Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Erika Legacy Foundation

The Erika Legacy Foundation is a registered Canadian charity created in 2016 in memory of Erika Elkington. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, the foundation focuses on suicide prevention and mental health. Its mission is to raise funds and provide financial support for the enhancement of suicide prevention programming and support. Rather than operating as a service delivery agency, it works as a philanthropic funder and convener, channeling donations, legacy gifts and fundraising proceeds into evidence-informed initiatives.

The foundation structures its work around three pillars: proactive, predictive and preventative approaches. Proactive efforts emphasize education, storytelling and open dialogue to eliminate stigma around suicide and suicidal ideation. Predictive work involves investing in science and digital technologies that can help identify risk factors and personalize mental health support. Preventative activities focus on providing communities with information, tools and technologies to recognize and support people at risk or survivors.

The Erika Legacy Foundation supports a broad ecosystem of organizations and projects in research, science, education, entertainment and business that align with suicide prevention and mental well-being. Its history page explicitly notes that it will partner with, and award grants to, other charitable causes that reflect Erika’s values and the foundation’s mission. Partnerships highlighted on the site include collaborations with research institutions, mental health organizations and therapeutic service providers, reflecting a mix of project funding, co-developed tools and outreach campaigns.

The foundation also invests in digital tools such as the Reporting on Suicide verification tool, developed in partnership with technology companies, and promotes therapeutic gaming and well-being resources. Through its initiatives and resource guides, it contributes to knowledge mobilization by directing individuals and communities to trusted mental health supports, helplines and treatment providers across Canada and internationally.

To sustain its grantmaking and program support, the Erika Legacy Foundation relies on individual donations, fundraising events, online campaigns and a structured legacy giving program. The legacy giving section explains how donors can include the foundation in their wills or estate plans, using its legal name and registered charity number. This endowment-oriented approach aims to build a lasting financial base in perpetuity so that funding for suicide prevention and mental health initiatives can continue over the long term.

The foundation emphasizes ethical practices and transparent charitable status. It works with fundraising partners and major mental health organizations, including hospitals, research institutes and advocacy coalitions. By combining grant funding, partnership projects and public education, the Erika Legacy Foundation plays a niche role in Canada’s mental health and suicide prevention funding landscape, helping to seed innovative approaches and amplify established best practices.