McCALL MacBAIN SCHOLARSHIPS at McGILL

What McCALL MacBAIN SCHOLARSHIPS at McGILL does

The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill is a Canadian non-profit scholarship program established in February 2019 through a C$200 million gift from John and Marcy McCall MacBain, currently the largest leadership-based graduate scholarship program in Canada. The organization selects up to 30 scholars per cohort (20 Canadian, 10 international) to pursue fully funded master's or professional degrees at McGill University, with coverage spanning tuition, fees, a C$2,300 monthly living stipend during academic terms, relocation costs, and summer funding options. Each scholar additionally participates in the 'Leading with Purpose' interdisciplinary leadership curriculum, one-on-one mentorship from distinguished leaders, and professional coaching, with access to the McCall MacBain House community space in Montreal.

The program's product surface extends beyond the flagship scholarship to include one-time McCall MacBain Regional Awards (C$5,000–C$10,000) usable at any Canadian public university, and McCall MacBain Finalist Awards (up to C$40,000) for top candidates who reach the final interview stage but are not selected as full scholars. Applications are processed through a dedicated online portal and follow a multi-stage selection funnel consisting of written applications, regional semi-finalist interviews across Canada and internationally, and finalist interviews conducted in Montreal with all travel costs covered.

The operating model is event-driven and community-led: the organization recruits through a network of 90+ university outreach partners across approximately 30 countries, supplemented by digital marketing (website, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), email newsletters, and virtual information sessions. The program is staffed by a small team of approximately 13 people led by CEO Natasha Sawh, working under the stewardship of the McCall MacBain Foundation as primary financial partner. Since inception, the program has selected six cohorts, distributed nearly 500 one-time awards, and committed more than C$3 million annually in tuition and living costs.

Name

McCALL MacBAIN SCHOLARSHIPS at McGILL

Legal name

McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill

Website

https://mccallmacbainscholars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill is a Canadian non-profit that funds up to 30 full master's and professional degree scholarships annually at McGill University, plus mentorship and leadership programming, for exceptional Canadian and international students selected through a multi-stage competitive process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduate Scholarships

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/Institutional Scholarships & Tuition Waivers (EDAIAOAG), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Graduate scholarships
• Leadership development
• Fellowship funding
• University admissions
• Student mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scholarship Funding: The program is funded by a landmark $200 million gift established in 2019 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain. The scholarship provides full funding including tuition, fees, living costs, relocation, and summer funding to selected scholars pursuing master's or professional degrees at McGill University. Additional one-time entrance awards of $5,000 to $20,000 are offered to top candidates not selected for the full cohort.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill is Canada's first comprehensive, leadership-driven scholarship program for master's and professional degree studies at McGill University. The program offers up to 30 full scholarships per cohort covering tuition, fees, a C$2,300 monthly living stipend, relocation grants, and summer funding, alongside mentorship, coaching, and the "Leading with Purpose" interdisciplinary leadership curriculum. Supplementary one-time Regional Awards ($5,000–$10,000) and Finalist Awards ($5,000–$20,000) extend reach to additional high-potential candidates.

