Stephen &Julie
Did you know?
More than 100 young leaders have graduated from the Youth Now program.
Each year, over 100 non-profit professionals attend our training opportunities.
Over two dozen non-profit organizations have participated in the Youth Now program.
The CCRR provides nearly 400 child care referrals per year.
On average, the CCRR hosts 30 workshops and training courses each year.
Every year, over 500 child care providers and parents attend CCRR training opportunities.
Every year, RCRG completes over 3,000 grocery orders for local seniors.
Nearly 300 seniors make use of our Better at Home services.
Our volunteer drivers complete more than 1,200 trips annually.
At least 350 people per year find a volunteer position using our Volunteer Match program.
Close to 500 volunteers support RCRG’s programs and services.
Volunteers contribute nearly 23,000 hours to our organization each year.
Each holiday season, the Richmond Christmas Fund helps more than 2,200 low-income residents.
Every year, the Christmas Fund provides over 600 children with toys, books, and sports equipment.
The Richmond Christmas Fund was first started by Ethel Tibbits, in the 1930s.
The number of Neighbourhood Small Grants we’ve awarded has increased every year since 2014.
Block parties are the most popular type of Neighbourhood Small Grant project.
Every year, the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre serves over 7,300 local women.
The Richmond Women’s Resource Centre currently offers 16 programs and services.
Nearly 60 volunteers support the Richmond Women’s Resource Centre, contributing nearly 2,500 hours per year.
Richmond is home to over 350 registered charities, all of which rely on volunteer support.
There are nearly 13 million volunteers across Canada.
International Volunteer Day is celebrated throughout the world on December 5.
There are 35 volunteer centres in British Columbia.
In 2016, the Foundation awarded 10 grants to non-profit organizations, worth a combined $59,000.
The Foundation manages $6 million in 60 Forever Funds, returning, on average, CPI plus 4%.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Foundation distributed $656,000 in grants, scholarships, charitable disbursements, and Emergency Community Support Funds.
Foundation activities result in the enhancement of our community and residents’ sense of belonging.
ROCA has raised over $21,000 for local charities.
ROCA has performed its Elementary School Concert Series to over 8,000 students.
ROCA provides mentoring and life changing opportunities for aspiring musicians.
The Richmond Arts Coalition was founded in November of 2005.
RAC co-produces the ArtRich exhibition every two years!
RAC highlights Richmond's arts events in a monthly email.
The Richmond Music School is the oldest not-for-profit music school in Richmond.
The Richmond Music School offers affordable music lessons through its diverse programming.
Our students performed 40 hours of music to welcome the Olympic athletes to the 2010 Olympic Games.
RCFBoard

Community Foundation Board of Directors

Leading the Way to a Stronger Community

The Richmond Community Foundation's volunteer Board Members are passionate, dedicated, and enthusiastic. All have close ties to Richmond and donate annually.

The Board is supported by the staff team at Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives (RCRG), who provide the Foundation with administrative and marketing assistance. RCRG's President & CEO, Ed Gavsie, serves as the Foundation's Executive Director.

Ed Gavsie (Ex Officio)
Executive Director

Portrait of Ed GavsieA longtime resident of Richmond, Ed has been involved in the volunteer sector for decades, having served as a Director and Chair of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Chair of RCRG (previously Volunteer Richmond), Chair of the Richmond Spirit of BC Committee, as well as several other positions.

He and his wife, Linda, founded a private career college which they expanded to several campuses in the Lower Mainland before they sold it. Ed’s background also includes media (radio news) and management positions in the tourism, hospitality, and financial sectors.

When not working, Ed enjoys being with his adult children and seven grandchildren, all of whom live close by.

Sunny Chiu
Chair

Sunny Chiu 200Sunny is a litigation lawyer at Clark Wilson LLP in downtown Vancouver. As a strong believer in both kindness and competence, he is also passionate about giving back to the community as he strives to provide excellent legal services to his clients.

Sunny has proudly called Richmond home for over a decade, and he has maintained excellent relationships with all the teams and organizations that he worked with.

Prior to earning his law degree at Thompson Rivers University, Sunny enjoyed career successes in journalism and public relations. He was a news reporter and a TV host, and those experiences saw him transitioning into the role of a communications and marketing consultant at a public relations firm in Vancouver.

He is also fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and has a diploma in Interpretation and Translation from Simon Fraser University.

Sunny loves soccer, and on a weekend morning you will see him playing with his team on the fields near South Arm Community Centre.

Maryam Bawa
Vice Chair | Chair, Grants & Scholarships

Maryam BawaMaryam is a proud Hamilton kid and Richmond High Alumni, who has spent all her life in Richmond.

