Northwestel is a northern company. We are more than 125,000 northerners working and playing in communities across all three territories, in northern BC and Alberta. We look for opportunities to give back because we live here too.
Through our sponsorship program, we partner with non-profit organizations and initiatives to help build a stronger North. We contribute more than $600,000 annually to projects focused on strengthening four areas: health and mental wellness, the arts, youth, and Indigenous culture and community. If your business or organization is planning an upcoming event or initiative that will benefit your community, apply for sponsorship below.
Health & mental wellness
We partner with individuals and organizations who help people facing mental health issues. Let's end the stigma.
Metrics that prove the number of individuals supported (attendance, participant completion etc.)
Proof of successful budget (must indicate other funders)
A strategic plan for the initiative that measures clear objectives and expected outcomes
Must offer a service or learning opportunity for people living in the Northwestel operating area
Must support a mental health service, program, or awareness generating initiative
Must educate northerners on where they can receive mental health services and increase their knowledge of impacts of mental illness
Must provide final reporting to Northwestel, including a budget breakdown, details of media and press attention, sponsor recognition, and community participation
Exclusions
Capital projects (bricks and mortar projects)
Debt reduction
Operating expenses or ongoing employment of staff
Business or contract fundraisers
Individual support
Religious groups
Political parties
Travel, accommodation, meal expenses, conference fees, field trips and tours
Duplication of direct and indirect donations to the same organizations
Value in kind or service sharing requests
Arts & Culture
Events, programs and organizations that support arts and culture in Canada's North.
Charitable group or registered non-profit society status
Be a northern-based organization within Northwestel's operating area whose projects or activities benefit northerners.
Be requesting project-specific support and not general purposes (e.g. wages, operating expenses)
The respect and support of the community
Alignment with Northwestel's values
Opportunities for Northwestel employees to be involved as volunteers (optional)
The opportunity for Northwestel to have ownership, title or leadership status with the event/project (optional)
Exclusions
Debt reduction
Operating expenses or ongoing employment of staff
Business or contract fundraisers
Individual support
Religious groups
Political parties
Travel, accommodation, meal expenses, conference fees, field trips and tours
Duplication of direct and indirect donations to the same organizations
Value in kind or service sharing requests
Our partners
Health & mental wellness
Arts & culture
Youth initiatives
Indigenous community & culture
The Stanton Territorial hospital foundation and the Stanton Territorial Hospital
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The Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation raises funds to improve patient care and purchase equipment to fulfill their vision of “working together for a healthy north”.
Northwestel has been a partner since 1999 and led the Festival of Giving Gala that raised over $145,000 for essential tools and equipment. Northwestel also donated money and in-kind services totalling more than $270,000.
Yukon Hospital Foundation
yhf.caOpens in a new tab
Working to improve healthcare for Yukoners, Northwestel has partnered with the Yukon Hospital Foundation (YHF) in a 5-year agreement worth $450,000 to support events such as the Festival of Trees. It remains the largest single donation in Northwestel’s history.
Nunavut Embrace Life Council
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Between 2017 to 2020 we donated $100,000 to the Nunavut Embrace Life Council to help develop and implement safeTALK. SafeTALK provides training to anyone over the age of 15 so that they can connect those contemplating suicide to life-saving intervention resources.
Kamatsiaqtut Help Line
nunavuthelpline.caOpens in a new tab
Since it first started taking calls in 1990, the Kamatsiaqtut Nunavut Help Line has been committed to lending an ear to northerners in need. The help line provides 24/7, confidential listening, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention services in English, French, and Inuktitut. We have partnered with the Kamatsiaqtut Help Line since 2014 with a current donation agreement of $52,000 in place.
BYTE Empowering Youth
yukonyouth.comOpens in a new tab
Over the last three years, we have donated $30,000 to BYTE Empowering Youth Society, a by youth, for youth, organization. BYTE promotes positive mental health and wellbeing throughout the Yukon and Canada’s North by delivering innovative and experiential workshops on topics like leadership, healthy relationships and healthy minds.
Strongest Families Institute
strongestfamilies.comOpens in a new tab
The Strongest Families Institute (SFI) provides access to affordable and innovative mental health services to youth and their families in the Northwest Territories. Our five-year, $20,000 donation will enable SFI to expand its reach and help more Canadian youth and families.
