Nonprofit Organizations in Calgary

Our Mission Teenswork Freesports mission is to provide organized sports leagues throughout communities as well as sponsor children for city sports. “Removing financial barriers for all kids to play organized sports!” TeensWork FreeSports is a nation-wide Not-For Profit organization created to remove the financial barriers of being part of a team, that prevents so many kids from developing positive and healthy habits through organized sports.

The Terminator Foundation is a non-profit organization rooted in understanding the challenges individuals face with mental health and addiction. We champion individuals battling these issues using Activity Based Recovery Therapy (ABRT). Founder and CEO, Vanisha Breault initiated the first Terminator Foundation 5k run for Youth Addiction Awareness took place in 2015 and we are excited to celebrate our 10th Run this year. Taking a holistic and community-centered recovery approach, ABRT is an intensive 12 week program requiring athletes' dedication and full effort. Through the duration of the program, athletes amplify their physical strength while improving their mental and emotional resilience, building lifelong habits for a sustainable recovery. This revolutionary approach combats hopelessness, reduces withdrawal and relapse, strengthens both body and mind, boosts resiliency and teaches self-regulation.

The Alberta Seventh Step Society is a self-help organization working within the Criminal Justice System to prevent crime and to reduce recidivism. The self-help philosophy is applied to all pre and post release programs and services that are offered to persons in conflict with the law. Weekly meetings are held in the community and federal institutions to provide a forum for free and open discussion of problems addressed to support individuals in becoming non-offending members of society.

BeaYOUtiful is a non-profit organization that was initially established in January 2012. Reaching out to young girls between the ages of 8-14, this organization provides mentorship programs for those struggling with confidence, lacking self-esteem, or simply looking to build a more positive outlook. BeaYOUtiful works directly with young girls throughout Canada, providing a safe and fun environment enrolled in the after school program. Classes range from learning to balance a healthy lifestyle, dealing with bullying and family issues, to key steps towards finding the inspiration to chase your dreams. Although each class exemplifies a different life lesson, the same moral is focused on in the end: never forget you are beautiful.

The Brenda Strafford Foundation is a registered Canadian charitable organization established in 1975 by Dr. Barrie I. Strafford to honour his late wife, Brenda Strafford. The Brenda Strafford Foundation's core business is seniors care. The Foundation now owns and operates five Long Term Care and Assisted Living seniors care facilities in Calgary, AB, and Okotoks, AB, with over 1000 beds and approximately 1,200 staff. As a registered charity, The Foundation is involved in a number of projects for innovation in seniors health and wellness. The Foundation supports local charitable projects to serve women and children who are fleeing domestic violence, families at risk of homelessness, and persons in need of health services abroad in Haiti, Jamaica and Dominica. The Foundation also has a close affiliation with research at the University of Calgary.

THE GRAND’s mission is to be a Culture House presenting high quality and thought provoking art, creating diverse and inclusive experiences, and bringing together artists and audiences to invoke a new way of thinking, appreciating and being, which transforms the community. The historic GRAND theatre has spanned over a century as a hub for Calgary’s art, culture and political communities. Built in 1912, The Lougheed block has seen the city’s landscape evolve and we are proud to call this iconic structure our home. We welcome companies, collectives and individuals to come together and learn from one another, building shared meaning and culture for our city. The GRAND is a not-for-profit organization (Charitable Registration: 134483981 RR0001). Since 2006, the theatre has been a centre for creation and presentation of contemporary performance from Calgary, Canada, and around the world. Today, the GRAND theatre houses a variety of event spaces perfect for a unique wedding, private event, corporate party or presentation, as well as arts, culture, performance and theatre events. With four distinct spaces to choose from, studios, dressing rooms and, of course, the versatile theatre are available to rent for a variety of purposes and events.

The Calgary Jewish Academy (CJA) is a central part of Calgary’s Jewish community. It offers an exceptional foundation in both academic excellence and Jewish identity. Guided by its purpose to help students grow into capable, caring citizens, CJA blends rigorous academics with deep-rooted values such as courage, justice, gratitude, respect, community, and loving kindness. Established in 1987 through the merger of the city’s earliest Jewish schools, dating back to 1912, the CJA continues a proud century-long tradition of Jewish education and leadership. Students experience a vibrant school life enriched by athletics, creative exploration, and meaningful engagement with Jewish traditions. Daily routines, such as singing Hatikvah and celebrating Kabbalat Shabbat, nurture a shared sense of belonging. Through local and travel-based learning experiences, students develop curiosity, empathy, and a lifelong connection to their faith, heritage.

At The Calgary John Howard Society, it is our mission to promote positive change through humane, just, and informed responses to crime and its effects. We envision an informed community active in preventing crime. We are Restoring Lives, Preventing Crime, and Strengthening Communities. We have opportunities for community members to volunteer and work with adults, youth or in a more general capacity. Volunteer opportunities are coordinated by program staff, who manage individual volunteer positions to encourage community involvement in the agency.

  Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Division and Centre for Suicide Prevention (CMHA AB + CSP) work to further community mental health and suicide prevention across the province. Together with CMHA Regions and our partners, we’re building an Alberta where people’s wellbeing is supported in their community – by a friend, a peer, a support group, their local CMHA office, or the medical system. We equip people with the information, knowledge and skills necessary to respond to people considering suicide. We educate online, in print, and interactively. Our library of over 50,000 suicide-specific items, the largest English-language collection of its kind, informs the work we do.

The Doorway's mission is making change possible by empowering people to take steps toward a sustainable future. Since 1988, The Doorway has provided an opportunity for young people (17-30 years old), who want to exit the streets, to build independent and sustainable lives in society through self-determination.  The Doorway uses a two-year planning process called MyPlan to support young people's self-determination in identifying and determining for themselves what they need to get off the streets. Through goal setting and speaking with volunteers, young people gain the knowledge to actively participate in the change they want to make in their lives.  Recently, The Doorway expanded to include street outreach and in-reach to other youth-serving organizations in order to connect with more youth.

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Calgary (EFry) helps builds bridges by offering the resources and supports required to remove the barriers our clients often face. For over 50 years, we have offered a hand up to thousands of women and youth engaged with the legal and justice systems by providing practical programs, basic necessities, and connections to community resources. Our goal is to build the skills necessary to create more hopeful futures.

The historic GRAND theatre has spanned over a century as a hub for Calgary’s art, culture and political communities. Built in 1912, The Lougheed block has seen the city’s landscape evolve and we are proud to call this iconic structure our home. We welcome companies, collectives and individuals to come together and learn from one another, building shared meaning and culture for our city. The GRAND is a not-for-profit organization (Charitable Registration: 134483981 RR0001). Since 2006, the theatre has been a centre for creation and presentation of contemporary performance from Calgary, Canada, and around the world.