About the Provincial Employees Community Services Fund

On this page

• History
• Goals
• Giving through PECSF
• Volunteers
• Donations
• Administration

History

The Provincial Employees Community Services Fund (PECSF), also called the Community Fund, was founded in 1965. The program encourages provincial government employees to give to local non-profit organizations through automatic payroll deductions.

Since it started, PECSF has raised over $50 million and expanded to serve 29 regions throughout British Columbia.

Goals

• Inspire BC Public Service employees to support local charitable organizations through bi-weekly and one-time payroll deductions and fundraising events
• Support local charities that apply for funding
  • Funding is provided in three year cycles

Giving through PECSF

An awareness campaign runs every year from mid-September to mid-November with kick-off events where volunteers and donors meet funded charities.

Each year, a deputy minister is invited to be the campaign's honourary chair.

There are two routes employees can choose to give through PECSF:

• Donor choice:
  • Any Canada Revenue Agency registered charity
• Fund supported pool:
  • A pool of locally screened charities

PECSF is registered federally as a Charitable Employee Trust and governed by a board of directors.

PECSF is the only organization authorized to canvass provincial government employees in the workplace. 

Volunteers

• Over 1,000 B.C. public servants volunteer every year
• Volunteering is encouraged and supported by executive
• The PECSF central office holds training sessions (in person and online) for new and seasoned employee volunteers
• PECSF volunteers coordinate fundraising within their ministry or organization and sometimes across ministries or within a building
• Each ministry, agency, board or commission designates at least one lead representative to coordinate their team’s campaign
• Volunteer canvassers and event helpers report directly to their designated PECSF lead coordinator or workplace PECSF committee
• Volunteers are recognized at award presentations held in January and early February
  • Certificates of appreciation are sent to all volunteers

Donations

• All employee contributions are electronically forwarded to the PECSF central office in Victoria for distribution
• Donated funds are administered according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• 100% of donations go to charitable organizations
• Contributions are disbursed twice a year to the various charities chosen by donors
• Fund supported pool donations stay within the local community
• The Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia conducts an annual review which provides additional confidence and assurance to all donors and supporters
• PECSF is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a private foundation/employee trust:
  • BN/Registration Number: 88940 7466 RR0001

Administration

• The PECSF central office in Victoria has three full-time staff members
• Government absorbs all administrative costs
• A Board of Directors made up of BC Public Service employees clarifies policies and procedures relating to strategic planning and financial decisions
• Regional committee members annually review PECSF-funded charity programs to make sure all donated dollars are still going toward programs and services that were approved
• Every three years, these committees accept new applications for funding and interview eligible charities