Giving Back Where We Live & Work

The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation inspires the community to invest in excellence in child health, research, and family-centered care. As the official fundraising body for the Alberta Children's Hospital, all money raised is reinvested in the hospital and child health needs. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for family-centered child health programs, specialized life-saving equipment, and advanced pediatric research and education. Ryan Giles, Managing Director of TriWest, serves on the Board of Directors.

The David Foster Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that provides financial support for non-medical expenses to families with children who require life-saving organ transplants in Canada. For over 30 years, the Foundation has provided financial support, guidance, and assistance to over 1,000 families going through the transplant and medical care process. In addition to financial support, the Foundation helps connect families going through similar experiences and strives to increase public awareness about the importance of becoming a registered organ donor.

STARS is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that provides life-saving helicopter air ambulance service to critically ill and injured patients from six bases located in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Established in 1985, STARS has been committed to saving lives and ensuring the best care possible for over 30 years. With many of TriWest's portfolio companies working in remote areas, we are proud to support STARS' exceptional air ambulance service. Dino DeLuca, COO of TriWest, serves as Co-Chair of the Board.

The St. Michael's Foundation mobilizes individuals, corporations, and foundations to support globally recognized innovators who pioneer discoveries, produce new treatments, reinvent medical training, transform care through artificial intelligence, and design state-of-the-art facilities. The Foundation stops at nothing to help tackle some of the toughest health challenges of our time, delivering the care experience patients deserve at St. Michael's Hospital and Providence Healthcare.

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada is dedicated to granting wishes to Canadian children from the ages of three to 17 who are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. For over 30 years, this foundation has worked tirelessly to help nearly 25,000 children and their families, and is the largest and only all-Canadian wish-granting charity. TriWest happily supports Make-A-Wish Foundation of Canada because we believe that every child's wish should be granted.

TriWest has had a long partnership with Inn from the Cold, a Calgary-based organization whose mission is to provide emergency shelter, support, and programs to homeless families and children in need, with the goal of ending homelessness and building stable families. We are honored sponsors of Inn from the Cold's annual fundraising gala, DreamINN Big.

Kids Up Front started as a grassroots charity initiative in Calgary in 2000. Since then, Kids Up Front Foundation chapters in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto have given kids and families over 1.6 million tickets—over 425,000 in Calgary alone, valued at over $14 million. From hockey and football games to concerts and plays, the real value is in the children's experiences, which is priceless. Kids Up Front works on behalf of over 230 registered partner agencies to facilitate these experiences for children, youth, and families who would benefit most. TriWest is a proud advocate for Kids Up Front by regularly donating event tickets and supporting ongoing fundraising efforts including the annual All In For Kids Poker Tournament. Jaclyn Height, Executive Assistant at TriWest, serves as a Board Member of Kids Up Front's Calgary Chapter.

The Brenda Strafford Centre serves people at risk of family violence by providing a safe housing environment and comprehensive support services so residents can live safely in the community upon departure. Established in 1996 when there was a dire need in Calgary for long-term accommodation and support for women and children exiting emergency shelters, the Centre has evolved to become one of the largest post-emergency shelters in the country. In cooperation with Calgary Housing Company, The Brenda Strafford Centre provides families who have fled domestic violence with the resources and support they need to rebuild their lives.

In 1973, a group of visionary women opened a small volunteer-run shelter for women and families in Calgary. The following year, the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter registered as a charity, formally taking over operations. Since its origins in a 13-bed facility in the Beltline area, the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter has expanded to serve over 15,000 Calgarians annually, providing critical support and safe haven for women and families fleeing domestic violence.

At Making Changes, we are committed to creating an environment of inclusion and welcome all who identify as women regardless of age, race/ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical ability. For over 30 years and with 250+ volunteers, Making Changes Association has been integral to Calgary's "women-helping-women" network, working with 100+ referral partners representing immigrant and human services agencies, community groups, education, health, and business. The organization helps women and teen girls going through life transitions overcome barriers, open doors, and create their own paths—whether re-entering the workforce, adjusting as new-to-Canada residents, or navigating unexpected life turns. Making Changes puts confidence back in their step, hope in their hearts, and smiles on their faces.

Safety is important to TriWest and our portfolio companies, many of which are in the service sector. Threads of Life's mission is to help families heal through community support and to promote the elimination of life-altering workplace injuries, illnesses, and death. They inspire a cultural shift by bringing awareness to the community about workplace tragedies. TriWest began partnering with Threads of Life in 2013 and brings focus to their work through the TriWest Partners Forum—an annual event where our partners, including portfolio companies, financial institutions, legal advisors, and accounting firms, come together to network and support this worthwhile cause.

VersaFi is the reflection of Canadian financial institutions and professionals uniting to accelerate gender equality at an industry level. Through the collective power of sponsors including major Canadian bank-owned dealers, independent and foreign dealers, Canadian asset managers, and major pension plans, VersaFi creates solutions to propel equality through strategies and initiatives that grow the pipeline of women, build the industry's knowledge of diversity and equality, and encourage a shift towards more inclusive work cultures and management styles. Their focus is on creating solutions for the progression of equality in Canadian finance through advocacy, research, programming, and recruitment.

The Calgary Influential Women in Business Awards was established to champion the women and men in our city who have achieved professional excellence while also championing diverse leadership in our community. Through their leadership and influence on corporations and boards, these honorees provide advice and counsel on strategy, policy, and profitability that benefit some of Canada's largest companies. They have used their influence to advance women and diversity in Calgary, creating a lasting impact on the business community.