The CMA Foundation is proud to celebrate its first anniversary on May 4, 2018. The CMA Foundation was created by the Canadian Medical Association, in partnership with its subsidiaries MD Financial Management and Joule, to provide impactful charitable giving to registered Canadian charities that further excellence in health care and support the causes physicians are most passionate about.
Since its formation, only a short year ago, the CMA Foundation has provided a number of significant grants that address the Foundation’s three pillars: medical education, physician wellness and outreach.
More specifically:
- $399,500 for the CMA 150th Anniversary Bursaries and Awards Program: Launched in August 2017, in partnership with the CMA, this program celebrates the values of the medical profession and helps to alleviate some of the financial challenges faced by many Canadian medical students. Over five years, the CMA Foundation will provide bursaries in the amount of $8,500 and awards in the amount of $15,000 to more than 170 students from Canada’s 17 medical schools.
- $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross: In October 2017, this donation helped provide immediate and long-term disaster relief support, including care to Canadians affected by the wildfires in British Columbia.
- $60,000 to Tree Canada: In November 2017, the CMA Foundation announced this grant to support the planting of healing trees on hospital grounds in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver. This grant also supports MD Financial Management’s efforts to reduce the use of paper.
- $60,000 for the Resident Doctors of Canada’s new resiliency training program: In November 2017, a grant of $60,000 was pledged to the Resident Doctors of Canada’s new resiliency training program to support the wellness of medical residents.
- $20,000 to the Royal University Hospital Foundation: In April 2018, a donation of $20,000 was given to the hospital caring for survivors of the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy. These funds helped provide immediate disaster-relief support for the Royal University Hospital and its staff as they responded to the tragic bus accident, through the ongoing treatment of patients and the mental and physical health of the medical staff.
- $150,000 for the Healthy Canadians Grants program: Launched in May 2018, in partnership with the CMA, this new grant program will fund innovative grassroots health initiatives that support vulnerable populations and contribute to vibrant and healthy communities across Canada.
The CMA Foundation also supports the Donor Advised Fund program, which offers one of the most effective and tax-advantageous ways for donors to give to charity and establish a lasting legacy.
Building on the growth and success of its first year, the CMA Foundation, through collaborative relationships with partners, continues to focus on causes that directly support Canadian physicians and physician learners.