By Ali Abel

December often brings thoughts of giving back to those less fortunate and, let’s be honest, maximizing our tax credits for the year. Between Black Friday and Giving Tuesday, which took place on December 3, demands for our money are high. While there are many great organizations in Alberta that rely on donor support throughout the year, it can be difficult to find organizations that reflect our personal values and truly understand how our gifts are used.

Alberta magazines can help by sharing a deeper dive into the people behind an organization’s success, the lives impacted by a gift, and the employees working tirelessly behind the scenes to make a difference. Three Alberta charities have raised the bar for donor magazines, sharing amazing stories, and winning awards along the way.

Leap Magazine, published by the Alberta Cancer Foundation, highlights how the organization makes a difference for Albertans, and their families, facing cancer. The publication features real people touched by cancer, exceptional researchers working tirelessly to find cures, and donors across the province giving generously to make a difference. Recent stories have included household names, such as Jocelyn Laidlaw, a CTV Calgary news anchor, and her battle with cancer, to those working behind the scenes, like Dr. Adetola Adesida, a bioengineer working to transform experiences and outcomes for skin-cancer patients. The publication also includes articles on how to avoid cancer, as well as how to live with the disease. 

Published by the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF), Together We Thrive, formally Legacy in Action, shares compelling stories from “the spaces where philanthropy and the community intersect,” and has been nominated and won several Alberta Magazines Publishing Association Awards over the years. The Foundation provides funds to more than 800 charities in the Edmonton area, and in the case of this year’s devastating wildfires in Jasper, partners with other community foundations to support those devastated by natural disasters. Legacy in Action’s Fall 2024 issue features stories about a new fund established by the family of Kaylyn Medeiros, who passed away from a rare autoimmune disease, the University of Alberta’s School Visit Program, which brings dental care to children at their school, and the role of a will to leave a lasting legacy through philanthropy.  

HERE Magazine showcases the donors, sponsors, and supporters of the University Hospital Foundation (UHF) and the incredible innovations, successes, and medical field advancements that impact lives in Alberta and worldwide. Each issue highlights stories of real patients, medical professionals, and researchers who are making a difference in health through the support of UHF and its donors. Researchers like Dr. Sean Bagshaw and his work to improve critical care outcomes, the touching story of donor Don Hunter and his gift to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and the roles artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum science could play in the future of health care. 

Whether you’re looking for inspirational stories or searching for an organization to give back to, Alberta’s selection of philanthropy-focused magazines are great reads about the amazing work being done in our communities and for all Albertans. 

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