On August 1, 2024, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Canada announced it was investing CA $175,000 into the AWS Calgary Community Fund to renew the program for a second consecutive year and support initiatives that would bring about transformative change in the Calgary-area. Following multiple promising applications, AWS increased this investment to $200,000 to support even more initiatives with the 2024 fund.
“Our impact on communities is amplified through collaboration with local businesses, non-profits, and community partners,” said Eric Gales, AWS Canada Managing Director. “AWS has made significant investments and established substantial operations in Calgary, demonstrating our commitment to the city. We’re proud to leverage our resources and scale to accelerate our local partners’ efforts and make a meaningful difference in the Calgary area.”
The 2024 AWS Calgary Fund recipients are:
Canadian Council of Multiculturalism and Cohesion, The Rock Soup Greenhouse and Food Bank, BeTheChangeYYC, Scientists in School, Valley Creek School Cooperating Society, Escape with STEM, Greater Forest Lawn 55+ Society, Alberta Robotics Association, Women Owned Narratives, Realize Your Potential Youth Society of Alberta, Calgary Public Library Foundation, Calgary Heritage Housing Foundation, FIRST Robotics Society, IndigeSTEAM Society, Mount Royal University Foundation, Calgary Newcomers Guide, Calgary Meals on Wheels, Green Calgary Association, Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society, Shelter Movers, Youth Central Society, Immigrant Services Calgary Society, Calgary Philharmonic Society, , Calgary Philharmonic Society, Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society, Inglewood BIA, Leftovers Foundation, Youth Central Society, Calgary Vietnamese Women's Association and Calgary Girls Chapter School.
These local community groups, schools, non-profits and organizations will receive micro-grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 to launch or expand projects focusing at least one of five themes. Themes include providing better access to STEAM education, demonstrating environmental stewardship, leading initiatives that promote inclusion, diversity and equity—with an emphasis on Truth and Reconciliation, and tackling homelessness and food insecurity, as well as health and well-being.
“We’re excited to expand the work of organizations that are making a real difference in our community,” said Eric Gales. “These initiatives range from enabling Calgarians to borrow computers from public libraries for home use, to providing basic necessities and warm spaces for individuals experiencing homelessness. They also include educating newcomers and immigrants about food resources and waste reduction, as well as creating fun, interactive ways to engage with technology. Through these efforts, we’re helping people from all walks of life realize their full potential.”
Launched in 2023, the fund has already helped reach over 15,000 Calgarians and residents from surrounding communities through projects led by the twenty-five selected organizations. 2023 recipients created programs that helped spark new beginnings by providing social support and job opportunities for under-served populations. They also developed initiatives that would ensure food safety among communities, and opened up a world of possibilities for learners that have long been underrepresented in STEAM fields and careers.
The AWS Calgary Community Fund is part of AWS’s flagship community engagement program that invests in grassroot impact, and one of the ways AWS is investing in the communities where employees live and work. This is in addition to building and operation a data centre hub, developing programs that empower local talent, supporting startups, and democratizing access to emerging technology for businesses of all sizes.
The fund is managed and administered by non-profit organization ChangeX, a community engagement platform designed to get funding and resources directly into the hands of ordinary people to lead impactful projects in their neighborhoods.
