As Canadian charities see a notable dip in giving, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is boasting a record donation this past year.
The foundation, which is the charitable arm of the Edmonton Oilers, posted its annual statement Thursday which recorded $11.5 million going to 85 charities.
More than 65,000 children, a new record for the charity, got help accessing sports thanks to funding from the foundation.
Corey Smith, volunteer chair with the foundation, said that number is spread across more than 139 communities, going well beyond the team’s hometown.
“We take a broad view of Oil Country,” Smith said, adding the charity has been active in Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie and other towns. “We’ve claimed Red Deer,” he added.
Smith said the foundation has two main focuses. One is a program meant specifically for helping kids overcome barriers to playing sports. That arm, called Every Kid Deserves A Shot, partners with groups like KidsSport Alberta.
The other arm dubbed Standing Up for Oil Country is concerned with helping meet other needs in the community. It partners with groups like the Ben Stelter Foundation, which the foundation helped net more than $560,000 for last year.
Other charities in Edmonton, however, had a tougher 2025 as charitable giving across the country drops.
A December study from the Fraser Institute said Canadian giving was at a 20-year low and saw major declines in the last 10 years.
Local charities like Edmonton’s Food Bank, which is a partner of the Oilers foundation, are currently weathering a storm, with the food bank seeing high levels of demand.
“We want to see all charities and foundations succeed in greater Edmonton,” Smith said.
He said he’s thankful that the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation has been doing well and attributes the health of the charity to the strong recognition and goodwill around the Oilers’ brand, and also the great popularity of the team’s 50/50 raffle.
Last year, sales for the raffle exceeded $87 million and brought in a net revenue of $17.3 million for the charity.
While Smith said the organization has become more focused in its giving efforts, he said it also needs to start thinking about diversifying it’s revenue sources.
Even though the foundation said its 50/50 is the largest in professional sports, Smith said gaming is becoming a competitive market and they’re looking to other avenues.
One strategy the foundation has been seeing success with, Smith said, is leaning into connections with the team’s players, while events like a poker game with players.
“We’re really trying to be focused on different ways to raise money so the people that depend on us aren’t just crossing their fingers that the 50/50 is going to have a good year,” Smith said.
“Our big plans are to kind of help to generate new revenue sources in addition to the 50/50.”
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.