Explore giving stories
Donors like you are driving groundbreaking research, exceptional student experiences and positive change at UCalgary and in the community. Read on to see how philanthropy is helping us change lives.
Medical research that's transforming health
UCalgary research has led to critical new protocols for heart attack, cancer and stroke treatment — saving lives here and around the world. Meet a few of those patients who have benefited from Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) research and innovation over the decades.
The evolution of veterinary medicine at UCalgary
One of the biggest gaps exposed during the 2003 BSE crisis was the need for more large-animal veterinary professionals. Launched just two years later, UCalgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine answered the call and continues to grow, doubling enrolment and establishing W.A. Ranches as a living lab for students and researchers.
Donor-powered impact: a year in review
Donors have been with UCalgary since day one, more than 60 years ago, driving discovery, innovation and impact. Take a look back at some of our philanthropy stories from this past year, and the impact of these gifts on our campus and beyond.
Testing the microbiome to prevent ICU infections
In-hospital infection, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, remains one of the most serious complications for critically ill patients — and timing is everything. Now, researchers are harnessing an unexpected ally in that fight: the patient’s own microbiome.
“When you give back, you benefit tenfold.”
Mavis Clark and Gord Tallman have much in common, including the loss of a loved one to lung cancer. In honour of Gord’s son, David, and Mavis’s husband, Paul, the two partnered to fund a position focused on leveraging AI and machine learning in lung cancer research.
How an act of kindness shaped a Supreme Court justice
The Hon Jack Major hadn’t planned on staying in Calgary. The move from Ontario after graduating from law school in 1957 was meant to be temporary, but he soon embraced the entrepreneurial energy of the city and found it the perfect place for a young lawyer to earn opportunities.
Nearly 70 years later, the highly regarded retired Supreme Court justice — who helped shape Canada’s legal landscape — is being honoured with a prestigious new scholarship established by his sons at UCalgary’s Faculty of Law.
Giving Day 2026: The results are in!
Thank you for making Giving Day 2026 one of our best yet! Your support will help shape UCalgary’s next 60 years — powering the talent, innovation and impact that define our university.
Stephen Harper on education, institutions and democracy
The prestigious new Rt. Hon. Stephen J. Harper Scholarships in Economics in honour of one of UCalgary's most distinguished alumni.
Meet the long-standing donors
As UCalgary celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, we’re also celebrating the long-standing donors who have been giving for decades.
Community Giving Impact Report
Philanthropy has driven UCalgary impact since the very beginning — advancing education, scientific discovery, life-saving research, entrepreneurial thinking, economic growth and more. The result: a record of achievement that far outpaces our 60 years.
“It's the research that's keeping me alive, and will keep me alive.”
Five-time cancer survivor Diane Colton is on a mission to de-stigmatize lung cancer and advance critical research at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute to better understand and mitigate environmental risk factors like radon — the number-one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers — and improve patient care.
Harnessing AI for better health
The new Nelson PULSE Centre is set to establish a province-wide data platform that securely links anonymized diagnostic tests — such as imaging and electrocardiogram tracings — with laboratory, medication and health-outcomes data, to give physicians and researchers valuable insights and improve patient care.
Long-running program supports people with chronic physical disabilities
Harvey Rose signed up for the Faculty of Kinesiology’s Rehabilitation and Fitness Program after suffering a stroke in 1998, determined to regain the loss of mobility that left him in a wheelchair — and he hasn't missed a session since.
Calgary business leaders fuel experiential learning at Haskayne
In today’s rapidly-changing world of work, employers are looking for more than just strong grades — they’re searching for graduates who can lead, collaborate and adapt in real time. That’s where experiential learning makes the difference.
A family legacy: Unlocking better bone and joint treatments
Decades after a transformative donation from J.R. (Bud) McCaig established the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, a legacy gift from his brother, Maurice McCaig, is set to empower next-generation researchers who are pushing the boundaries of discovery.
Celebrating 5 years of UCeed
What started as a bold idea to accelerate research from lab to market has grown into Canada’s largest university-based investment fund of its kind, powered by philanthropy and rooted in UCalgary’s culture of entrepreneurial thinking.
Unique scholarships fuel next wave of entrepreneurs
Giving fashion waste a new life. Empowering vulnerable populations to enrich their neighbourhoods. Developing technology that produces clean hydrogen. These are just a few of the ventures from the dozens of UCalgary students whose creativity and drive earned them a Cannon Lachapelle entrepreneurial-thinking scholarship.
Thrive Centre transforms cancer patients’ lives through exercise
After a whirlwind month that started with a cancer diagnosis and ended in surgery, Sean Walsh received the all-clear from his oncologist — but he felt far from relieved, instead waiting for the other shoe to drop. What finally helped was something unexpected: a unique exercise program for people living with cancer.
Passport to the past: Travel award takes learning overseas and back in time
As a student, an excavation experience in Turkey changed the course of professor emeritus John Humphrey's research, career and life — and as a professor, he saw the impact of the student awards he handed out each year. Today, he and his wife are paying it forward to the next generation of Arts students.
Political science fellowship pays tribute and garners global attention
Mark Grosjean would be embarking on his own postdoctoral fellowship this year, had he not passed away in 2018. But his name lives on in a prestigious new political science award, established by his parents — the inaugural recipient of which is looking forward to carrying on Mark's legacy.
Taylor-made excellence
In honour of Don Taylor's 90th birthday, we took a tour of some of the exceptional spaces and initiatives that make UCalgary a centre of excellence — each one made possible with the Taylor Family's generous support.
Read more stories in Spark, the UCalgary philanthropy newsletter
Just as a single spark can ignite a roaring flame, your generosity serves as the catalyst for monumental change here at UCalgary. Each quarter, we’ll bring you stories of the people you empower and impact you make possible.