Grant and Funding Programs Offered by 2nd Chance Trail Ride Society

The 2nd Chance Trail Ride Society is a charitable organization that provides direct financial support to organ and tissue transplant recipients in Alberta. Working closely with the University of Alberta Hospital Transplant Teams, the organization disburses funds through its Financial Assistance Program to help offset living costs for out-of-town patients who must remain in Edmonton before, during, and after surgery.

Financial assistance is provided directly through social workers at the University of Alberta Hospital Transplant Teams. Recipients must be transplant patients undergoing treatment at the hospital, and assistance is tailored to individual needs for parking, food, and gas expenses.

As a registered charity, the organization can issue charitable donation tax receipts for donations over $50. The society is governed by a Board of Directors and maintains partnerships with established foundations including GoodHearts Foundation and the University Hospital Foundation.

Founded in 2012 by five double lung transplant recipients, the organization has grown from hosting its first trail ride that raised over $20,000 to becoming a significant support network for transplant recipients across Western Canada. Annual fundraising now averages $70,000, with over 30 recipients receiving $1,000 each year since the organization's inception.

The organization supports transplant recipients and their families, primarily those receiving treatment at the University of Alberta Hospital which serves western provinces and territories. Programs include financial assistance, affordable housing through GoodHearts Foundation (with $215,000 donated to date), mentorship from transplant recipients, and public education initiatives.

Key partners include GoodHearts Foundation, University Hospital Foundation, Canadian Transplant Association, Breathing Space, and the Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry. The organization collaborates with social workers within the University of Alberta Hospital Transplant Teams.