2025 impact report
At the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, we invest in potential - in deserving students, youth-serving charities and communities in need. With your support, these investments compound to create a friendlier future for us all. Explore our impact below.
Our 2025 impact at a glance
$10M
disbursed
550+
programs supported
600+
bursaries awarded
1.5M
youth impacted
A message from our Executive Director, Nimmi Kanji, and Board Chair, Juggy Sihota
Supporting equity deserving youth
Together with TELUS Community Boards, we have invested $137M in over 10,300 charitable initiatives across Canada since 2005, and awarded 2,000 bursaries through the TELUS Student Bursary program since its 2023 launch. Much of the support we provide directly empowers youth from equity deserving groups.
In 2025
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Bursary
Investing in the leaders of tomorrow:
TELUS Student Bursary is fuelling 2,000 dreams
The journey through post-secondary education is increasingly challenging. Rising tuition and costs create barriers that hard work alone cannot overcome. We believe financial circumstances should never limit the pursuit of higher education - that’s why we launched the
TELUS Student Bursary program
in 2023. Compounding impact since 2023
- 2,000 bursaries awarded to diverse changemakers
- $6.4M in bursaries awarded
Realizing potential: Our 2025 cohort
- 600+ bursaries awarded
- 90+ unique fields of study
- +50% are the first in their family to pursue higher education
Support beyond tuition
The TELUS Student Bursary provides more than financial support. Our Bursary recipients receive access to various resources as well as networking, learning and career development opportunities that help them thrive.
- Connectivity:
Free TELUS Mobility for Good and low-cost TELUS Internet for Good plans to keep our students connected.
- Mental health:
24/7 access to TELUS Health Student Support.
- Career development:
Nearly 100 paid micro-internships fulfilled, engagement with TELUS student hiring programs and Community Board membership opportunities.
Realizing potential: the measurable impact of your investment
- 100% of students give where they live.
- 90% of students report increased confidence in their ability to graduate.
- 82% of recipients successfully advanced to their next academic year.
Community Boards
20 years of impact
No one understands a community’s needs better than the people who live there. Composed of local leaders, and funded by the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, our 13 Canadian Community Boards support local, grassroots charities with grants that fuel their youth-focused health and education programs.
A legacy of localized investment: 2005–2025
2025 marked the 20th anniversary of the TELUS Community Board model. What began as a bold vision in local giving has evolved into a global movement of supporting youth-serving charities. Since our Foundation's launch in 2018, we have proudly administered these grants, scaling the impact of our local boards to new heights.
Since 2005:
- $137 million in total funding across Canada.
- 10,300+ youth-serving projects supported across Canada.
In 2025, we saw unprecedented demand for grants related to youth employment and career skills development alongside critical healthcare and well-being initiatives. This rise in demand underscores the urgent need to continue investing in local grassroots charities and the youth they serve.
Community Board funding: 2025 impact
Here’s a breakdown of our 2025 philanthropic investments by Community Board.
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Reflective of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation's fiscal year: Dec. 2024-Nov. 2025
Watch this video to learn more about how the TELUS Community Board model works.
Invest in the heart of your community
Invest in programs that help empower youth to create a friendlier future for themselves and their communities.
Our Partners
Celebrating our partners
Systemic change requires collective action. We extend our deepest gratitude to CIBC Foundation and Belonging Network for their transformative Bursary commitments. These strategic partnerships create pathways to opportunity for underserved communities.
Together we have launched two new designated bursaries, coming together to make a strategic investment in targeted philanthropy. These partnerships serve as a blueprint for how we can collectively realize the potential of Canada’s youth.
powered by CIBC Foundation
The TELUS Momentum Bursary
CIBC Foundation and the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation have joined forces in a
landmark $2 million joint commitment over four years
. This partnership is a strategic investment in economic inclusion, specifically designed to remove the systemic barriers facing Black students across Canada.Watch Kay’s story to see how our partnership with CIBC Foundation is generating momentum for young changemakers.
Yom and Soliyana, from our first cohort of the Momentum Bursary, pictured alongside Victor Dodig, Darren Entwistle and Juggy Sihota.
Goal: Empowering 500 Black students to unlock access to education and launch career pathways as the future leaders of Canada.
ROI: A multi-year collaboration focused on creating the conditions for success through both financial aid and professional development, paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic workforce.
Comprehensive support: Beyond the bursary, students gain access to
TELUS' Mobility for Good and Internet for Good programs
to help them stay connected, as well as CIBC Best Student Life Bundle and CIBC Smart Planner to build lifelong financial resilience. “This innovative partnership unites two leading Canadian Foundations with a shared vision to expand educational and leadership opportunities for our youth.”– Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS.
