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԰������ is today’s university, purpose-built for tomorrow — uniquely positioned to respond to and drive change. And donors have been with us since day one, more than 60 years ago, driving discovery, innovation and impact. 

Over the past year alone, 7,305 alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of ԰������ came together to give more than $154.4 million to the university. It’s a powerful reflection of both the generosity of the community and of ԰������'s proven ability to create change through research, education and community engagement. 

Take a look back at some of the stories behind the numbers and the impact on our campus and beyond.  

Expanding entrepreneurial-thinking scholarships 

Philanthropy is helping cultivate the next generation of innovators through unique programming, experiential learning and scholarships that recognize and nurture leadership, creativity and problem-solving. The Cannon Lachapelle Awards in Entrepreneurial Thinking have been doing just that for the past seven years, distributing nearly $1 million in graduate and undergraduate scholarships. 

Last fall, , expanding the undergraduate and graduate scholarships — and making the latter the university’s third-largest graduate scholarship endowment — ensuring they can be awarded in perpetuity and inspire generations to come. 

Meet a few of the Cannon Lachapelle scholars who are making their mark — giving fashion waste a new life, empowering vulnerable populations to improve their neighbourhoods, and developing technology that produces clean hydrogen: 

Harnessing AI and health data for more personalized care 

Precision medicine moves beyond one-size-fits-all health care by using data on genetics, biology, environment and lifestyle to better predict risk, tailor treatment and improve outcomes. It’s a promising field and a research priority at ԰������’s Cumming School of Medicine — research that is set to be supercharged with a , BA’70.  

The Nelson Precision Medicine and Learning Health System (PULSE) Centre for Innovation will establish a provincewide data platform that securely links anonymized diagnostic tests, such as imaging and electrocardiogram tracings, with laboratory, medication and health-outcomes data. This will allow researchers and physicians to identify patterns and insights that can help them answer questions about how best to detect diseases sooner and select the most effective treatments for each patient. 

Resourcing the future with industry-ready learning  

A long-time supporter of ԰������, Cenovus Energy made another important investment in students this year — one that prepares them for careers in Canada’s evolving energy industry. The energy company’s $2-million gift spans two faculties, creating and improving dedicated spaces that reinforce classroom learning through experimentation, simulation and applied real-world problem solving. 

The new Cenovus Energy Chemical Makerspace in the Schulich School of Engineering is a long-needed chemical wet lab where students can explore, test ideas and learn through doing. Over at the Haskayne School of Business, the Cenovus Energy Trading and Finance Lab has expanded programming with industry‑standard trading simulations that allow students to practice decision-making in an environment that reflects today’s energy markets. 

“We rely on bright young minds from schools like the University of Calgary to fuel our long-term success, both as a company and an industry. Opportunities where students can apply theory in a meaningful way give them practical insight before entering the workforce.” 

— Jeff Lawson, Cenovus Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development & Chief Sustainability Officer 

Setting a new Giving Day record 

During the university’s 60th anniversary year, donors gave ԰������ yet another milestone to celebrate: one of . More than 2,850 alumni, students, faculty, staff, emeriti, retirees and friends came together April 9-23 for the annual fundraiser, donating a record-breaking $2.7 million to support world-class research, education, innovation and more.  

Since its launch in 2017, Giving Day has raised more than $18 million to fuel ԰������ education, research and innovation, and brought together thousands of supporters each year — all rallying behind the causes that matter most and the university that is advancing them. 

Launching new engineering and science investment fund 

What started five years ago 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 ԰������’s culture of entrepreneurial thinking.  

The UCeed program offers investment, mentorship and support, giving entrepreneurs momentum to reach the market faster. Through seven investment streams — including the new Engineering and Science Fund — more than $12 million has been invested in 74 startups, which have gone on to create nearly 400 jobs and raise an additional $278 million in capital. 

Establishing the Harper Scholarships in Economics 

2026 marked the 20th anniversary of the election of one of the university’s most distinguished alumni to Canada’s highest office — which ԰������ marked with the creation of the . 

The former prime minister has long credited his University of Calgary education as giving him a strong foundation for a truly remarkable career, making it the ideal home for undergraduate and graduate awards that will cultivate the next generation of economic leaders.   

Thanks to early support from a group of Harper’s colleagues and champions, the inaugural cohort of Harper Scholars has been fully funded and philanthropic support continues to grow towards building an endowment that will ensure the awards can be offered in perpetuity. 

“The Canadian advantage was built on sound economics and responsible public policy. Our future depends on cultivating leaders who can uphold and advance this foundation, and that starts with excellence in education. My University of Calgary education provided that essential foundation. I am proud to launch these new scholarships to help equip the next generation of Canadian students with the analytical rigour and real-world perspective needed to meet tomorrow’s challenges.” 

— Rt. Hon. Stephen J. Harper, BA’85, MA’91

Celebrating 60 years of donor-powered impact 

While ԰������ was officially established as an autonomous institution in 1966, the university’s origins go even further back to 1906, with the opening of Alberta’s first teacher training college, which would later become the Werklund School of Education.  

As we mark the university’s diamond anniversary this year, we celebrate the past 60-plus years — milestones achieved, challenges overcome, opportunities seized and history made — and we look ahead, energized by so much yet to come. Most importantly, we celebrate our donor community as the common thread through it all.  

See how philanthropy has fuelled ԰������ impact over the years with a .