The Palmer Family Foundation
Private foundation · Calgary, Alberta · BN 849755921RR0001 · Foundations
Source: T3010 return, FPE 2024-12-31. Split of total expenditures ($2,182,483) as filed with the CRA.
The Palmer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Calgary, Alberta, classified by the CRA under foundations. In its fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, it reported $1.6M in revenue and $2.2M in expenditures. Spending exceeded revenue that year — the gap came out of reserves.
Compared with 1,554 grantmaking charities of similar size, its share of spending on mission — charitable programs plus grants to other charities — ranked above 41% of peers.
As a grantmaker, it reported gifts to 30 qualified donees totalling $1.8M in 2024, the largest being $833K to Glenbow - Alberta Institute. Its filed list of directors and trustees shows 5 names.
In its own words
To make gifts to 'qualified donees' as that term is defined in the income tax act (canada) with all funds being used for charitable purposes.
Ongoing-program description from its T3010 filing, verbatim.
The ledger, 2020–2024
| Year | Revenue | Spending | Programs | Fundraising | Gifts out | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.6M | $2.2M | — | — | $1.8M | $26.7M |
| 2023 | $828K | $2M | — | — | $1.8M | $27.1M |
| 2022 | $1M | $1.5M | — | — | $1.2M | $28.3M |
| 2021 | $1.4M | $1.2M | — | — | $835K | $24.3M |
| 2020 | $2M | $1.1M | — | — | $837K | $24M |
Revenue printed in red where the year ran a deficit. Fiscal years by period end.
Money between charities, 2024
Granted $1.8M to 30 qualified donees — largest 25 shown:
- Glenbow - Alberta Institute$833K
- Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation$100K
- Wellspring Alberta$75K
- The Canadian Red Cross Society$75K
- Alberta Ballet Company$50K
- The Nature Conservancy of Canada$50K
- United Way of Calgary and Area$50K
- Douglas mental health university institute foundation$40K
- The Governors of The University of Calgary$40K
- Pacific Ballet British Columbia Society$40K
- Contemporary Calgary Arts Society$35K
- Click - Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids Society$30K
- Mackenzie Art Gallery Incorporated$30K
- Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development$30K
- Epilepsy Association of Calgary$30K
- Decidedly Jazz Society$25K
- Calgary Arts Foundation$25K
- Old Brewery Mission Foundation / Fondation Mission Old Brewery$25K
- The Centennial Foundation$25K
- Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation$25K
- Discovery House Family Violence Prevention Society$25K
- Calgary Philharmonic Society$25K
- Union Gospel Mission$25K
- Siminovitch Theatre Foundation$20K
- Union Gospel Mission$20K
As reported on the donors’ own T3010 qualified-donee schedules.
Directors & trustees (2024)
Palmer Barbara (vice president/director); Valerie Seaman (secretary/director); Noelle Palmer (director); Jane Palmer (director); Sarah Palmer-Plunkett (director).
As listed on its 2024 return.
Check the source
Every figure on this page is from The Palmer Family Foundation’s own T3010 filings, published by the Canada Revenue Agency. Verify against the CRA’s charities listing (search BN 849755921RR0001), or read how we compute the receipt.