Our $60,000 contribution to the Canadian Mental Health Association's Yukon division (CMHA-Yukon) will help fund the increased telecommunications needs of the CMHA-Yukon and allow them to reintroduce a crisis helpline to the Yukon.
Northern Arts & Cultural Centre
For over seven years, we have partnered with the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) in Yellowknife, NWT. The NACC encourages the development of the performing arts from all cultures by providing a space for community and professional performances. Our current three-year commitment of $63,000 will support NACC’s monthly art exhibits and pre-concert series.
Yukon Arts Centre
yukonartscentre.comOpens in a new tab
The Yukon Arts Centre is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to showcasing and developing the arts in the Yukon. The Northwestel Hanging Sky Tour is a part of the Yukon Arts Centre’s ongoing mission to provide artistic programming to all of Yukon. This past season, we visited nine Yukon communities to put on school performances, workshops, and community events.
Alianait arts festival and the alianait concert & dance series
The Alianait Arts Festival in Iqaluit highlights Inuit and other circumpolar artists, while bringing together artists from across the globe. Our partnership with Alianait helps to support career development in the performing arts through workshops, training and performance opportunities for emerging artists.
Inuvik Sunrise Festival
After nearly 30 days of darkness, the return of the sun is celebrated at the annual Inuvik Sunrise Festival. In 2019 and 2020, we sponsored the Sunrise Ice Village, which featured skating, snow carving, sliding, a live entertainment stage, a bonfire and fireworks show.
Northwestel directory cover art competition
nwtel.ca/art-directory-competitionOpens in a new tab
For more than 30 years, artwork created by northern artists has been a staple for the covers of Northwestel phone directories. Each year, three selected cover artists are awarded $3,000 each and have their winning artwork featured on the directory cover for their region.
N.W.T Soccer association
nwtsoccer.caOpens in a new tab
The Northwest Territories Soccer Association is a volunteer-run organization that provides opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in soccer. Northwestel has been a partner since 2013 and donates equipment, uniforms, helps to pay for accommodations, travel and advertising. We also support summer camps and awards.
Northwestel rink at the Canada games centre
Over the last five years, we have donated $50,000 to the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse. Our donation helps to support youth sports and recreation programming.
Northwestel field at the Yellowknife fieldhouse
We have contributed $127,500 over the last 10 years to the Yellowknife Fieldhouse. The Fieldhouse helps to facilitate sport and recreation in Yellowknife, as well as youth programming.
Iqaluit aquatic centre
In 2019, we showed our commitment to Iqaluit families by pledging $75,000 in support of the Iqaluit Aquatic Centre. This 5-year partnership with the City of Iqaluit will help to support the health and wellbeing of the Iqaluit community, as well as provide space for youth recreation.
Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club
We are proud to be the title sponsor of the Jackrabbit and Bunny programs available through the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club. These fundamental cross-country ski programs help youth to develop their skills and become confident skiers.
Other youth organizations we have partnered with include:
Sport Yukon
Sport North (NWT)
Sport Nunavut
Yukon Special Olympics
Yukon Soccer Association
Rankin Rock Hockey Camp, Presented by Northwestel
Cambridge Bay Youth Centre
Nunavut Speed Skating Association
Beaufort Delta Education Council
Northwestel Learning to Lead hockey camp
Our Learning to Lead hockey camp, in partnership with Yukon First Nations Hockey Association, is an annual hockey camp held in Whitehorse for northern youth. The week-long camp is run by community members as well as former and current Indigenous NHL players. The camp helps participants to not only be better hockey players, but better leaders in their own communities.
Yukon First Nations Graduation Sponsorship
Each year, we provide two $500 awards to one male student and one female student who works to improve their school community by involving themselves in social justice and First Nations cultural initiatives.
Northern Futures Scholarship
nwtel.ca/northern-futures-scholarshipOpens in a new tab
Each year, the Northern Futures Scholarship program offers six $4,000 scholarships to students from communities across the North, along with summer employment opportunities and the possibility to be hired at Northwestel upon graduation. We aim to give 50% of these scholarships to indigenous students.
Other First Nations initiatives we have supported include:
First Nations General Assemblies in Yukon & NWT
National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations in Yellowknife & Whitehorse
Nunavut Day celebrations in Iqaluit
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