Calgary Health Foundation

What Calgary Health Foundation does

Calgary Health Foundation is a Calgary-based, registered charitable organization founded in 1996 that serves as a system-wide philanthropic vehicle for healthcare in southern Alberta. It raises and deploys funds across four Calgary adult acute care hospitals, 14 Carewest continuing-care facilities, and a portfolio of community health programs, with cumulative lifetime fundraising exceeding $650 million. Its core "products" are multi-year capital campaigns and named clinical/equipment programs, including a $100 million Women's Health initiative and a $235 million Surgical Innovation initiative, alongside ongoing cardiac care, community health, and capital equipment funding.

The Foundation operates a diversified revenue model combining individual donations, corporate gifts, planned giving, lottery programs, and government grants. Notable recent inflows include $10 million from the Government of Alberta (May 2024), $5 million from Suncor for the Suncor Women's Health Centre (February 2026), $5 million from the Allsopp family for the Allsopp Women's Cardiovascular Health Clinic (June 2026), and a $1 million gift from the Jacobson family. In FY2024-2025, the Foundation generated $24.7 million in net fundraising revenue and disbursed $26 million to partner sites and programs.

Governance sits with a volunteer board chaired by Rob Peabody, with day-to-day operations led by President and CEO Paul Rossmann. The organization employs 11-50 staff, consistent with a fundraising-focused operating model that outsources clinical delivery entirely to hospital and Carewest partners under Alberta Health Services. The Foundation's competitive position rests on its exclusive institutional mandate, multi-decade brand, and ability to convene corporate, government, and individual donors around named clinical assets in a single regional market.

Name

Calgary Health Foundation

Legal name

Calgary Health Foundation

Website

https://calgaryhealthfoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calgary Health Foundation is a Calgary-based healthcare charity that raises and deploys philanthropic funds across four adult acute care hospitals, 14 Carewest facilities, and community health programs, running multi-year capital campaigns including $235M Surgical Innovation and $100M Women's Health initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Healthcare philanthropy services
• Community fundraising programs
• Hospital capital campaigns
• Charitable healthcare giving
• Medical equipment funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors supporting healthcare priorities including cardiac care, surgical innovation, women's health, and seniors' health. Monthly giving program provides dependable ongoing funds.
2. Corporate Donations & Sponsorships: Corporate gifts from companies like Suncor ($5M), Harold and Betty Allsopp ($5M), Jacobson Family Foundation ($1M), and event sponsors including Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. Includes cause marketing partnerships with businesses.
3. Lottery Programs: Three lotteries: Foothills Hospital Home Lottery (supports Foothills Medical Centre), Hospital Home Lottery (supports Rockyview General Hospital, Peter Lougheed Centre, South Health Campus), and Home Lottery Mountain Edition (supports Carewest and community initiatives).
4. Planned Giving & Estate Gifts: Bequests and legacy gifts through wills and estates, life insurance donations, and endowment creation for permanent investment in transformational care.
5. Government Grants: Government of Alberta investment of $10 million over two years (2024) to support women's health initiatives in southern Alberta.
6. Securities & Shares Donations: Gifts of shares or securities providing meaningful impact with potential tax benefits for donors.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Calgary Health Foundation raises philanthropic capital from individual donors, corporations, government, and lottery players, and disburses it as grants and equipment funding across Calgary's healthcare system. Its three priority fundraising pillars are Women's Health, Surgical Innovation, and Cardiac Care, with secondary focus on Seniors' Health and community programs. Operationally, the foundation runs three hospital home lotteries, a monthly giving program, a planned-giving/legacy gift program, the Heroes in Health grateful-patient recognition program, and signature annual events including the Women's Health Symposium and the Women's Health Golf Tournament.