Product overview

McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill offers Canada's first comprehensive, leadership-driven scholarship program for master's and professional degree studies. The core offering consists of full McCall MacBain Scholarships (covering tuition, fees, living costs, and providing mentorship and leadership programming), supplemented by one-time McCall MacBain Regional Awards ($5,000-$10,000) and Finalist Awards for top candidates. Scholars also participate in the 'Leading with Purpose' curriculum and have access to the McCall MacBain House community space in Montreal. Applications are processed through a dedicated online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• McCall MacBain Scholarships Canada's largest comprehensive leadership-based scholarships for master's and professional studies at McGill University. Each scholarship covers tuition, fees, a C$2,300 monthly living stipend during academic terms, relocation costs, summer funding options, mentorship, professional coaching, and access to the interdisciplinary "Leading with Purpose" leadership curriculum. Up to 30 full scholarships are offered per cohort (20 Canadian, 10 international).
• McCall MacBain Regional Awards One-time awards valued at $5,000 or $10,000 that can be used to enroll in a full-time master's or professional program at McGill or any public university in Canada. Awarded to strong candidates not selected for the full scholarship cohort.
• McCall MacBain Finalist Awards Entrance awards given to top candidates who reach the final interview stage but are not selected as full McCall MacBain Scholars. Recipients may receive awards (e.g., up to C$40,000 referenced in program materials) to support graduate study.
• Leading with Purpose Curriculum Interdisciplinary leadership development program that is part of the McCall MacBain scholarship experience, including mentorship matching, professional coaching, and community programming. Curated by the Director of Leadership Development.
• McCall MacBain House Physical community space in Montreal dedicated to scholars, featuring gathering, study, learning, and collaboration spaces, with a newly renovated third floor opening in September 2026.
• McCall MacBain Online Application Portal Online application platform for prospective scholars to apply for the McCall MacBain Scholarships, Regional Awards, and Finalist Awards; separate from McGill's own admissions system. Handles application submissions, document uploads, and reference form submissions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 full scholarships and 100 one-time awards offered annually, representing $3 million+ investment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McGill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2019Primary partner university where McCall MacBain Scholars pursue their fully funded master's or professional degrees. McGill provides academic programs, faculty, facilities, and administrative support for scholars.
• 90+ Universities Worldwide (Outreach Partners)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversities in approximately 30 countries collaborate to promote the scholarships and encourage eligible students to apply. Partners include institutions in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the United States.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Trudeau Foundation Scholarships: The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation funds Canadian doctoral students across multiple universities with a leadership and engagement mandate. It is a regional peer in the Canadian leadership-based graduate scholarship space, though focused on PhD rather than master's level.
• Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature et technologies / FRQNT Postdoctoral Scholarships: Quebec-based research and graduate scholarship granting bodies that fund master's and doctoral students at Quebec universities including McGill. They are regional peers sharing the Quebec graduate funding ecosystem, though they are research-not-leadership focused.

Direct peers

• Loran Scholars Foundation: Loran is Canada's premier undergraduate leadership scholarship, founded in Canada and serving Canadian students with a similar character-and-leadership-based selection philosophy. Franca Gucciardi, McCall MacBain's founding CEO, was previously CEO of Loran, illustrating the direct institutional lineage and operational model overlap.
• Mandela Rhodes Foundation: Mandela Rhodes offers fully funded postgraduate scholarships to African students with a strong leadership development component, and is explicitly named by McCall MacBain as one of the international scholarships that informed the program's design.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: A large global scholarship program for African and other students combining full funding, leadership development, and university partnerships. Comparable in scale of funding, multi-country reach, and integrated leadership programming.
• Schwarzman Scholars: Schwarzman Scholars funds a one-year master's at Tsinghua University with a leadership curriculum, backed by a major philanthropic endowment. It is a direct peer in the fully-funded graduate leadership fellowship category with global applicant sourcing.
• Gates Cambridge Scholarship: Funded by the Gates Foundation, Gates Cambridge offers fully funded postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge to non-UK applicants with a leadership focus. Directly comparable as a large endowed, single-university, leadership-oriented graduate scholarship.
• Rhodes Trust (Rhodes Scholarship): The Rhodes Scholarship is the archetypal global leadership scholarship funded by an endowment, sending exceptional students to the University of Oxford. It is the closest direct peer to McCall MacBain in mission (leadership-based selection, full funding, leadership development) and is explicitly cited as an inspiration for the McCall MacBain program.
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford): Knight-Hennessy funds multi-disciplinary graduate study at Stanford University with a large endowment and a leadership development curriculum. It is a direct peer in the fully-funded, leadership-driven, single-university graduate scholarship category.

Emerging players

• Chevening Scholarships (UK Foreign Office): Chevening offers UK government-funded fully funded master's scholarships to emerging leaders from around the world. Comparable in applicant sourcing and global graduate funding, though government rather than privately endowed.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwCSgBNz05OMnW4BRFuT3Mg
• Facebookfacebook.com/mccallmacbainscholars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccallmacbainscholars
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccallmacbainscholars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about McCALL MacBAIN SCHOLARSHIPS at McGILL