For many years, our generous supporters across Canada have made our work of fighting global poverty possible. In Africa and Asia, our health programs have already shifted to respond to COVID-19 – including awareness campaigns to stop the spread, and providing critical supplies for healthcare professionals. These programs are only possible thanks to Canadian support, through World Partnership Walk and World Partnership Golf.
As we continue to feel the impact of COVID-19 here and around the world, we wanted to recognize our sponsors for their dedication to causes both near and far.
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National Bank
The National Bank has been a supporter of AKFC’s World Partnership Walk/Golf in multiple cities since 2012, to help raise awareness and funds for some of the poorest and most isolated communities in Asia and Africa.
National Bank donated $1 million to a number of food banks across the country, two YWCAs in Quebec, and the Canadian Red Cross, so that these organizations can quickly respond to increased demand resulting from the pandemic. Learn more >
The Bank is also supporting its clients by taking special relief measures such as payment deferrals and providing special loans for those experiencing financial difficulties
The Prestige Auto Group has been a long-time supporter of AKFC’s Walk and Golf since 1999. Over the past two decades, Prestige Auto’s contribution included sponsorship, donations, as well as rallying their employees to support the Walk by raising awareness and funds.
As their COVID-19 pandemic response here at home, Prestige Auto’s seven dealerships in Alberta and Ontario have launched their “Local Heroes” Program to honour frontline first responders by offering them discounts for vehicle purchase as well as parts and services. Check out their dealerships in Calgary (South Pointe Toyota and Country Hill Toyota), in Edmonton (Lexus South Pointe and Mayfield Toyota) and in the Greater Toronto Area (Woodbine Nissan, Oakville Nissan and Oakville Infiniti)
South Point Toyota, Country Hill Toyota and Mayfield Toyota also donated $10,000 each to the Food Bank in their cities, in light of the need caused by COVID-19. Learn more >
Vancity
Vancity and the Vancity Foundation have been supporting our Vancouver Walk since 2004, through corporate donations and workplace teams of employees who want to exercise their global citizenship by making a difference in the world.
Vancity has contributed over $2 million to Vancouver Foundation’s Community Response Fund to help combat the effects of COVID-19. Learn more >
Vancity launched CommUNITY Centre – an online platform for members and employees to find and share up-to-date, reliable information about everyday finances, health, and other topics. Learn more >
Vancity is proud to support the Victoria Foundation through the Rapid Relief Fund to support those organizations most impacted by COVID-19 – they’ve pledged to match donations up to $100K. Learn more >
Vancity takes care of its customers. Learn more >
Shen and Shameer Gaidhar of Millenium Plus Homes have been a long-time supporter of AKFC and the World Partnership Walk. Since 2016, they have organized the annual Raindrop Gala in Calgary to help raise awareness, plus netted over $200,000 for the Walk to help alleviate poverty in Africa and Asia.
Here at home, Shen and Shameer support community initiatives that help vulnerable children and youth in the city. They recently donated 300 hand-sewn face masks to a COVID-19 summer relief program. Shen and Shameer, and their two children, also helped with the delivery of these care boxes.
Check out what more of our supporters are doing in their community:
A&W
A&W Canada has donated 5,000 meals through Mealshare to youth in need across Canada. Learn more >
The company is also donating extra food Second Harvest’s “Food Rescue” Program for people in need during the pandemic. Learn more >
Essential workers get surprise calls and deliveries from “Allen, the A&W Guy”. Learn more >
A&W Canada, McDonald’s and Tim Hortons are partnering with the Alberta government in distributing 20 million masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Albertans are able to pick up free non-medical masks from the drive-thrus of these fast food restaurants. Learn more >
ATB Financial
To help charities support Albertans affected by COVID-19, all eligible donations made through ATB Cares in April were matched by 50%, up to a maximum of $100,000. Started in May, ATB Financial continued to provide “matching” at 15%. Learn more >
ATB also donated $250,000 to nine United Way agencies in Alberta to help support their work in addressing the pandemic, as well as other various relief programs for its customers experiencing hardship. Learn more >
The Bank also provided funds to certain restaurants and coffee shops in Calgary and Edmonton to provide discounts for healthcare and emergency workers.