“This partnership demonstrates how coming together with a shared purpose of making our communities stronger serves to empower the next generation and helps to create a world without limits.”– Harry Culham, President and CEO, CIBC
powered by Belonging Network
The TELUS Orca Student Bursary
For youth transitioning out of foster care, the journey to post-secondary education is often met with extreme uncertainty. In 2025,
we announced a transformative $1 million, 10-year partnership with Belonging Network
to ensure these young people never have to walk that path alone.
Belonging Network, TELUS and TELUS Friendly Future Foundation leadership
Bursary recipient, Simranjit
Goal: Providing 200+ bursaries over the next decade specifically for youth in and from foster care.
Model: A comprehensive wraparound approach that includes reliable connectivity, mental health counseling through TELUS Health and pathways into meaningful work.
Vision: Scaling the original BC Orca Bursary, founded by Chair of the TELUS Vancouver and Coastal Board,
Tracey McVicar
, into a national movement of belonging and opportunity. “Youth from care have incredible potential, but too often face systemic barriers that prevent them from accessing post-secondary education. We look forward to helping more youth from across Canada with the TELUS Orca Student Bursary, powered by Belonging Network.”– Tracey McVicar, Partner at CAI Capital, Chair TELUS Vancouver and Coastal Community Board and Champion of the BC Orca Bursary Program
“The Belonging Network is uniquely positioned to reach youth in and from care, and this partnership will let us help even more ambitious, deserving youth pursue their dreams.”– Anne Tower, Executive Director, Belonging Network
Celebrating our partners who are investing in potential
Every bursary awarded and every grant disbursed is a result of the collective generosity of our community of caring supporters. From corporate to community partners to generous individuals, meet the donors who make this impact possible.
Invest in a legacy of potential with your own named bursary
Are you ready to make a transformative impact? Join us in building a customized, named bursary partnership that aligns with your philanthropic goals and creates a compounding impact for Canada’s youth.
Signature events
Strengthening our communities together
The power of collective action was on full display at our signature events in 2025. From the tee-box, to contest participants, to the Gala stage, every supporter played a key role in empowering students and strengthening local communities.
Together for Tomorrow Gala
Our signature Gala made a dazzling return to the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, home of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Hosted by Arisa Cox, the evening was a celebration of what we can achieve when we stand together.
It featured an incredible line-up of Canadian talent including Arkells, Deborah Cox, Steven Page, Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida, and Dragonette.
Gala photos 1 of 10
While the performances were unforgettable, the true highlight was the collective investment made in our future leaders, ensuring every student has the foundation they need to thrive.
Thank you to all of our generous sponsors, guests, committee members, volunteers, and TELUS Student Bursary recipients who joined us for this magical evening.
2025 Gala impact
- $2.6M+ raised in support of youth nationwide
- 850+ guests supported our cause
Relive our 2025 Gala
It was beautiful down to every detail. Hearing the students' stories was both touching and motivating.”
The Gala was a lot of fun. The talent was high caliber, the meal was fantastic and overall a great experience!”
What a fabulous event! The heartwarming stories not only on stage but those shared with us during the pre-concert reception speak to the commitment of TELUS to make our communities stronger."
Driving local change:
Charity Golf Classics
In 2025, our partner community proved that a shared passion can drive massive impact. Through multiple golf tournaments across the country, including our Charity Golf Classics in Toronto and Vancouver, and TELUS Omnium in Montreal, we raised over $1.1 million for the TELUS Student Bursary program.
Relive our Charity Golf Classics
Thank you to all of our generous sponsors, golfers, committee members, volunteers, and student speakers for making these tournaments a highlight of 2025.
Toronto
Vancouver
Montreal (TELUS Omnium)
Support our 2026 Golf Tournaments
Sky-high impact:
The Friendly Future Sweepstakes
When two iconic brands unite with a shared purpose, the results are nothing short of extraordinary. In 2025, the Friendly Future Sweepstakes, in partnership with WestJet, reached new heights, proving that our collective passion for supporting youth can truly take flight.
As the title sponsor, WestJet provided incredible travel prizes, including an all-inclusive dream getaway to Costa Rica and "gifts of flight" for our lucky winners. Every ticket purchased was the wind beneath the wings of our mission. Each entrant provided an investment in a student’s future, ensuring that financial need never stands in the way of educational goals and brighter futures.
Financials
Maximizing every investment
We honour your investment through rigorous financial stewardship and transparency. By maintaining a high level of efficiency, we ensure that every dollar you entrust to us contributes to the maximum potential of the programs and students we fund. Plus thanks to TELUS’ generous support, every dollar you invest goes directly to supporting our cause.
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As reported in the audited financial statements for the year ending November 30, 2025 with comparative information for 2024.
Audited financial statements are available upon request (
Audited financial statements are available upon request (
[email protected]
).