Having completed her degree in Political Science and International Relations at UBC, she decided to get her BEd in Primary Education. She is currently a teacher with the Richmond School District. 

Volunteerism is very important to Maryam, and as such, she is very involved in the community. She was a member of the Richmond City Council Advisory Committee for Childcare Development, as well as the President of the Richmond Rotaract Club. 

Maryam embraces innovation and collaboration and has a passion for education, children, food security, and healthcare.

Dean Cardno
Treasurer | Chair, Finance & Investments

RCF Logo

Dean is a Chartered Accountant who has worked in senior positions in heavy construction, real estate development, and for 25 years in the energy industry. Dean is currently involved in project evaluation and development with BC Hydro.

Dean has been active in Richmond and the wider community, having served as the Treasurer and then President of the former Seafair Minor Hockey Association for ten years, as well as the Treasurer of the Richmond Arenas Community Association, also for ten years, before coming to the Foundation. Dean has been the Chair of the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association’s audit committee since 2016, and received the PCAHA’s “Gold Puck” award in 2015 for an outstanding contribution to amateur hockey in the Lower Mainland for a period of more than ten years.

Dean and his wife raised their family in Richmond, where they have lived for thirty years; his proudest achievement is the success of their two adult children.

Chris Yan
Secretary

Chris Yan 200Chris is the Community Foundation Liaison to the Richmond Youth Foundation (RYF), and is responsible for communications between Richmond Community Foundation and Richmond Youth Foundation. He lends his expertise in training Youth Advocates in event planning, public speaking, and leadership, providing a safe and judgement-free environment for students to practice essential workplace skills. 

Chris sees potential in everyone and knows that small achievements are a stepping stone for greater success. Chris has been involved in the RYF since 2016, and continues his goal to make RYF a cornerstone of philanthropic interests in his community.

Derek Dang
Fund Holder, Finance & Investments

Derek DangDerek Dang is a lifelong Richmond resident who has appreciated the community that has offered so much to his family for four generations now.

Derek has had the honour of serving as Richmond City Councillor for 21 years. Professionally, he has been involved in Real Estate sales, acquisition, and development since 1985.

Derek and his wife, Dr. Margaret Yeung, are also proud fund holders with the Richmond Community Foundation.

Ken Johnston
Co-Chair, Donor Development

Ken JohnstonKen has been a resident of Richmond since 1976 and has watched our community grow into a vibrant and diverse city. Ken owned and operated a Richmond-based business for over 35 years.

Ken was humbled to have the privilege of serving the residents of Richmond for 18 years as a Richmond City Councillor. He also served four years in Victoria as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.

Ken is a past Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Vancouver and a current Board Member of the Regional Animal Protection Society.

Emmett Mark
Director

Emmett MarkEmmett is a lifelong Richmond resident who is politically active at all levels of government. He has worked for various federal parliamentarians in British Columbia and Ottawa, which has informed his views on the importance of community involvement, and the need to encourage robust civic engagement. 

He is particularly passionate about student leadership, having led several youth civic organizations. Emmett's current volunteer affiliations include the Canadian International Council, and the NATO Association of Canada. 

Emmett holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from UBC and is currently a graduate student at Carleton University.

Imelda Nurwisah
Director

Imelda NurwisahTrained as an urban planner, Imelda is passionate about supporting vibrant, resilient communities and is honoured to be a Board Director for the Richmond Community Foundation. 

Imelda now works as a Development Consultant and Project Manager assisting non-profit societies, First Nations, and municipalities to build social purpose real estate. She holds a Masters in Environmental Studies degree from York University and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto. 

In her spare time, she enjoys the amazing wildlife and outdoors of the west coast.

Risha Sidhu
Director

Risha Sidhu 200Risha has been a Richmond resident for over twenty years since her move to Australia to attend law school. Prior to attending law school, Risha completed her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology at Simon Fraser University while volunteering at the B.C Children’s Hospital and Richmond Soccer Youth Association. Risha was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2020. 

Apart from work, Risha is active in her local community volunteering at the Downtown Eastside Women's Shelter and Canadian Blood Services. Additionally, Risha is regularly engaged as a keynote speaker at local high schools in Richmond. Risha enjoys travelling, hiking, biking, reading and watching sports.

Wendy Yuan
Co-Chair, Donor Development

Wendy Yuan Square 200Wendy is currently on leave from the Community Foundation's Board of Directors, as she seeks to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly in BC's next Provincial election. We wish Wendy the best of luck in her campaign.