Development

The first step is to create a fund to feed your award. At Lethbridge Polytechnic, there are three fund types to choose from. In the case of an annual fund, you are likely to be the only donor to the fund. When it comes to a special annual fund or endowment, you may want to invite family, friends or business partners to contribute as well.

• Annual Fund: Your gift of $1,000 or more on an annual basis for a minimum of three consecutive years will ensure your award continues to be a source of support for students for as long as you continue to contribute.
• Special Annual Fund: Your lump-sum gift of $3,000 or more is held by Lethbridge Polytechnic in an interest-earning account. Funds are spent down annually over a minimum of three years, and the interest earned creates additional impact at the end of the gift agreement period.
• Endowment Fund: Your gift of $50,000 or more is invested to yield interest. Each year, your student award is disbursed using half of the accrued interest. The other half supports the growth of the fund so that it will continue to create meaningful awards over time. You can contribute additional amounts at any time. The principal amount is never spent and supports students in perpetuity. Your gift to an endowment fund may be eligible for matching funds from our Board of Governors Endowment Matching Program. 

Our team will be in contact with you periodically to share updates on your award disbursements, information about renewal as the end of the gift agreement period nears, and words of appreciation from the student(s) who received your award.

Now that you have decided what type of fund you want to create, you can decide what group of students you want to support. At Lethbridge Polytechnic there are four types to choose from:

• Entrance: Your gift will remove barriers for students just beginning a program of study at Lethbridge Polytechnic and allow them to focus more on their studies and less on their finances during that important first year of post-secondary education.
• Continuing: Students continuing their program have shown they have what it takes to succeed. You can provide financial support, lift spirits and give meaningful encouragement to a student continuing into a second year (or more) of their program.
• Graduating: Give a graduating student a positive start to a career or help them pursue additional studies. A graduating student award can help a new alumni start the next chapter of their life.
• Apprentice: Support a student enrolled in an apprenticeship program.

Our development officers will work with you to build award criteria that ensures your gift makes the difference you intended.

To help get things started, consider more about the students you are interested in supporting through your award. You can choose as many as you feel apply.

Decide if you want to support:

• A student enrolled in a specific program. If so, which one?
• A student demonstrating leadership qualities
• A student demonstrating financial need
• A student with high academic achievements
• A student involved in community initiatives or volunteer work
• Other criteria you feel may be important

You can also choose a name for your award. Consider the reasons you are creating it in the first place. You might wish to name it for your company or business, in memory of a loved one, for your family, or in honour of your passion for a particular program or field of study.

Next, a development officer will work with you to complete and sign a Terms of Reference (TOR for short) document. This lays out the award terms, eligibility criteria, recipient selection process and more.

Once all parties have signed the TOR and the award funds are in place, your student award will be listed on the Student Awards and Financial Aid webpage so students can see information about it.

Awards and scholarships are distributed by the Student Awards and Financial Aid office on a yearly cycle. Keep the following important dates in mind. To disburse your award funds during the current year, they must be received by Lethbridge Polytechnic by January 31.

• January 31: Deadline to donate for awards intended for disbursement during current year.
• February: Statements mailed to Special Annual and Endowment Fund donors.
• March 1: Applications open for all awards administered by Lethbridge Polytechnic.
• May 1: Deadline to apply for Apprentice, Continuing and Graduating Student awards.
• June: Recipients of Apprentice, Continuing and Graduating Student Awards are notified
• June/July: Recipients of Entrance Awards are notified.
• July 15: Deadline to apply for Lethbridge Polytechnic Entrance Awards (new students, students changing programs, students whose programs began in January).
• September/October: Awards applied to new and continuing student tuition accounts, or re-allocated as necessary
• October: Award recipient list is finalized to share with donors.
• November: Invoices for Annual Awards delivered to donors for the next award cycle

Absolutely. Our team will be happy to discuss your options and help you find the best fit.

• Call us at 403-320-3457
• Email us at development.office@lethpolytech.ca

Scholarships are presented based on academic achievement, whereas awards are given based on other criteria or observable characteristics like leadership among peers or commitment to volunteerism.

Students can submit one application to the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office to be considered for all the awards and scholarships they are eligible for.

Recipients for awards that are not program specific and all entrance awards are selected by the General Selection Committee, which includes representatives from the Lethbridge Polytechnic Students’ Association, faculty, Alumni Advisory Council and the Student Awards and Financial Aid office.

Internal selection committees are brought together when awards are for continuing or graduating students in specific programs. These committees are comprised of faculty from the specified program.

Special committees make selections for athletics, students’ association, alumni and Indigenous awards.

The Canada Revenue Agency does not permit a donor to choose a specific beneficiary for their gift. You will, however, be involved in crafting the Terms of Reference that will guide the respective selection committee to choose a fitting recipient(s) for your award.

Yes. The Development Office will send you a letter at the end of the year to update you on the status of your award, share the name(s) of the student recipient(s), and the program of study. You may also receive a message of thanks from a student recipient, and details about how your support has helped them.

The Student Awards and Financial Aid Office works closely with the Registrar’s Office to ensure students selected to receive awards maintain their enrolment at Lethbridge Polytechnic. In cases where students do not attend or withdraw, the award will be re-allocated to another eligible student who meets the criteria.

Your donation to student awards and scholarships is eligible for a charitable receipt and will be acknowledged on Lethbridge Polytechnic’s donor wall. In addition to our gratitude, you’ll receive a free subscription to Wider Horizons magazine. Other opportunities may be available as discussed with our Development Officer.