2021 United Way Campaign: Research, philanthropy, and the power of working together

Running from October 1 until December 10, 2021, the campaign will shed light on the unignorable issues facing our communities and will provide you with the opportunity to support organizations making a difference in the lives of Calgarians.  
 
“The past 18 months have been difficult and have tested the limits of our personal resilience. While it may seem like we’re faced with far more problems than solutions, there are actions we can all take to make a meaningful difference in our local communities,” said Dr. Natasha Kenny, PhD, 2021 campaign co-chair and Senior Director of the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.  
 
“By donating through payroll deduction, participating in a unit-level event or raffle, or giving to the campaign in another way, you’re helping to transform lives and address some of the toughest issues our community is currently facing.”   
 
The 2021 campaign will highlight the intersections between research and philanthropy and share how your work and donations are producing better outcomes for Calgarians.  
 
Watch for stories featuring researchers who are making progress in the areas of overcoming poverty, raising successful kids, and building strong communities to learn how UCalgary is addressing these issues and to find out how you can help.  
 
In 2020, the United Way supported more than 387 local community programs and 47 collaborative initiatives that helped more than 430,000 people. This support was made possible by you, as we raised a record-breaking total of more than $780,000 for United Way 
 
2021 campaign co-chair and director of development for the Schulich School of Engineering, Matthew Burns, said that he was proud of how the UCalgary community rallied to support the United Way during such a difficult year for everyone.  
 
“Last year, UCalgary showed they understood the immense need in our community and while we were happy to make such an impact, the work is not done,” said Burns.  
 
“The COVID-19 pandemic continues to expose the pressing issues faced by many people in our city including poverty, social isolation, mental health and financial stability.” 

Grow your impact  

When you increase your gift this year, the growth portion of your gift will be matched automatically, improving even more local lives and ensuring kids, families and individuals have access to support when they need it most.   

First-time Major Donors gifts will also have their entire gift matched, doubling their impact to help twice as many Calgarians this year. 

Givin’ Thanks for Thanksgiving  

Our annual Givin’ Thanks campaign is back and will be launching on Tuesday, Oct. 12! Digital Givin’ Thanks stars will be available again this year. For a $20 donation you’ll be able to send unlimited customizable Givin’ Thanks stars to your colleagues across UCalgary.  

Watch for more information in the coming week about how to send a kudos to the all-stars on your team. 

Let’s Get Started  

Be part of strengthening our community by giving to the United Way today. 

To donate, log in with your UCalgary email address and password.