Crowdfunding Alberta Platform

On November 8, 2021, we launched Creative Partnerships Alberta with an investment of $2 million to scale up the UCeed Social Impact Fund for launching and growing social enterprises across Alberta. We are taking another big step in our Creative Partnerships journey toward building a stronger and more sustainable non-profit sector.

Creative Partnerships Alberta is a bold and innovative way of building a thriving non-profit sector by sparking private investment in non-profits, growing social enterprises and increasing collaboration in finding new solutions to social challenges. One way we are doing this is through new online donation programs for helping non-profits generate more income.

Today, on Giving Tuesday, I’m thrilled to launch the Crowdfunding Alberta online platform. This is a fantastic tool for helping non-profits generate fast and flexible funding to support programs, services and causes that enhance Albertans’ quality of life. The platform also makes it easier for donors to find local non-profits and campaigns to support, while providing an innovative small-grant alternative for non-profits.

We are reimagining how non-profits can achieve the funding they require by diversifying their sources of revenue. Non-profits in any community can use Crowdfunding Alberta to build a wider network of supporters and to access timely revenue for responding to community or organizational needs.

The platform also leverages the power of private donations through government matching – a proven strategy we have been using to support the sector. To kickstart the program, we are providing $1 million in top-up funding. Campaigns can receive up to a maximum of $2,500 in top-up funding. In order to be eligible, campaigns must have a minimum target of $5,000 and must reach 75% of their campaign goal within four weeks of launching. So, a $5,000-campaign would be eligible for $1,250 (25% of their campaign goal) in top-up funds, if it achieved 75% of its goal within four weeks.

Please visit crowdfunding.alberta.ca to register your Alberta-based non-profit and launch a campaign or donate to a campaign that matters to you. Albertans are welcome to support as many campaigns as they wish, and we challenge them to match government’s investment of $1 million. Assistance through the Crowdfunding Alberta platform is available for non-profits seeking support for developing a compelling crowdfunding campaign.

Creative Partnerships initiatives such as Crowdfunding Alberta will not replace existing government grants or supports for the sector. Instead, these new funding approaches will make it easier and faster for non-profits to access to new sources of revenue tailored to their needs. Through new funding approaches, mentorship, social innovation and continued government funding for existing grant programs and supports, the non-profit sector will have more resources and skills to meet the needs of Albertans.

More Creative Partnerships Alberta programs and collaborations will be announced in the coming months.