Wayman Crosby (Partner since 2023)

Meet Wayman Crosby (pictured with wife, Penny), a passionate philanthropist, community leader, and SVP Vancouver member. Wayman has been deeply engaged with a number of charities, both local and international, for nearly 50 years and has seen firsthand the transformative impact of investing in children’s potential. He currently serves as a member of the Investment Committee for Nicola Wealth Real Estate, as well as a director of the Nicola Wealth Private Giving Foundation and the Nicola Gives Back Charitable Committee, where he helps cultivate a culture of engagement and giving.

Q + A: 

What brought you to SVP?

I heard about SVP through a colleague and friend who was actively involved with the organization. I was interested in learning more about SVP’s approach to due diligence, charitable impact, collaborative funding, leveraging resources, and their focus on children and capacity building. 

What inspires your approach to philanthropy?

Initially, it was a faith-based “love your neighbor as yourself” mindset. I’ve chaired the boards of two large churches over a 15-year period in Vancouver that pioneered out of the cold shelter programs and were actively involved in connecting with the community. The benefits I’ve seen have enlarged my heart, like being inspired by the resilience and stories of those most impacted by poverty and the long-term, generational changes a helping hand can make.

From ages 16 to 23, I worked at summer camps and saw the most significant impact from engaging younger kids rather than waiting until later. I’m still particularly drawn to programs that support single moms and children’s programs that prepare them for life. Seeing how even a small investment in a child’s potential can put them on the path out of poverty motivates me.

Can you share an experience that shows the power of collective philanthropic action?

I have a vision for collective action both domestically and internationally – travelling with a charitable purpose, not just for pleasure. For example, years ago, a college student living with us who had served with Urban Promise in Camden, NJ, shared that they might have to close a leadership program for lack of funds. I knew that program, being the founding Executive Director and board Chair of the Urban Promise chapters in Vancouver and Toronto. I phoned three friends, asked if they’d fly to Camden on their own dime, and if they liked what they saw, write a cheque. We flew out, toured the program, and heard the impact stories firsthand. My friends were so inspired that they each wrote a cheque so the program could continue transforming lives. That showed me the power of getting fellow philanthropists directly exposed to the work. 

What does SVP’s trust-based philanthropy model mean to you?

It means trusting organizations’ leadership as good stewards and avoiding restricting dollars to specific projects or directions. Instead, we trust their leadership to allocate resources where they were most needed. We work to empower their vision for impact, encouraging them with unrestricted, multi-year commitments. That enables them to iterate, take risks, and build capacity in program areas that may not have appealed to donors but were critical.

Trust-based philanthropy is about developing a true partnership with organizations, listening to their challenges and granting unrestricted support. When funders control the purse strings too tightly, it constrains nonprofit creativity and resilience. I’m inspired to help unleash more potential through flexible, trust-based funding.