Telus announced Tuesday it has achieved a major milestone in its charitable giving, with the Vancouver-based telecom’s Community Board program reaching $100 million in donations to local charities across Canada.
Funded by the Telus Friendly Future Foundation, Telus’s 13 Canadian community boards are composed of local business and community leaders who make informed decisions about where charitable grants are best allocated in their communities based on need and maximum impact, explains a Telus press release.
Each year, more than $6 million in grants are contributed to grassroots community-based health and education programs to support Canadian youth and their families. To date, Telus and the Telus Friendly Future Foundation have supported more than 9,000 charitable programs through its community boards, according to the release.
“With a legacy of giving back that spans over two decades, reaching this $100 million milestone is a true testament to our long standing commitment to creating a friendlier future for Canadians in need,” Jill Schnarr, chief social innovation, communications and brand officer at Telus, said in the press release.
“Since 2005, our Community Boards have been driving positive change, and social impact, together with our charitable partners across the country, supporting everything from volunteer-based mentorship programs, enabling access to mental health services, to the development of safe and healthy community spaces for youth experiencing homelessness. This milestone is not just a celebration of our past efforts but a commitment to continue investing in the health and well-being of our communities and youth across the country.”
Telus continues to expand its Community Board program to provide support to an increasing number of Canadian youth, the telecom says. Over the past two years, Telus has expanded the geographical area of eight of its community boards, including Interior and Northern B.C., Vancouver and Coastal, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2022, and Edmonton and Northern Alberta, Calgary and Southern Alberta, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, Barrie and Central Ontario, and Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area in 2023.
Grant applications to the next round of Telus Community Board funding will open on Aug. 27 and close Oct. 8.
