Targeted Giving
How to give to or be a recipient of a memorial fund or grant
Memorial Donations
Honour a Loved One
A memorial donation to the Avalanche Canada foundation is both meaningful and special. We will send a note to the individual you designate to let them know you have contributed to the cause of public avalanche safety in the name of their loved one.
To donate online, click on the donate button below.
Hugh & Helen Hincks Memorial Fund
Hugh and Helen Hincks were tragically killed as the result of an avalanche accident during an Austrian ski vacation in 2005. The couple are survived by their three children Morgan, Ted and Daniel Hincks.
To Donate
To donate online to the Hugh and Helen Hincks Fund, click on the donate button below and select the Hugh and Helen Hincks Fund.
The Hincks children wanted to honour their parents’ love for winter mountain travel and their respect for furthering public avalanche safety initiatives, research and education by setting up a fund in their memory. The response to the memorial fund in their parents’ names has been overwhelming. "For the Hincks family to set aside their immediate grief and try to make something positive out of such a tragedy shows amazing character and strength," said ACF Past President, Chris Stethem.
At the request of the Hincks family, the Avalanche Canada Foundation will manage and direct memorial funds toward avalanche education initiatives that will impact high school students. Since inception, the Hugh and Helen Hincks Fund has raised over $140,000 for the following projects:
“The Fine Line”—an avalanche education training video
Translating the “The Fine Line” into French
Supporting youth education programs
Applications for funding will be reviewed by the ACF Grants Committee. First preference will be given to projects or initiatives that are determined to have the greatest impact on youth education relating to avalanche safety. Applications for individual courses will not be accepted.
To Apply
1. Complete the ACF application form. Download the form here.
2. Prepare a written proposal (maximum 3 pages) explaining the following:
Name of the proposed project or initiative
Names and affiliations of all project team members
Description of the project or initiative
Describe how the project or initiative relates to youth education
Include a proposed budget and timeline for the project or initiative
Submit both the application form and the written proposal via email to the ACF no later than September 30 at foundation@avalanche.ca.
Craig Kelly Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Craig Kelly Memorial Scholarship Fund was set up in the late snowboarder/guide’s name to grant a maximum of $1,000 in bursaries each year to snowboarders who are enrolled in the Avalanche Operations Level 2 course offered by the Canadian Avalanche Association.
To Donate
To donate online to the Craig Kelly Memorial Scholarship Fund, please click on the button below and select the Craig Kelly Memorial Scholarship Fund.
To Apply
Applicants must be snowboarders pursuing a career as a guide or as an avalanche professional, and they must meet the qualification requirements for the course. To apply, download and complete the grant application found here. Candidates will be selected based on their application, which must include the application form, a cover letter elaborating on their snowboarding background both recreationally and in the workplace, and their resume. Please send the completed application to foundation@avalanche.ca or via mail to the address specified on the application by September 30.
All applications will be reviewed by the ACF Grants Committee. Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified. It is the responsibility of the student to enroll and pay for the course. The scholarship will be awarded upon successful completion of each module of the Level II course.
Cora Shea Memorial Fund
In 2008, Cora Shea came from California to study with the Applied Snow and Avalanche Research group at the University of Calgary (ASARC). She completed her PhD in Geoscience in September 2011. Many of her contributions to snow and avalanche science—which can be found on ASARC’s publication and outreach pages—involved thermal processes and visualization. She is remembered for her insatiable curiosity about physics—especially snow physics—as well as her remarkable skill at explaining physical processes. At the 2012 International Snow Science Workshop in Anchorage, Alaska, Bruce Jamieson shared some memories of Cora that you can view in this video.
To Donate
To donate to the fund, please click on the button below and select the Cora Shea Memorial Fund.
To Apply
The Cora Shea Memorial Fund was established to provide modest financial assistance to women seeking to do snow or avalanche research and/or study towards advanced avalanche practice. Up to two grants of $750 CAD will be awarded annually to support women of any nationality in this field. Travel and direct expenses for relevant conferences are specifically included.
First preference will be given to women contributing to snow or avalanche research. Second preference is for women who identify how they will advance or promote the application of science in professional practice, regarding avalanche safety. Applicants, including successful applicants, can re-apply in subsequent years, although the committee may give preference to applicants who have not previously received the award.
Applicants must download and complete a grant application form found here.
Applicants must submit a written cover letter (maximum two pages) explaining their avalanche-related career intentions, how the proposed grant will enable them to satisfy the Terms of Reference, and describing the proposed expenditures.
Send your completed application form and letter with resume to foundation@avalanche.ca or via mail to the address specified on the grant application form by September 30.
Please note that the grant is for expenditures in the 12 months following the application deadline. Receipts must be provided for the expenditures.
Al Hodgson Memorial Fund
To donate online to the Al Hodgson Memorial Scholarship Fund, please click on the donate button below select the Al Hodgson Fund.
To Donate
Al Hodgson was the President of the Association of BC Snowmobile Clubs (ABCSnow) for many years. In that position, he was instrumental in building support for Avalanche Canada and fostering a culture of avalanche safety within the snowmobiling community. Even as he stepped down from his role at the helm of ABCSnow, he continued to encourage avalanche safety training for all mountain snowmobilers.
