A Lasting Legacy

Lasting Legacy

The Chinook Fund supports charitable organizations providing services, programming, education, and support for and about the LGBTQ+ community.

The Calgary Chinook Fund is an endowment fund established to provide ongoing long-term funding. Each year the fund accrues income and a portion of this income is distributed by the Fund’s advisory committee in support of charitable LGBTQ+ organizations.

All donations are deposited with and managed by The Calgary Foundation’s Chinook Fund for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

The current fund balance is $912,000.

Mandate

Eligible Organizations

The endowment will provide funds to registered charitable organizations that provide any or all of the following services:

  • education
  • information
  • resources
  • counselling

For and about Calgary’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities (LGBTQ+), along with parents, family, and friends.

Eligible organizations create networking and community building among all people by providing gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender support, education, and resources.

Why Should I Give?

We need your help to grow the Fund and by doing so provide support to organizations that make a difference in our city and in the lives of Calgary’s LGBTQ+ community.

Tax Deductible Donations made to the Chinook Fund are added to it’s capital and therefore compound over time making your charitable dollar’s impact last year in and year out.

The Fund has the flexibility to provide assistance each year where the help is needed most. For example, one year the Fund may provide seed money to assist programming promoting inclusiveness in our schools or the needs of helping prevent a health crisis, whereas in another year the public education value of a theatrical performance may receive assistance.

By combining individual donations with those of others, built up over years and invested and managed professionally, we are confident the Fund will play a more and more important role in improving our city, our LGBTQ+ community, and our daily lives in it.

We can improve our community by encouraging positive change and responding to emerging needs!

Sponsors

Thank you to all past and present Sponsors!

Presenting Partner

 

 

  

 



 

  

 

 

Events

Chinook Fund Dinner 2022

The 2022 Chinook Fund Dinner on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 was oversold and by all accounts everyone had a great time!  More importantly, we estimate nearly $40,000 was raised bringing us ever closer to our goal of having a $1million endowment with the Calgary Foundation.  In addition to the great conversation, food and wine, we announced our 2022 Chinook Fund Grant recipients and 2022 Chinook Fund Hero.

Thanks to Philip Bandura for once again providing us with a glass blown item for our hero and one to auction, Hammer Headz Salon and Una Pizza + Wine for providing us with our door prize, and Bill Brooks for providing coverage in the Calgary Herald.

Special thanks to our friends at TD for yet again sponsoring the evening.  We could not do it without you!

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended.

Click here to see photos of the evening.

Chinook Fund Dinner 2021

The twice-rescheduled Chinook Fund Dinner 2021 was finally held on March 3, 2022 at The Commons in Ramsay.

While we hosted fewer guests than past years, it was wonderful to reconnect with friends who were able to attend.  In all the evening raised over $25,000 in new funds for the Chinook Fund.

Bill Brooks was on hand to document the event, we are thrilled to have the Chinook Fund annual fundraising dinner to be featured in his Calgary Herald article.

The evening featured Al Osten and Buddy Victor, our 2021 Chinook Fund Hero Award recipients, and Philip Murray Bandura who auctioned off two pieces of glass artwork, raising an additional $1200.  Many laughs were had as Philip auctioned off “Shiny Sh!t”!

The evening concluded with our first after party, at sponsor, Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Co.

Thanks to all of our sponsors and a special thanks to TD for once again providing sufficient sponsorship dollars to ensure every dollar raised at the dinner went straight to the Chinook Fund.

Click here to see photos of the evening.

Chinook Fund Dinner 2020

The Chinook Fund Advisory Committee has made the difficult decision to not host any events in 2020.  The COVID-19 pandemic is causing too much uncertainty for us to proceed with planning one or more events this year.

While we take a pause on hosting events, organizations in our local LGBTQ community may be particularly vulnerable this year, which is why the pause on events should not equate to a pause in building the fund for today and the future.

COVID-19 has changed everything, including how we will fund raise for the Chinook Fund this year.  Watch for a campaign that does not expose anyone to the virus in the Fall, when we normally host the dinner, in an effort to continue to build our endowment.

Chinook Fund Dinner 2019

The 2019 Chinook Dinner will be on October 24th at Skyline in Kensington.

We will again be buying attendees dinner and in return we request a 100% tax deductible donation (provided the donation exceeds $25) to the Fund, which is administered by the Calgary Foundation.

At the dinner our annual grants are awarded and the 2019 Hero Award will be presented to a Calgary area group or person whose contributions to our community warrant receiving this special recognition.

Last years dinner was ‘sold out’ so register early!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor of the dinner,  TD  for it’s generous grant and assistance to make this event possible!

Chinook Fund Dinner 2018

The 2018 Chinook Dinner will be on October 25th at Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar.

We will again be buying attendees dinner and in return we request a 100% tax deductible donation (provided the donation exceeds $25) to the Fund, which is administered by the Calgary Foundation.

At the dinner our annual grants are awarded and the 2018 Hero Award will be presented to a Calgary area group or person whose contributions to our community warrant receiving this special recognition.

Last years dinner was ‘sold out’ so register early!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor of the dinner,  TD  for it’s generous grant and assistance to make this event possible!

Thanks also to our host and donor Hy’s Restaurant, and also to Bee Kingdom Glass, which each year donates a prize of an original glass piece.

Chinook Fund Dinner 2017

The 2017  dinner occurred on October 26th, at the WORKSHOP Kitchen & Culture – 608 1st St SW

The 2017 dinner was highly successful with contributions of about $50,000 to the Fund.

Thanks to our 2017 sponsors, the TD, the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, and Bee Kingdom Glass for their generous support of the dinner!

News

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2023 Grant Applications Now Closed

The opportunity to submit a 2023 Chinook Fund Grant application has passed. Thank you to all those who submitted a grant application! All submissions will now be evaluated and the results will be  announced at the Chinook Fund Dinner on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.

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Apply for a 2023 Grant now

The Chinook Fund is accepting grants applications for 2023. Please go to the Grants tab and choose Apply for a Grant from the drop down menu.  Applications will be accepted until September 15, 2023.  Any applications submitted after that date will not be considered.

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The Chinook Fund is going Underground

We are pleased to announce the Chinook Fund is hosting a new event for 2023.  On Saturday, May 6, 2023, in partnership with Detour YYC, we are hosting, the Chinook Fund at Twisted Underground a lively night of entertainment and fun for long-time donors and new friends! CLICK HERE for details and CLICK HERE to get your tickets, on sale now through Eventbrite.