Edmonton Community Foundation

Public service is a career built on showing up for others. The Al Maurer Awards are a way to invest in the people who do that work every day.

Established in honour of long-time City of Edmonton City Manager Al Maurer, the awards support permanent public service employees in the Edmonton area pursuing a certificate, diploma, degree, or professional designation — with priority given to those whose studies will strengthen their work in the public sector.

Applications open June 1 and close September 30.

Learn more & apply: https://ow.ly/YmU350Z8e2Z

In Alberta's construction industry, women make up just 5% of tradespeople. Women Building Futures is working to change that.

Since 1998, WBF has helped more than 3,000 women build careers in the trades — with training programs, wraparound supports, and a community that doesn't disappear after graduation.

Natalie Bak was 19 when she moved to Alberta with no experience and no connections. WBF gave her a shot. Eighteen years later, she's a Red Seal welder who's worked across Western Canada and up to the tundra at a diamond mine in the Northwest Territories.

Read Forging Ahead in the Spring 2026 issue of Thrive.

https://ow.ly/WhPk50Z7oOY

The Don and Norine Lowry Awards for Women of Excellence are closing soon!

These awards of up to $6,000 support Edmonton women of all ages pursuing studies in energy, business, IT, healthcare, engineering, safety and more — who lead in their field and give back to their community.

Deadline: May 31 at 4:30pm.

Learn more and apply: https://ow.ly/phN750YV8Si

Earlier this year, we joined Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau for a special Lunar New Year episode of The Well Endowed Podcast exploring what it means to carry refugee stories forward and preserve family histories across generations.

As we mark Asian Heritage Month and Leave a Legacy Month this May, we're revisiting that conversation — featuring Vietnamese-Edmontonians Linh Vu of Mãi Mãi - Viet Street Kitchen and David Thao Nguyen of AGNT, alongside co-founders Lindork - Linda Hoang and Jessica Truong.

Listen to the podcast now and explore more by visiting their exhibit, Where We Came From (and where we go from here) — open select dates until June 6th at ArtsHub Creative Studios.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/1BAy50Z3qpn

When the Autism Independent Living Association - AILA Edmonton identified cooking as a skill their members needed to live more independently, they didn’t just create a program — they built a community.

Thanks to an ECF Community Grant, AiLA launched cooking classes for autistic adults, teaching practical life skills while connecting participants with each other.

ECF also helped set up a partnership with Edmonton Public Library, securing free kitchen space at the Stanley A. Milner Library, stretching the grant further and expanding the program from six classes to eight.

This work shows what’s possible when organizations, spaces, and support come together around a shared goal.

Read Independence Through Cooking in the Spring 2026 issue of Thrive:

https://ow.ly/3SWU50Z0oxE

What would it take to create affordable housing for 5,000 Edmontonians by 2028?

We spoke with Ryan Young from the Social Enterprise Fund (SEF) about how ECF and SEF are working to accelerate affordable housing development in Edmonton. From unlocking capital to bringing the right partners to the table, it’s about building solutions that last. Learn how strategic financing, cross-sector partnerships and long-term planning can help tackle one of Edmonton’s most complex challenges.

Read Building More Than Homes on our blog: https://ow.ly/2sY950YWEae

Today, ECF and the Social Enterprise Fund are committing $20 million to help accelerate affordable housing in Edmonton — with a goal of supporting housing for 5,000 Edmontonians by 2028. This isn’t just about dollars. It’s about addressing the financing gaps that stall projects at critical stages, connecting partners who don’t traditionally work together and building tools that can keep affordable housing moving long after this announcement. Through SEF, $5–7 million per year in low-interest financing will be deployed — and as loans are repaid, that capital will be reinvested into future housing projects. Every dollar does more than one job.

We’re proud to be working alongside Civida and City of Edmonton - Local Government — partners who understand that coordinated action is how we build at the scale Edmonton needs.

In 2025, we took meaningful steps forward, granting $1M to 11 housing organizations across Edmonton.

More details at the link below. 👇

https://ow.ly/V0qw50YW7v6

$20 million to accelerate affordable housing. ECF & SEF are committing $20 million to accelerate affordable housing in Edmonton, supporting 5,000 residents by 2028.