equity-deserving communities.
The benefits of the role are vast, and the role helps to close the wide gap between the government and communities across BC.
Benefits to the BC government
There is significant opportunity to make the partnership between community-based organizations and government more visible across the sector. We’ve only just started benefiting from what this role has to offer, and there is much more to be done.
This role offers a single point of contact for the nonprofit sector in government. Because nonprofits do not fit neatly into one category, their operations touch nearly every provincial ministry. The parliamentary secretary cuts through administrative silos by acting as an internal bridge and creates efficiency, clarity, and good policy pertaining to the nonprofit sector and the communities they serve.
Keeping the parliamentary secretary for community development and nonprofits position – or even enhancing it to a minister of state – and giving it a clear mandate is the foundation for the visibility and consistency needed for it to make the essential impact for which it was designed.
A model that all of Canada is watching
This is not only a BC story. The model that BC created is one that other provinces, territories, and Ottawa can learn from.
Canada’s nonprofit sector employs 2.7 million workers, according to Imagine Canada research, and it serves communities in every single region of the country. A sector of that size and reach deserves a named representative at the decision-making table. When BC created the position, it set an example that other jurisdictions could adopt, and other provinces are watching keenly to see what happens next.
“BC can set the example for the rest of the country of what it looks like when government and nonprofits are true partners.”
If BC were to let the role lapse, the damage would not stop at the provincial border; it will affect momentum for nonprofit visibility and government partnership across Canada. If we keep and strengthen this role, British Columbia can set the example for the rest of the country of what it looks like when government and nonprofits are true partners.
We have a responsibility to not let it fail.
What we need
We call on every party contesting this election to make three simple commitments:
- Keep the role after the election. Whichever party forms government, the position of parliamentary secretary for community development and nonprofits should continue.
- Fill it promptly. The seat is currently vacant. The sector should not have to wait months to have a named representative again. Fill the role promptly following the election.
- Give the role a clear mandate and adequate support. A title alone is not enough. The role needs a defined purpose, resources to do the work, and the access to the ministries that will make it most effective.
None of this is partisan. Nonprofits operate in every community, serve people of every political stripe, and work with governments of every kind.
Regardless of who holds power, BC’s essential nonprofits, which serve communities across the province, need a dedicated government representative.
What you can do
If you work in or care about your communities and the sector that provides BC’s essential and meaningful services to all of us, this election is an opportunity. Candidates are knocking on doors and attending all-candidates meetings in every riding. Ask them whether their party will commit to keeping the parliamentary secretary for community development and nonprofits, filling it quickly, and giving it the mandate to succeed. It is a concrete question, and it is one that candidates can answer.
Nonprofits offer much to our communities and ask very little of those who govern in return. A named representative at the table is a modest request, and it is one that every party can say an easy “yes” to.
We look forward to the positive impact it will have for all of us.
Vantage Point is a BC nonprofit that serves other BC nonprofits. We promote connected communities by nurturing a strong nonprofit sector through training, resources, and advocacy. Our office is located on the traditional and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, and our work spans the province across the lands of more than 200 distinct First Nations.
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