About Us
Contact Info
Snail Mail - 2-1450 Chesterfield Ave, North Vancouver BC, V7N 2N4
Email - www.yvonne@synergycollective.ca or ymuzak@telus.net
Phone - 604 726 5277
Overview
Synergy Collective Society is a community-based volunteer-run organization that blends art with social enterprise. Synergy builds integrated partnerships with local Vancouver charities to create and support direct service and sustainable community programming. This is achieved by teaching collaborative partnership skills and by putting these skills to practice through monthly and annual events that showcase prominent West Coast artisans. Synergy integrates music, dance, film, spoken word, art, food, and comradeship to celebrate the spirit of culture while strengthening the fabric of the community.
Synergy also pays close attention to technologies and approaches that support green and eco-friendly practices. We work with the Vancouver Rowing Club to minimize our carbon footprint when onsite producing an event. To that end, we follow all recycling protocols and serve the meals catered by award-winning Emelle's Catering via biodegradable single-serving plates and cutlery.
Mission Statement
Synergy Collective Society blends arts and commerce with social responsibility to develop partnerships with CRA-registered nonprofit charities in order to create and support community-based programming.
Strategic Outcomes
- Solidify stewardship of charity mentorship program
- Increase Volunteer and Youth recruitment, retention, and engagement
- Create learning opportunities to strengthen capacity-building skills
- Increase social enterprise through community engagement
- Build authentic communities of practice
Statement of Community Priorities
A key element to building sustainability is through creating reciprocal relationships. To this end, participants, volunteers, sponsors, and donors are requested to work in cooperation with a sense of openness to develop relationships of trust, understanding, and reciprocity. Our values our:
- Inclusion
- Integrity
- Altruism
- Resilience
- Celebration
Who We Are
Synergy is a volunteer-based organization that integrates music, dance, film, spoken word, art, food, and comradeship to celebrate the spirit of culture and the value of community connection. Lower Mainland charities work in partnership to build/increase or sustain direct service/resources and/or community programming. Efforts focus on constructing sustainable relationships based on cooperation and capacity building through experiential learning and practical skill development.
Purposes
To create partnerships with federally registered social service non-profit organizations in order to promote collaborative partnership skills building and raise funding to support community-based programming
To advance the public’s appreciation of the arts by producing and presenting singer/songwriter performance events, and by providing a forum for Canadian artists to perform their artistic works through participation in such events
To advance and provide volunteer skill-building and mentorship training programs for youth 14 to 24 years of age to build and/or increase community leadership skills in the Greater Vancouver area
To advance education by conducting an annual professional development retreat specific to non-profit charitable organizations and their representatives in the Greater Vancouver area with a focus on building skills related to community collaboration, sustainable networking, strategic planning, leadership, and volunteer skill development
How We Meet Our Purposes
- Increase the visibility of local Vancouver artisans.
- Provide 4 events annually that promote social enterprise and community development.
- Provide skill-building training opportunities for charities to facilitate the development of collaborative partnerships skills.
- Provide skill-building training opportunities for youth, driven by youth to build inter/intra leadership and stewardship skills.
- Facilitate the development of sustainable relationships between local charities and their communities.
- Enhance awareness and exposure for local charities.
2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Lori Rose
HR Director - Hollyburn Family Services
Vice President
Mark James Fortin
School Teacher
Treasurer
Dr. Yvonne McSkimming
Principal, McSkimming Consulting
Secretary
Suzanne Jean
President, Kaizen Holdings Ltd.
Director-At-Large
Paul Robson
Retired Financial Advisor, CIBC
If you are interested in joining the Synergy Board of Directors, please contact Yvonne McSkimming at (604) 726-5277 or by email at yvonne@synergycollective.ca
Society Highlights
Since its inception in 1997, Synergy has:
- Showcased 640 artists.
- Entertained over 54,000 people.
- Raised $2.4 Million for 67 local charities.
- Supported over 185,000 North Shore, West Vancouver, and Lower Mainland residents through direct funding for 55 community-based programs.
Synergy maintains a consistent patron base of approximately 1,100 attendees a year, with approximately 500 of these being new.