Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Chalmers Foundation

The Chalmers Foundation is a healthcare charity dedicated to strengthening services at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital and across the Fredericton and Upper River Valley regions in New Brunswick. Working closely with Horizon Health Network, it identifies high-priority medical equipment, patient-care programs, and whole-person care initiatives that fall outside of regular government funding. Community donations are then directed to these needs, allowing the hospital and related centres to access advanced tools, technology and knowledge.

Over four decades, the foundation has led major fundraising campaigns for diagnostic imaging (CT scanner, MRI, digital mammography), neonatal intensive care, pediatrics, cardiac diagnostics, laboratory medicine, emergency monitoring, and surgical and endoscopic enhancements. Recent priorities include a multi‑million‑dollar Cancer Support Program expansion, the creation of New Brunswick’s first operational Hybrid Operating Room, and ongoing investments in the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, including adaptive recreation and mobility equipment.

The foundation operates as a discretionary funder rather than through open-call grant competitions. It collaborates with clinical leaders and hospital management to determine gaps in care, then runs targeted campaigns and directs donor contributions to specific units or cross-hospital projects. Supported areas range from acute care and surgery to mental health, pediatrics, oncology, rehabilitation and community-based wellness programs.

Examples highlighted on the English and French sites include the Bikes & Trikes and Swim programs for children with complex disabilities, upgrades to pediatric outdoor play spaces, lab modernization, cardiovascular diagnostic units, and COVID‑19 response projects such as equipment purchases and staff support initiatives. These investments improve patient outcomes, expand service capacity and reduce wait times.

The Chalmers Foundation Inc. is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from the community, with a professional staff team handling philanthropy, finance, marketing and program coordination. The organization publishes audited financial statements and annual reports, as well as “Report to the community” documents that outline campaign results, funded projects and upcoming priorities. This transparency helps donors understand how their contributions are used and the impact on regional healthcare.

Founded in 1983 by community members and physicians, the foundation has progressively expanded its scope from capital equipment campaigns to a broader vision of whole-person care. Decade-by-decade summaries on the site show cumulative investments of many millions of dollars in imaging, trauma and ambulatory care, NICU and pediatrics, cardiac and vascular services, nuclear medicine, renal care, and laboratory medicine. Following its merger with the Stan Cassidy Foundation in 2020, the organization also assumed a stronger role in specialized rehabilitation funding.

Primary beneficiaries are patients and families served by the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital and the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, along with related Horizon Health Network services in Fredericton and the Upper River Valley. By channeling donor funds into equipment, infrastructure, education and patient-support programs, the foundation enables earlier diagnoses, safer and more efficient procedures, improved pediatric and neonatal environments, and enhanced cancer and rehabilitation support. Though it does not run a competitive grant program, it functions as a key philanthropic funder within the regional healthcare system.