Membership

Member organizations specialize in a variety of service areas, which ensures that our policy advocacy is informed across sectors.

Coalition membership include experts in housing, economic security, food justice, climate adaptation, education, disability rights, and more.

While 60% of coalition member organizations serve people across the province, 40% are focused on specific regions, with a concentration on neighbourhoods in the Greater Vancouver Area.

Membership FAQ:

Can you remind me why it’s valuable for my organization to be a Coalition member? 

Wow, thank you for asking! As a coalition, we connect the dots between our members’ priorities and the people with the power to affect policy change. That work spans from public education and action instigation (remember when we sent postcards to the Premier?) to direct lobbying and relaying our priorities to ministers, MLAs, and municipal leaders. We take on the heavy lifting of advocacy and invite members along every step of the way as collaborators and co-conspirators. 

We’ve raised the profile of member organizations by spotlighting their community and policy work, publishing co-written op-eds on a variety of topics, and highlighting members’ events and research output. Between the growing audience of our social media channels, our presence at community events, our reliably read public- and member-only newsletters, and our consistent presence in Ministers’ inboxes and offices, we’re making sure members’ priorities are heard. 

I want to pitch membership to my boss/ organization’s board/ team. Can you support with that?

We are happy to send along a package to you to present to your team about how being a Coalition member would be a good fit for your organization. Email rowan@bcpovertyreduction.ca to start the conversation.

We don’t have the funds to pay a membership fee this year. Can we still join or renew?

Of course! Our “no fee” option is particularly tailored to small, grassroots organizations with limited (or nonexistent) budgets, but we know that sometimes the funds and willingness to participate don’t always match. If your organization is keen to be part of the coalition, we want you here. Your contributions extend beyond dollar amounts.

What kind of organization is a good fit for coalition membership?

Does your work support people’s well-being? Whether you work in climate justice, worker’s rights, health, transportation, legal advocacy, housing, or somewhere in between, it’s likely that at least some of the people who connect with your work have experience with poverty.

We’re keen to work with organizations that are committed to upholding human rights in their sector. If you’re keen to contribute your expertise to improve poverty reduction policy, we want to hear from you.

Why do organizations fill out a membership form every year?

Having coalition members opt in every year is essential for us. We register as a lobbyist and need to know who we’re representing. This annual process flags any connections that may have fallen off or changed. It also ensures that we have the best information for connecting with your organization, so you get all the right updates and are queued up to collaborate.

Why do organizations pay a membership fee?

Our purpose as a coalition is to represent many organizations’ expertise and experience in policy-making spaces. Paying a membership fee proportionate to your organization’s capacity is a chance to directly support intersectional poverty reduction advocacy work.  

Membership fees are an essential part of our operating funds. Money detatached from program or project outcomes allows us to maintain the systems we use to keep members informed and to do our lobbying, advocacy, and convening work.