Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Friends Society of the Sir Alexander Galt Museum & Archives

The Friends Society of the Sir Alexander Galt Museum & Archives is a volunteer-led, registered non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the financial base of the Galt Museum & Archives and Fort Whoop-Up in Lethbridge, Alberta. Working alongside museum staff and community partners, the Friends raise and channel funds to preserve and share the human history of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta.

The Society undertakes fundraising initiatives, receives donations, manages memberships and sponsors special events. The majority of the money raised is directed to educational programs, transportation for school groups, learning materials, classroom murals and interpretive exhibits. By assuming this funding role, the Friends help ensure that the Galt can offer rich, curriculum-linked experiences to students and the wider public.

A key funding mechanism is the Friends of the Galt Endowment Fund, created jointly in 2009 by the Friends Board and the Galt Museum & Archives Board through the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta. Contributions to this endowment are invested in perpetuity, and the investment earnings are used to support the museum’s programs over the long term. This structure provides a stable stream of financial support for exhibitions, collections care and educational initiatives.

The Friends focus particularly on cultural and educational programming for children and youth, helping to cover costs such as bussing students to and from the museum, developing hands-on activities, and giving voice to often overlooked histories, including those of Indigenous peoples. Their funding also contributes to public programs, speaker series, community events and special displays that deepen understanding of regional history.

By organizing membership drives, raffles, teas, barn dances and other fundraising events, the Friends Society not only mobilizes private philanthropy but also builds awareness of the Galt’s role as a cultural hub. Donations to the Friends and to the endowment fund are eligible for charitable tax receipts, reinforcing their position as a recognized philanthropic funding body for museum-based heritage and education in southern Alberta.