About

The Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations (formerly known as Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau) was established in 1969, and incorporated as a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency on April 12, 1983. GPVSB is a membership organization for the civic sector in the Northwest Peace Region, serving charitable and non-profit community organizations in the City and County of Grande Prairie and beyond.  Our member agencies and clients represent a broad region. They range from; small rural agricultural groups to large agencies providing services to families and individuals in distress, through to indigenous agencies, cultural agencies, sports groups, and more.

Our members strengthen communities and empower individuals to take control of their lives. They tackle; poverty, address inequalities, increase inclusiveness, improve the environment, and enhance the overall wellbeing of our region. Our mandate is to further such community development through supporting the success of our members and the non-profit sector as a whole.  We provide educational, advisory, networking and support services to our member agencies, as well as volunteer recruitment, retention and recognition programs.  In recent years, we have extended our training expertise to include direct skill development programs for marginalized groups and individuals.

The Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations (GPRAVO) is well-connected to networks of volunteer administrators, volunteer groups, and non-profit organizations across the communities we serve.   As such we work with and partner with a number of agencies to foster inclusiveness, belonging, and build social capital; promote social justice; foster cultural expression; generate solutions to social, environmental, and cultural challenges; and create connections between citizens, in all our communities and local governments. 

The Grande Prairie Volunteer Services Bureau has played an integral part in the community for 52 years. The legacy name will always be cherished as part of our history.  As we enter a new chapter, post-COVID, we believe that the time is right to give a new definition to the GPVSB. Our new name: Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations, honours our past legacy and reflects our vision for the future.