Lions of Alberta Foundation

Lions of Alberta Foundation 🦁

The Lions of Alberta Foundation (LOAF) is the unifying supervisory and directive body for all Lions Clubs across Alberta. Created in 1980 and approved as a society by the Province of Alberta on January 5, 1981, its mission is to unite Alberta Lions Clubs to better serve the communities within our province.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of representatives from Alberta Lions Clubs.

💰 Tax Deductible Receipts (TDR)

The Foundation is authorized to issue Tax Deductible Receipts (TDR) for personal donations. This critical ability assists Alberta Lions Clubs in fundraising for Canadian community projects. If an Alberta Lions Club is undertaking a major project that benefits the community as a whole, The Foundation can issue official tax receipts for donations made toward that specific project.

👥 Involvement in the Foundation

Every Lion member in good standing from an Alberta Lions Club in good standing is considered a member of the Lions of Alberta Foundation.

A member in good standing can be nominated and elected to the Foundation Board of Directors.
Each Lions Club in good standing has one vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is typically held once a year in the fall.

🎁 Assistance & Support Provided by the Foundation

The Foundation assists individual Lions Clubs and supports broader community health and relief efforts.

The Foundation Assists Clubs by Providing the Following:

Sight Bursary Program for students in their 1st or 2nd term at an Alberta post-secondary institution.
Lions Legacy Scholarships a matched scholarship for Alberta high school students pursuing post-secondary education.
Financial assistance in procuring sight-related equipment for the sight impaired through our Sight Grant Program.
Fellowships which can be awarded to deserving members for their contributions to the community and their club.
Community Betterment Program - As a Charitable Foundation we are authorized to issue Tax Deductible Receipts for personal donations towards Lions Clubs charitable projects. The Foundation also works with Lions Clubs for other community charitable projects not requiring tax deductible receipts. These projects must support the community as a whole. There are necessary application, approval and reporting requirements. The Foundation is currently updating the guidelines to comply with CRA charitable guidelines.

The Foundation Supports the Following Causes:

Sight/Vision Health and Research
Diabetes Health and Research
Support for Youth Scholarship Funding
Emergency Disaster Relief Projects
Support for the Elderly

🏥 Impactful Initiatives

The Lions of Alberta Foundation has been instrumental in supporting numerous community projects throughout Alberta:

Current & Prior Projects

Focus Area	Examples
Current Projects	School & Community programs, Disaster Relief Projects.
Prior Historic Projects	Youth Camps, Community Centres, Vision Care Centres, Community Buses, Community Halls, Cardiac Centres.

Major Historic Contribution: STARS Air Ambulance

The Lions of Alberta Foundation was instrumental in providing the seed funds and loans required to start STARS Air Ambulance operations in both Calgary and Edmonton. Furthermore, the Foundation assisted in purchasing their Traveling Human Simulator, a vital training tool for emergency personnel.

💵 Funding & Donations

Casino funds are the main source of the Foundation's funding, alongside Club Donations for Fellowships.

Donations help fund the following key organizations and initiatives:

U of C Lions Sight Centre
Lion Legacy Scholarships
Sight Bursary Program
Assisting in the cost of Sight-related Equipment for individuals
Diabetes Research
Lions Quest (Youth program)
Youth Camps
STARS Academy Student Bursaries
Eye Institute of Alberta at the Royal Alexandra Hospital
Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides

Donations should be made payable to and emailed to Lions of Alberta Foundation:

PO Box 65069 RPO North Hill

Calgary AB T2N - 4T6

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.