In mid-March, BMO announced a donation of $1 million to United Way to support gaps in community services urgently needed for vulnerable individuals affected by COVID-19. This pledge provided help for seniors, mental health, and capacity for community services to ensure they can do vital work. Learn more >
BMO has also opened up a couple of its facilities in Toronto to support front-line healthcare workers. The Bank transformed BMO’s Institute for Learning into a resting space free-of-charge for health workers. The space contains hotel-like guest rooms. BMO Field was also opened up as an outdoor kitchen in partnership with MLSE to produce meals for health workers. Learn more >
BMO also offers a financial relief program for its clients, especially the small businesses, in the form of deferral payments and operating line increases for payroll coverage and working capital.
Bromwich+Smith
Bromwich+Smith conducts free webinars on how to negate times of uncertainty and financial crisis. Learn more >
Burgundy Asset Management
Burgundy and many of their partners have donated to Food Banks Canada, as well as other charitable organizations that provide COVID-19-related relief. Learn more >
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
Over the next two years, CIBC has committed $500,000 towards the “CIBC Future Heroes Fund”, a bursary program created as a tribute to the people who are bravely fighting COVID-19 and inspiring the healthcare heroes of tomorrow. Learn more >
CIBC offering reduced credit card interest rate for clients in financial hardship due to COVID-19. Learn more >
Destination Auto Group
Destination Auto Group is doing its part to keep its clients, colleagues, and community safe. Learn more >
Dynacare
As part of the medical frontline in the fight against COVID-19 in Canada, Dynacare has helped increase healthcare capacity for testing and getting back to patients with results. Learn more >
Freshii
Freshii and AlayaCare are working together to identify and deliver fresh food options to seniors within the Greater Toronto Area. To limit contact with seniors at risk, Freshii will provide healthy, prepared meals to the home and community care agencies for delivery. Learn more >
When a Freshii customer donates $10, Freshii will prepare and deliver a meal to energize a frontline worker in the community. Learn more >
Gulshan & Pyarali G. Nanji Family Foundation
Believing that “health is wealth,” the Nanji Foundation has donated $1.6 million to be shared equally by 16 Canadian hospitals across Canada to help combat COVID-19 through research and staff support. Learn more >
Heart Pharmacy
Heart Pharmacy has partnered with the Victoria Foundation and the Jawl Family Foundation to support the Rapid Relief fund. Heart Pharmacy will be contributing $1 from every transaction at their stores to support the fund that is directly impacting the Victoria community and providing emergency relief funds for families. To ensure the safety of their customers, and to mitigate the spread of illness, Heart Pharmacy will arrange free delivery of prescription and products.
HUB International
HUB has created a Coronavirus Resource Centre with online resources, webinars, and articles to provide guidance on the impact of COVID-19 to several industries. Access their free resources here.
KPMG
KPMG has committed $1 million to local food banks across Canada to help end hunger for the most vulnerable. Learn more >
To express their gratitude to frontline healthcare workers, KPMG accountants are volunteering to help prepare their 2019 basic tax returns free of charge. Learn more >
Manulife
To show support and gratitude to the front-line workers during this global pandemic, Manulife has dedicated more than $1.1 million to several critical areas, which include: food security for the most vulnerable by partnering with food banks and distribution organizations; supporting the well-being of healthcare workers; enabling mental health support through digital programs; offering financial relief to customers experiencing hardship; facilitating matching donations and virtual volunteer programs
Mastercard
As a global technology company, Mastercard has launched several initiatives to support its clients and communities worldwide.
Mastercard has joined with The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and others to speed-up the response to the pandemic by identifying, assessing, developing, and scaling-up access to therapies and treatments. Learn more >
Mastercard is also working to support communities hit hard by this crisis by matching employee donations to relief efforts and contributed funds to local food banks. Mastercard employees are also making an impact in their local communities by matching their skills to volunteer opportunities that focus on health, human services and small business initiatives. Learn more >
Okotoks Honda
Okotoks Honda has adjusted their business perspective to help anyone and everyone in need. They recognized that the frontline workers are at significant risk, so they are doing whatever it takes to support them, from assisting with their servicing needs to incentives toward vehicle financing.
