Giving non-profits the tools, confidence, and capital to grow.

Image: Scale Collaborative Directors Kristi Fairholm Mader, Kristi Rivait, and Lee Herrin.

When Kristi Rivait, Director of Partnerships and Programs at Scale Collaborative, reflects on her years as an executive director in the non-profit sector, one challenge stands out: organizations closest to community needs often lack the resources required to respond quickly.

Like many social sector leaders, Kristi was working within a funding system built around short-term, restrictive grants.

“Funding could take months to arrive and dollars were often tied to specific programs," says Kristi. "Even ambitious organizations were pushed into survival mode, focused on stretching limited dollars, rather than building the capacity and confidence to grow.”

That realization became the spark behind Scale Collaborative. Through mindset-building, capacity support, and access to capital, Scale helps organizations move beyond this dependent mode and build both the resources and the shift in thinking needed to grow.

From scarcity to sustainability.

Through its flagship Thriving Non-Profits program, Scale helps organizations rethink how they generate revenue, build sustainability, and expand their impact.

The model is designed as a three-part journey. It begins with the Thriving Non-Profits cohort, where leaders develop revenue diversification strategies and examine the internal habits that can keep teams operating in survival mode.

From there, organizations can access tailored coaching and consulting through Scale’s Activate arm.

“This support helps leaders apply what they have learned inside their own organizations, whether they are integrating financial strength into their strategic plan, building financial projections, preparing to purchase an asset, or working with their board to support a new direction,” says Kristi.

The final piece? Access to capital.

A partnership rooted in shared values.

Through the Thrive Impact Fund, Scale helps fill a gap many non-profits face when they are ready to grow but lack the upfront capital to act. Rather than leaving organizations to bootstrap change on their own, the fund can help de-risk investments and bring partners like Vancity into projects that might otherwise be difficult to finance.

“The partnership with Vancity has been incredibly meaningful not just for Scale, but for the sector as a whole. Through this collaboration, organizations working in areas such as food security, climate action, and Indigenous-led initiatives have been able to access both capital and strategic support,” says Kristi.

Over the years, Vancity has supported Scale in multiple ways, from early collaborations and learning events to investing in the Thrive Impact Fund and enabling member organizations to participate in the Thriving Non-Profits program.

Approximately 50 Vancity member organizations have already taken part in the Thriving Non-Profits cohort, building the tools, strategies, and confidence to think beyond short-term survival. With this year’s cohort now open, more organizations can take that next step toward stronger revenue models and lasting community impact.

A stronger path forward.

The results have been significant. What began as a small regional initiative supporting fewer than a dozen organizations has grown into a national program reaching hundreds of organizations per year.

“It’s not just about reaching more organizations, we want to build stronger regional ecosystems across Canada, so communities have access to the tools, support, and capital needed to help non-profits transform," says Kristi. "When non-profits thrive, so do our communities."

As demand grows, ensuring organizations have access to the Thriving Non-Profits infrastructure matters. With the sector evolving rapidly, Scale’s work is more relevant than ever.