In memory of his passion, vision and influence, donations to the Al Hodgson Memorial Fund will be used to award scholarships to support snowmobilers who wish to take recreational or professional level avalanche safety training.
To donate to the fund, please click on the button below and select the Al Hodgson Memorial Fund.
To Apply
Recreational Training - Avalanche Skills Training or Companion Rescue Course
This scholarship is intended for young snowmobilers (18 to 25 years old) who wish to become an active participant in the safety culture of their snowmobiling community. More information on both of these courses can be found here. A maximum of $400 will be awarded for this scholarship.
Professional Training - Avalanche Operations Level 1 or Level 2
This scholarship is intended for snowmobilers who wish to become leaders in the safety culture of their local snowmobiling community (additional details below). Riders must ensure they meet the prerequisites for this training, which can be found here. A maximum of $1500 will be awarded for this scholarship.
Criteria for Al Hodgson Memorial Scholarship
Recreational Training Scholarship
Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 25
Applicants must show proof of having completed an AST or Companion Rescue course with an AST Provider
Applicants must submit a letter describing why they wish to receive this scholarship and how they intend on becoming an active participant in the safety culture of their snowmobiling community.
Professional Training Scholarship
Applicants must be approved for an Operations Level 1 or Level 2 course with the Canadian Avalanche Association.
Applications for the scholarship must be submitted prior to starting the course.
Scholarships will be paid upon completion of the Level 1 course or each module of the Level 2 course.
Applicants must submit a letter describing why they wish to receive this scholarship and how they intend on becoming an active leader in the safety culture of their snowmobiling community.
Application Process
Download and complete the grant application form here.
Provide a letter describing in detail the applicant's snowmobiling experience, why they wish to receive the scholarship and how they intend on becoming an active leader in the safety culture of the snowmobiling community.
Those wishing to obtain the scholarship to pursue the professional training stream also need to describe their future plans as a professional and how those plans will benefit the snowmobiling community.
Send completed application and letter to foundation@avalanche.ca or send via mail to the address specified on the application by September 30.
Successful applicants will be chosen by the ACF’s Grants Committee, based on the criteria listed above. Applicants will be notified after the application deadline. The number of scholarships awarded will depend on funds available. Scholarships will be awarded upon proof of successful completion of the course for which the scholarship was applied for and a receipt for course registration or tuition.
International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW) Grant
The International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW) is a biennial avalanche conference that brings together snow researchers and avalanche practitioners to promote the exchange of techniques, theories, information and ideas. First started in Banff, Canada in 1976, today the ISSW is the most established avalanche conference in the world, The ACF's ISSW grant was established in 2002 and is financed using surplus funds generated from Canadian ISSW conferences, which occur in Canada every six years.
Mandate of the Fund
The ISSW Fund supports projects and people who are professionally engaged in avalanche safety, forecasting and research in Canada. The fund promotes the ISSW motto of "A Merging of Theory and Practice", and aims to develop crossover between the practice of avalanche forecasting and the science of avalanche research.
Proposals must be aligned with one or more of the following themes:
Snow safety research or innovation in avalanche forecasting;
The education and professional development of avalanche professionals in Canada;
Avalanche conferences in Canada including future ISSW conferences; and
Encouraging avalanche professionals and practitioners to undertake research and present papers at such conferences.
Applicants must clearly describe which of these themes their proposal is aligned with, and how their proposal combines practical avalanche forecasting with the theoretical, or scientific aspects of avalanche safety. For proposals to attend the ISSW, funding will be considered only for presenting authors.
Scope of Funding
Funding may vary each year depending on applications, but generally will range from small grants for travel to conferences, up to approximately $15,000/year. Awards may go to a single recipient, or to multiple recipients. Projects that extend over multiple years will also be considered. Recipients must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons working on the proposed topic in Canada.
Timelines and Funding Cycle
For 2024, applications shall be received at the ACF by May 31 at: grants@avalanche.ca
Decisions on the awards will be made by June 30.
Funding is provided for expenditures incurred for the one-year following the application deadline.
For proposals under $5,000, funds will be advanced following the completion of the project in the year following the application deadline.
For multi-year proposals, or proposals exceeding $10,000, funds will be advanced quarterly in the year following the application deadline.
Recipients must submit project expenses and receipts in order to be reimbursed.
Application Process
Complete the ACF application form. Download the form here.
Prepare a written proposal (maximum 3 pages) explaining the following:
Name of the proposed project or initiative
Names and affiliations of all project team members
Description of the project or initiative
Describe how this project or initiative meets the ISSW fund's mandate described above, in particular demonstrating how theory and practice will be combined
If this is a career development initiative, include a copy of your resume, describe your professional goals and how this initiative will help to advance those
Include a proposed budget and timeline for your initiative
Remember the purpose of your application is to showcase your skills and suitability for your chosen grant. To make sure your application is as effective as possible, consider ensuring your work is presented in a professional style and has been checked for spelling, grammar and punctuation. You can use a free tool, such as Grammarly if you’d like extra support with this.
3. Submit both the application form and the written proposal to the ACF no later than May 31 at: grants@avalanche.ca