Okotoks Honda is supporting local businesses and non-profits like Rowan House and Okotoks Food Bank Learn more >
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
RBC is committed to supporting COVID-19 community response efforts in Canada and globally. They are actively working with their community partners, subject matter experts, and the public and private sectors to understand and determine where the greatest community needs are and how to continue delivering the right support where and when it is needed most.
To date, RBC businesses have committed $9 million in support of COVID-19 community response efforts, in the areas of food security, mental well-being, strategic preparedness and response. Learn more >
RBC has also committed $1.3 million to Kids Help Phone in developing a multi-modal technology platform that will enable more service capacity to meet the record demand and forever change the way young people access and experience mental healthcare in Canada, especially those impacted by COVID-19. Learn more >
By partnering with local restaurants, food services companies and hotels, RBC’s “Helping Hands” Program is also delivering prepared meals and essential groceries, and providing overnight hotel accommodation to hospital workers in communities across Canada that have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. Learn more >
Scotiabank
In addition to offering financial relief programs to Canadians who are facing hardships as a result of COVID-19, Scotiabank has committed $2.5 million to community response efforts across its footprint, as well as established a $750,000 fund to support the emerging needs of local charities as the crisis continues to unfold. Learn more >
Scotiabank, in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association and MD Financial Management has committed $4.6 million to support physicians during the pandemic, from their most pressing needs in their respective areas and fields, to their health and well-being. Learn more >
Since April, Scotiabank has continued to transform their facilities, including Scotiabank Arena and Scotia Plaza in Toronto to prepare and serve up to 10,000 meals a day to healthcare workers and shelters. Learn more >
Starfish Medical
As Canada’s largest medical device design company, Starfish Medical has joined the effort to build 30,000 ventilators in Canada. Learn more >
Suncor Energy
Suncor Energy has donated 40,000 N95 masks to the federal government for use in communities that critically need these supplies. Learn more >
Petro Canada, a Suncor business, is contributing $3 million to help meet the needs of frontline workers, from fuel discounts to meals. Support will also include the needs of the community, such as essential items to hospitals, provisions to food banks and assistance to nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Learn more >
TC Energy
TC Energy is matching COVID-19 relief donations, up to $500,000, made on its TC Energy Giving Portal. Learn more >
Since March, TC Energy has provided more than C$500,000 of financial support – and is committed to offering more than C$1 million to Indigenous groups in Canada and the U.S. to support their identified needs during the pandemic. Learn more >
TD Canada Trust
The TD Community Resilience Initiative allocates $25 million to organizations engaged In COVID-19 response and community recovery. This comprehensive program includes funding, employee engagement and on-going collaboration with organizations and community groups across TD’s operating footprint that are critical now and into the future. Learn more >
In May, TD matched employee donations up to $1 million to the SickKids Charitable Giving Fund and to the United Way Greater Toronto the COVID-19 Community Response & Recovery Fund. Learn more >
TD also teamed up with ET Canada and the Canadian Country Music Association Foundation’s Canada Together: In Concert supporting Food Banks Canada and the Unison Benevolent Fund’s COVID-19 relief efforts. Learn more >
TELUS
TELUS Health launched a COVID-19 self-assessment tool that empowers Canadians with information to make better health decisions in the comfort of their own home. Learn more >
Their Friendly Future Foundation supports communities with medical technology and equipment through a $10 million commitment. Through their “Internet for Good” program, they are also helping ensure school-aged children have the connectivity they need to learn from home Their “Mobility for Good” program also donated over 2,000 prepaid devices and sim cards valued at $1.2 million to healthcare practitioners and social workers so that they can sustain contact with isolated at-risk individuals. Learn more >
TELUS also donated $500,000 to support global-leading research team develop antiviral treatments for COVID-19. Learn more >
For their 2020 “TELUS Days of Giving”, the TELUS Team will volunteer virtually throughout the year to make cloth masks, with the goal of making 100,000 masks across Canada. Learn more >
The Foray Group
The Foray Group’s Wholesome Catering Division has been able to deliver three meals per day to the YMCA HBB Men’s Residence, allowing them to stay safely at home and not have to rely on visits to a food bank. Learn more >
Trec Dental
TREC Dental is donating $25,000 to local Calgary charities, and they are asking the community for help on where to donate. Learn more >
T&T Honda
Health care workers are offered a 15% discount on service labour, with pick-up and delivery. Learn more >
