Largest fundraising campaign in Haskayne history raises $53 million

In 2011, the Haskayne School of Business launched the Where Leaders Learn to Lead campaign to jump-start the investments that will take the Haskayne School to top-tier status.

Its goal was to raise $50 million to support the vision to be an internationally recognized centre for business education, research and community engagement with an emphasis on those distinct elements that define Calgary and Alberta: ethical leadership, entrepreneurship and energy.

Thanks to the generosity of more than 1,700 donors, the school surpassed the $50-million goal and raised more than $53 million.

“Great universities are built on great philanthropy,” says President Elizabeth Cannon. “I am so inspired by the people who choose to invest through the university to transform their passion into meaningful change. Philanthropic contributions have an incredible impact, not just on Haskayne, but across our campus and the community.”

Cannon says the campaign builds on the university’s Eyes High vision and is part of the university’s $1.3-billion comprehensive university-wide fundraising campaign Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High.

Donor funding supports student scholarships, research, new centres and more

Of the many initiatives made possible with donor funding through Where Leaders Learn to Lead, the highlights include:  

• Three new centres of excellence that are advancing the elements that define Calgary and Alberta including the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business, the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies.
• More than $5.2 million was invested in 127 scholarship and bursary funds to recognize excellence and support student success.
• An additional $6.2 million was invested in research chairs, professorships, fellowships and faculty grants — creating knowledge and seeking solutions to the challenges of a business environment.
• New initiatives were launched such as the Centre for Corporate Sustainability, the Global Energy Executive MBA, N. Murray Edwards Trading and Finance Lab and the Students Experiences Fund.
• Six new speaker series and seminar series were created to engage the community.

Jim Dewald, dean of the Haskayne School of Business, says he was moved by the tremendous generosity.

“On behalf of the 3,500 students in our school, and the 200 faculty and staff who benefit daily, I want to give a very sincere and heartfelt thank you to our donors,” says Dewald. “Their contributions mean everything to us. Without this generous philanthropic support, we cannot achieve our goal to be a top-tier business school.”

Generosity shapes next generation of business leaders

Where Leaders Learn to Lead was Haskayne’s largest fundraising campaign in a history that spans five decades. The generosity of the community is helping to position the Haskayne School of Business as a top business school and shaping the next generation of business leaders.

Through the support of the philanthropic community, the school is enhancing business education through transformational leadership initiatives, investing in the infusion of entrepreneurial thinking into the core curriculum and establishing scholarships to ensure access, and to allow students to engage deeply in their studies.

Research is propelled forward through the establishment of three centres of excellence, the hiring of research chairs and the publication of research that contributes to business scholarship around the world.

Community engagement is creating synergies for students, researchers and the business community, bringing real-world situations into focus in relevant ways.

Campaign, by the numbers

• $53,180,857 raised
• 1,716 donors invested in Haskayne (1,428 individuals, including 1,094 alumni; 37 foundations; 251 corporate partners)
• More than $13 million was added to the school’s endowment to provide sustainable funding for the future