Giving & Philanthropy
Where the fund gives — healthcare, basic needs, education, arts and culture, and animal welfare, with a local focus and long-term relationships.
How We Choose
We prefer long-term relationships over one-off donations, charities with measurable outcomes that are willing to share their results, and a local focus. We avoid political and international donations. Much of the fund's giving continues relationships the family has held for decades — and honours the memory of their son David.
Read our mission statementEvery Gift Has a Shape
Estate Gifts
Charitable gifts arranged through our estate, so the giving carries on beyond our lifetime. The organizations we want to support that way are named in our estate plan and revisited whenever it is updated.
Living Estate Gifts (LEGs)
For five years we have made annual LEGs — impact gifts given in our lifetime rather than through the estate. The idea comes from The Happy Inheritor, a book given to us by the Calgary Health Foundation in recognition of our support for their healthcare fundraising.
Annual Gifts
Each year we set a budget for our giving and name the charities we want to support with it.
Memorial Gifts
Gifts made in memory of someone. The funds established in memory of our son David are the largest of these, and the family has given annually to the Marian J. Tallman Burritt's Rapids Memorial Fund since 2007.
Special Occasion Gifts
Instead of Christmas and other presents, we now ask for a donation to a charity. Whoever makes the donation keeps the tax receipt.
Organizations We Support
Each organization has a profile with what they do and why the fund supports them.