Product overview

Calgary Health Foundation is a nonprofit healthcare philanthropy organization that functions as a unified platform connecting donors with healthcare innovation across Calgary's healthcare system. The organization operates three core programmatic areas (Women's Health, Surgical Innovation, and Cardiac Care) alongside supporting Seniors' Health, all delivered through partnerships with Alberta Health Services, the University of Calgary, and community organizations. Key products include healthcare facilities (Suncor Women's Health Centre, Harold and Betty Allsopp Women's Cardiovascular Health Clinic, Klassen Bellusci Precision Kidney Clinic), specialized medical programs (Mitral Valve Interventions Program, CESSRA Endoscopic Spine Surgery, Body Interventional Radiology Hub, HoLEP Program), research initiatives (PreventGene genetic testing, Sentimag breast cancer surgery, CEUS ovarian cancer detection), and donor engagement programs (Heroes in Health recognition, Women's Health Symposium). The foundation does not offer a technology product per se but serves as a fundraising and partnership organization advancing healthcare delivery across Calgary's four adult acute care hospitals, 14 Carewest facilities, and community health programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women's Health Program A core fundraising pillar of Calgary Health Foundation committing to raise $100 million to transform women's healthcare across Southern Alberta, addressing gender disparities through three focus areas: Access & Equity, Research & Innovation, and Systems Change.
• Surgical Innovation Program A core fundraising pillar of Calgary Health Foundation committing to raise $235 million to drive transformational change in surgical care, including robotic-assisted surgery, the CESSRA endoscopic spine program, mitral valve interventions, and wait-time reduction for approximately 70,000 Albertans awaiting surgery.
• Cardiac Care Program A core fundraising pillar funding cardiac catheterization labs, minimally invasive procedures including the Mitral Valve Interventions Program (MVIP), and other cardiac innovations for thousands of Southern Alberta heart patients served annually by the Libin Cardiovascular Institute (covering approximately 2 million people across Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Eastern BC).
• Heroes in Health A donor recognition program enabling grateful patients and families to thank healthcare heroes by making donations in their honour, with commemorative pins and supervisor notifications delivered to the recognized care team.
• Women's Health Symposium An annual public education event featuring expert talks, interactive booths, and documentary screenings on women's health topics including osteoporosis, pelvic floor health, menopause, ADHD in women, and perimenopausal health, co-hosted with University of Calgary's O'Brien Institute and the Sex, Gender and Women's Health Research Hub.
• Hospital Home Lottery Programs Three home lottery programs sold to Alberta residents — Foothills Hospital Home Lottery (supports Foothills Medical Centre), Hospital Home Lottery (supports Rockyview General Hospital, Peter Lougheed Centre, South Health Campus), and Home Lottery Mountain Edition (supports Carewest and community initiatives).
• Planned Giving & Estate Gifts A planned-giving program accepting bequests through wills and estates, life insurance donations, and endowment creation for permanent investment in transformational care across Calgary's healthcare system.
• Monthly Giving Program A recurring donation program providing dependable ongoing funds to support healthcare priorities including cardiac care, surgical innovation, women's health, and seniors' health.
• Women's Health Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament presented by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. raising critical funds for women's health initiatives, hosted at Sirocco Golf Club.
• Great Italian Wine Encounter Gala Auction Annual gala auction featuring Italian winemakers, wines, food, and entertainment at the Fairmont Palliser hotel, raising funds for Calgary Health Foundation priorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Suncor Women's Health Centre will increase annual patient capacity by 25% and reduce Pelvic Floor Clinic waitlist by 30%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Sirocco Golf ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2026Venue partner for the 2nd annual Women's Health Golf Tournament. Event raises critical funds in support of women's health initiatives in Calgary.
• Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2026Presenting sponsor for Women's Health Golf Tournament. Investment counsel firm providing financial sponsorship and brand visibility for women's health fundraising event.
• Calgary FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Calgary Foundation acted as bridge between Harold and Betty Allsopp and Calgary Health Foundation, facilitating the $5M gift for the Women's Cardiovascular Health Clinic. Identifies community needs and develops networks for effective grants in health and wellbeing.
• Libin Cardiovascular InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Joint entity of Alberta Health Services and University of Calgary leading city-wide expansion of women's cardiac healthcare. Calgary Health Foundation continues to fundraise for initiatives touching South Health Campus and Foothills Medical Centre. Institute serves approximately 2 million people in Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Eastern BC.
• University of Calgary's O'Brien InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2026Co-hosting the 2026 Women's Health Symposium on March 7, 2026 at Calgary Central Library. Partnership brings academic research expertise and public health knowledge to women's health education and awareness initiatives.
• Calgary Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2026Co-hosting the 2026 Women's Health Symposium at Calgary Central Library. Partnership provides venue and community access for free public event featuring eight educational sessions on women's health topics.
• Sex, Gender and Women's Health Research HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2026Co-hosting the 2026 Women's Health Symposium. Partnership brings specialized research expertise in sex, gender, and women's health to advance education and raise funds for women's health as a key foundation priority.
• Alberta Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Partnership with Suncor and Calgary Health Foundation for the Suncor Women's Health Centre at Foothills Medical Centre. AHS provides operational oversight and healthcare delivery for the integrated women's health facility.
• Calgary Sports and Entertainment CorporationsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner$5 from every ticket sold through foundation's link at Calgary Flames, Calgary Wranglers, Calgary Hitmen, Calgary Roughnecks, and Calgary Stampeders games goes to Calgary Health Foundation.
• Fountain Tire SunridgesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOffers 10% discount to AHS staff year-round and donates 5% from these sales annually to Peter Lougheed Centre through Calgary Health Foundation. Free alignment check with purchase of 4 new tires.
• Mercedes-Benz Country HillssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner100% of boardroom booking proceeds donated to Calgary's NICUs through Calgary Health Foundation, impacting tiny patients and families.
• Real Canadian Wholesale ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity fundraising partner supporting healthcare in Calgary through various promotional activities and customer engagement.
• Compass - Good Earth at South Health CampussupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCoin box fundraiser at South Health Campus location where all donations support the campus' greatest needs.
• Abstract Dance AcademysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDonating portion of proceeds from lanyard sales at shows and competitions in support of Calgary's NICUs through Calgary Health Foundation.
• Benita Gives BacksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDonates 100% of net proceeds from Give Back Jars and 5% of net proceeds from all other products to Calgary Health Foundation in support of Newborns Need Campaign, Carewest, and Neurovascular research.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation: Calgary-based pediatric hospital foundation raising philanthropic funds for Alberta Children's Hospital; directly comparable as a single-hospital healthcare foundation in the same city and provincial funding environment.
• VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation: Vancouver-based foundation raising funds for Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital; directly comparable as a multi-hospital Canadian healthcare foundation running major capital campaigns and lottery programs.
• Sunnybrook Foundation: Toronto-based foundation raising philanthropic funds for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; comparable as a Canadian academic health sciences centre foundation running major gift campaigns, lotteries, and planned giving.
• University Hospital Foundation (Edmonton): Edmonton-based foundation supporting the University of Alberta Hospital; a same-province, multi-program healthcare foundation with similar lottery operations and major-gift campaign structure.

