Our Impact
British Columbia’s coast and islands are places of deep roots and strong tides, shaped by the land and sea, and by the people who have called them home across generations. Communities this connected to place know that real strength can’t be imported. It has to be built in people, in local economies, and in the conditions that let both flourish.
That’s the belief that drives every investment we make, and that led us to ask a harder question: what does real impact actually look like here? In 2024, we launched our Wellbeing Impact Framework, the first of its kind among regional trusts in British Columbia, and a leading approach to impact measurement among regional development organizations in Canada. It gives us and the communities we serve a shared language for understanding how investment translates into real, lasting change: not just in jobs and revenues, but in the health, belonging, and resilience of island and coastal people and the places they call home.
In just the past two years, here’s the impact we’ve made.
New investment attracted
Jobs created close to home
Invested in low-carbon infrastructure
Invested in inclusive public spaces
Why Wellbeing?
The Trust is governed by Indigenous and business leaders working alongside local government leaders, and provincial appointees who share a common belief: that the health of our coastal economy cannot be measured by dollars alone. Wellbeing, the full flourishing of people, culture, environment, and opportunity, is what we are ultimately here to strengthen.
Our Impact Framework gives us a rigorous, consistent way to track whether our investments are delivering on that purpose.
Four Impact Areas. One Interconnected Vision.
- We measure our impact across four interconnected pillars, each with defined investment outcomes:
Growing a strong coastal economy by attracting new investment, diversifying our economy, growing businesses and social enterprises, and forging partnerships.
Enabling people to thrive by creating local jobs, activating community members, empowering diverse leaders, and fostering inclusive opportunities.
Protecting our future by building resilient infrastructure, avoiding and reducing emissions, transitioning to a circular economy, and protecting and enhancing nature.
Honouring who we are by designing inclusive spaces, expressing arts and histories, revitalizing languages, and sharing knowledge between generations.
How Our Framework Works
Each of the four Impact pillars is evaluated through four specific Indicators, each tied to clearly defined Outcomes. In total, our Wellbeing Impact Framework captures 80 distinct outcomes, giving First Nations, local governments, the Province of British Columbia, and the public a clear, transparent view of how the Trust’s investments are driving economic development to strengthen wellbeing across the coast.
But the Framework is more than a reporting tool. It is a living system for learning. It shapes how we make informed funding decisions, what questions we ask of the organizations we invest in, and how we improve our approach over time. Impact data is reported cumulatively, capturing everything achieved since the Framework launched in 2024.
Naa’Waya’Sum Art Gallery and Carving Facility. Photo by IISAAK OLAM Foundation.
Built with Communities, Informed by Leaders
The Framework was developed between 2022 and 2024 through deep engagement with the coastal communities and industry sectors we serve. It was also informed by the leading work of the Conference Board of Canada and DIALOG, whose Community Wellbeing Framework provided an important foundation.
Prior to 2024, organizations receiving Trust investment reported on project-specific key performance indicators (KPIs). The Wellbeing Impact Framework represents a significant step forward, replacing fragmented reporting with a shared, scalable language for what results-oriented investment looks like in British Columbia.
We welcome you to learn more about the methodology that underpins our Impact Framework.
Explore Our Funding Programs
Every great project starts with an idea and a conversation.