Financial Empowerment for All through 2024 Community Grants
In 2024, the AIMCo Foundation distributed $384,100 to fund 20 Alberta-based financial literacy and education initiatives.
We welcomed eight new groups to our network of community partners and continued our work with 12 previously funded organizations. Our community partners are delivering programming to Albertans of all ages, backgrounds and circumstance. With funding from the Foundation, they’re tackling financial literacy from all angles: from basic money management to system navigation to financial coaching and everything in between.
We are grateful to all the organizations that took the time to share more about their work and are excited to see the continued impact of this work in Alberta.
Thank you to our inspiring community partners, passionate volunteers and steadfast supporters for your ongoing commitment to financial empowerment.
Grant Recipients and Funded Programs 2024
Africa Centre
Financial Empowerment Initiative
Through free community tax clinics and follow-up financial literacy workshops, the Africa Centre is meeting Alberta’s African-descent community where they are. Funding is supporting newcomers in Edmonton and Calgary as they learn to navigate unfamiliar Canadian financial systems.
Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories
Finance and Dementia Podcast Episode
The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories will use funding to create a podcast episode focused on financial literacy, customized for a target audience of those living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. This unique initiative will support a population that can be vulnerable to financial disinformation.
ASSIST Community Services Centre
Digital Literacy Integration for Financial Success Journey
ASSIST works with newcomers to Canada and has recognized a need for financial literacy education to support English language learners and those unfamiliar with the digital financial landscape. Funding will address language barriers within the context of personal financial management, and build skills related to online banking, budgeting apps and fraud awareness.
Autism Independent Living Association
Financial Education Videos for Adults with Autism
By recognizing that personal financial management is essential for independent living, the Autism Independent Living Association is committed to improving the financial literacy of its clients. Funding will support the development of educational videos, tailored to meet the learning styles of those on the autism spectrum.
Bissell Centre
Financial Empowerment Project
The Bissell Centre takes an inclusive, people-centred approach to poverty reduction in Edmonton. Among its unique delivery tactics, the Financial Empowerment Project aims to embed financial literacy within other supportive programs to increase financial well-being and boost outcomes across the board.
Bow Valley College
Centre for Financial Empowerment
Bow Valley College is addressing the gap of financial literacy in low-income and Indigenous communities in Calgary. Funding is supporting the work of Jasmine Blood, Indigenous Financial Coach, through resource development, elder honorariums and multimedia content delivery.
Carya Society of Calgary
Improving the Living Conditions of Vulnerable Senior Calgarians through Financial Education
The Carya Society of Calgary works with vulnerable seniors and is empowering them to better navigate the financial and benefits systems they regularly encounter. Funding will support a Financial Education Coordinator who will oversee workshops and an annual tax clinic.
GROW Women Leaders through YWCA Edmonton
Nurture Meals From Around the World Project
When immigrant and minority women in Edmonton enrol in this transitional employment program, they will also be offered material and instruction focused on financial literacy. By using funding to integrate financial literacy material into its broader, employment-focused programming, GROW Women Leaders is meeting women where they are at.
Hinton Adult Learning Society
Community Financial Literacy Project
Following the devastating wildfires in the Jasper area, which increased instability in an already cyclical economy, the Hinton Adult Learning Society recognized the need to deliver a series of financial literacy seminars. Funding will support program delivery to low-income people on topics of personal financial management and building resilience in a volatile economy.
Junior Achievement Northern Alberta
Investment Strategies Program
The Investment Strategies Program (ISP) prepares grade-school students for an online stock market simulation. Through an immersive and engaging approach, students learn how to research stocks, build portfolios and understand the ethical implications of financial decisions.
Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta
Financial Literacy Classroom Programs
With tailor-made programming for students from grades 4 to 12, Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta will direct funding toward the expansion of their financial literacy programs including More than Money, Dollars with Sense, Economics for Success, Investment Strategies and Personal Finance.
Momentum
Aspire Calgary Program
As Calgary’s Financial Empowerment Collaborative, Momentum is directing funds to continue building out the capacity of its collective of community partners. Through education, coaching and credentialing, organizations are able to integrate financial literacy best practices throughout their programs.
Project Adult Literacy Society
Money Basics Program
Funding will support the Money Basics program, which works with clients with very low levels of financial literacy and numeracy skills. PALS is a long-time leader in this sector, working with Edmontonians who want to improve their foundational skills in literacy, math and digital literacy.
Rainbow Literacy Society
Senior Financial Literacy Empowerment Program
In partnership with local nonprofit organizations in the Vulcan area, the Rainbow Literacy Society is working with a population that is particularly vulnerable to financial abuse and fraud. Funding will support the delivery of programming to seniors focused on increasing financial literacy and awareness of financial manipulation, and providing guidance on tax and pension benefit systems.
The Immigrant Education Society (TIES)
Financial Success for Canadians and Newcomers (FISCAN) Project
TIES provides financial empowerment learning to new Canadians and low-income Calgarians. Funding is expanding the reach of financial literacy education, individual counselling and tax services for newcomers and youth, equipping participants to navigate Canada’s financial systems and make informed decisions.
United Way of the Alberta Capital Region
Empower U – Building Confident Futures Program
A collaborative effort involving 15 partners, Empower U combines financial literacy education and coaching to increase financial knowledge, tools and resources for people who are financially vulnerable. The program primarily supports women who have experienced hardship.
Wellspring Alberta
Money Matters Program
A cancer diagnosis has profound impacts on the financial well-being of patients and their families. Funding through the Money Matters program helps people navigate the unexpected financial complexities of a diagnosis, including income replacement programs, as well as taxation, financial and estate planning.
Windmill Microlending
Empowering New Albertans Project
Team Windmill offers financial literacy programs and microloans to help skilled new Canadians pay the costs of accreditation and training. Funding is exclusively supporting the Empowering New Albertans project, integrating financial literacy coaching and mentoring into the organization’s program delivery.
YMCA of Northern Alberta
Youth Transitions Program
YMCA of Northern Alberta’s Youth Transitions Program takes youth from at-risk to future-ready by connecting youth with a support worker who encourages positive behaviors and provides help navigating challenging situations. Funding will allow for the integration of a money management component to strengthen financial literacy.
YWCA Edmonton
YOUth Retreats and Financial Literacy Weekend Workshops
With a goal to empower women toward lifelong financial literacy, YWCA Edmonton is directing funding to expand its portfolio of youth engagement initiatives. The programs provide age-appropriate education and focus on the fundamentals of money management including saving, budgeting and investing.
AIMCo colleagues and corporate partners make community grants possible through generous philanthropic support. Thank you to all those who contribute to this work for your commitment to empowering prosperity.