Regional players

• Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation: Edmonton-based healthcare foundation supporting the Stollery Children's Hospital; comparable in mission (healthcare philanthropy) and operating model (lotteries, major gifts, planned giving) but serves a different Alberta region.
• BC Cancer Foundation: British Columbia-based healthcare foundation raising funds for BC Cancer; comparable in scope (multi-site specialty healthcare philanthropy) and revenue model (major gifts, lotteries, planned giving), but regionally distinct.

Broad incumbents

• SickKids Foundation: One of Canada's largest pediatric hospital foundations raising $200M+ annually for Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children; a much larger, more established national-scale peer with similar fundraising infrastructure (lotteries, major gifts, planned giving).
• Alberta Health Services Foundation: The provincial health authority that operates the facilities Calgary Health Foundation supports; a broad institutional incumbent that channels public healthcare funding and indirectly shapes the demand for private philanthropy.
• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: National Canadian health charity funding cardiovascular research and advocacy; a broader incumbent peer that competes for cardiac-care philanthropic dollars and corporate sponsorships.

Others

• Calgary Foundation: Calgary's community foundation that acted as the bridge for the $5M Allsopp gift to Calgary Health Foundation; comparable as a regional grantmaking and donor-advised fund organization serving the same community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CalgaryHealthFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calgary-health-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/calgaryhealthfoundation
• Xx.com/yyc_health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calgary Health Foundation