Corporate Social Responsibility

Funding Guidelines

Do you qualify for funding support?

Our criteria and evaluation process for all donations and sponsorships ensure that our funds are granted and invested with care and responsibility. We evaluate all requests for donations and sponsorships on the following criteria.
We consider funding organizations and projects that:

  • Demonstrate general support in one of Canadian Western Bank Group's focus areas for giving: Health, Wellness and Care-giving; Education; Community and Civic Services
  • Demonstrate a significant and innovative contribution to community life and are consistent with community needs
  • Deliver benefit in communities where Canadian Western Bank Group has a business presence:
    • British Columbia: Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Courtenay, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna, Langley, Nanaimo, Prince George, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria
    • Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Leduc, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Sherwood Park, St. Albert
    • Saskatchewan: Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton
    • Manitoba: Winnipeg
  • Demonstrate clearly defined and measurable goals and objectives
  • Demonstrate that they are financially well-administered
  • Use funds for projects based in Western Canada
  • Demonstrate a clear evaluation process for the project or event, with deliverables and outcomes that support the cause or mission
  • Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing follow-up with Canadian Western Bank Group to allow us to monitor and evaluate all commitments made
  • Create an opportunity for current and retired Canadian Western Bank Group employees to get involved

Criteria specific to requests for charitable donations:

  • Organization is a CRA-registered Canadian charity with a current Charitable Registration Number
  • Organization can provide a charitable tax receipt for the amount of the donation

Criteria specific to requests for sponsorship:

  • Organization is a CRA-registered charity with a Charitable Registration Number
  • Demonstrate clear rights and benefits provided to Canadian Western Bank Group in exchange for financial support
  • Demonstrate a creative marketing opportunity not easily replicated by Canadian Western Bank Group

Emergency Relief:
The bank maintains discretion on how we respond to requests for emergency disaster relief support in Canada or internationally. Donations of this nature must be directed through an organization officially designated to collect and receive funds (i.e. The Red Cross).

Organizations and programs that would be considered ineligible:

  • Religious or sectarian organizations (except for nondenominational community and social support services that are available to everyone)
  • Political organizations or candidates
  • Individuals (i.e. supporting an athlete, artist, student)
  • For-profit organizations
  • Service clubs, labour or fraternal organizations
  • Third-party fundraisers or professional solicitors
  • Competitive, professional sports teams
  • Advocacy or special interest groups
  • Endowments (except educational scholarship endowment funds)
  • Debt reduction campaigns
  • Travel related events including field trips and tours
  • Retroactive requests
  • Funding for ongoing operating costs
  • Organizations that discriminate against race, gender, religion and lifestyle
  • Student unions and organizations
  • Private, fee based and independent schools
  • Tuition, membership/registration fees, sabbatical or academic leave
  • Local, regional, and provincial campaigns that are affiliated with a national organization which already received funding from the Canadian Western Bank Group
  • Private foundations