Erika Stensen is the new Executive Director of UWSVI
VICTORIA– The United Way Southern Vancouver Island (UWSVI) congratulated the many local workplaces that ran campaigns for United Way in 2023-24, celebrating some of the most noteworthy as 2024 Spirit Award Winners.
UWSVI’s Spirit Awards recognize the time, leadership, and exceptional financial contributions made by staff at the nearly 200 local workplaces that organized and oversaw fundraising campaigns run on behalf of UWSVI.
“The Spirit Awards celebrate a range of outstanding achievements by local workplaces, from the total amount of money raised, to incredibly high participation rates, to innovative fundraising activities like Halloween parties,” said Erika Stenson, Executive Director of UWSVI. “The number of award categories reflects the great diversity of workplaces, which range from large Federal government offices to small local businesses – all of whom threw their hearts into raising funds for the communities where we live and work.”
Each year, from September to December, local workplaces across Southern Vancouver Island raise funds for UWSVI. The campaigns are often led by dedicated employee campaign chairs who infuse fundraising with energy and fun, through engaging, often creative, activities and events.
These internal campaigns not only address local needs but also offer valuable team-building experiences and educational opportunities for everyone involved. UWSVI does its best to make it easy for workplaces to learn about the impact they will make in the community.
Some workplaces, like British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), organized engagement events like speaker panels as a way for local people, whose lives have been transformed by UWSVI-supported agencies, to share their stories of with interested staff.
“After more than two decades, BCI’s employee-led campaign committee continues to find new and innovative ways to inspire giving back. This year’s speaker panel, featuring local non-profit partners, was uniquely impactful and showcased the extensive community ecosystem we support through the UWSVI,” said Shauna Lukaitis, BCI’s Chief Operating Officer and long-standing executive champion for its campaign committee. “I am proud of our collective impact and grateful for our passionate colleagues leading these initiatives, which not only benefit our communities but foster a strong culture of caring.”
This July, UWSVI staff visited each Spirit Award recipient to collect and share their inspiring stories of workplace philanthropy.
2024 Spirit Award Winners
- Spirit Award – BCI
- Innovation Award – Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the Pacific Region (DFO Pacific)
- Collaboration Award (shared winners) – Cox Taylor and Acera Insurance
- Culture of Giving Award – King Bros. Limited
- Leadership Giving Award – Department of National Defence
- Outstanding Campaign Coordinator (100+ employees) – Costco
- Outstanding Campaign Coordinator (fewer than 100 employees) –KPMG
- Exceptional Achievement Award – RBC
- Resilience Award – Aon Reed Stenhouse
- Labour Partnership Award – City of Victoria / CUPE Local 50
- Thanks a Million Award – BC Transit
- Financial Challenge Cup – BMO
- Post Secondary Challenge Cup – University of Victoria
Source: United Way Southern Vancouver Island
