Alberta Ecotrust is something of an art form. As far as we know, there is no other organization like it in Canada.Alberta Ecotrust was conceived as a unique partnership between the corporate sector and the environmental community. Established in 1991 by visionary Albertans from the corporate and voluntary sectors, Alberta Ecotrust brings together progressive corporations and pragmatic environmental organizations to catalyze and support grassroots community-based action to protect and preserve the environment. It continues to stand as a unique and innovative model of corporate-NGO partnership across Canada.

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Here's how it works. Volunteer representatives from our corporate and nonprofit partners work together to provide Alberta Ecotrust with leadership, oversight and expertise. Some of these volunteers sit on our board of directors, others staff committees that focus on activities essential to the success of our organization, such as fundraising and communications.

The foundation of the partnership is the collective responsibility of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in nonprofit groups working on environmental issues in Alberta. Volunteer representatives from an equal number of corporate and nonprofit partners sit together on a committee to review grant applications from nonprofit organizations working on environmental projects.

These representatives bring a wide range of experience and expertise to the table — some are seasoned naturalists or environmental advocates, others are sustainability experts or project managers in the oil patch. Each provides a particular perspective on the environmental challenges and solutions facing Albertans; together they provide a diverse wealth of knowledge on how best to invest the money our donors provide to support Alberta's environmental community and protect Alberta's environment.

Each year, the grant review committee invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in dozens of environmental projects. Each grant review committee member then monitors and mentors one or more grantees as they use their Alberta Ecotrust grant to implement a project with tangible environmental benefits.