An Edmonton charity is putting generosity on the international map with a record-breaking $10-million gift to global health. The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation's $5-million contribution more than doubles their overall donations to Partners In Health Canada, making them the largest individual donor in the organization's 15-year history.
Supporting oncology and maternal health in Rwanda
The funds will bolster oncology and maternal and child health programming in Rwanda, particularly at the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in the northern part of the country. Partners In Health works closely with governments and communities in 11 countries to strengthen public sector health systems and advocate for universal health care and global policy change towards fundamental human rights.
Before her death in 2024, Dianne Kipnes, together with her husband Irving Kipnes, was a luminary on Canada's charitable scene, with donations to medical research, business and the arts at the University of Alberta, and a broad range of community initiatives in Edmonton, across the country and abroad, according to a university tribute.
Impact on lives
"Irv's ongoing generosity and Dianne's legacy will positively affect thousands of lives over the next five years," said Mark Brender, national director of Partners In Health. "Mothers who receive successful breast cancer treatment will be there to support their children. Children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma will have a good chance at living a long and normal life. These outcomes were unimaginable in rural east Africa a generation ago, but this kind of support makes them a reality and proves what is possible. We are incredibly grateful."
Call to action
Irving Kipnes challenged others to extend generosity beyond Canada's borders. "Dianne and I started supporting Partners In Health more than a decade ago because we believed in their work, and I still do," Kipnes said. "Especially in an era of government aid cutbacks, it's important that those of us who have the ability to step up, do so. We also need to improve health care at home, of course, but it shouldn't be one or the other. It's also a fact that money goes a lot further in the places where Partners In Health works."
Upcoming events
Wednesday's announcement coincides with upcoming events in Edmonton featuring one of Partners In Health's leading global voices. Dr. Joia Mukherjee, associate professor at Harvard Medical School, will be in Edmonton June 24-25 to speak at the University of Alberta and St. George's Anglican Church. Admission is free, and tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite.
