Founded in 1988, Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT (ASANT) is one of ten provincial Societies working with Alzheimer Society of Canada. The charities work together towards a common goal of a world without dementia. Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT currently has one provincial office and seven regional centers across Alberta and Northwest Territories, located in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, and Yellowknife.   

Dementia is the umbrella term for a set of chronic diseases affecting the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. 564,000 Canadians are currently living with dementia and Alzheimer Society of Ontario expects this number to grow 66% in the next 15 years. The charity estimates a total cost of $10.4 billion a year to care for those with dementia in Canada. 

Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT’s mission is to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias; help alleviate personal and social consequences of the disease; provide education and support programs; and promote and fund research on the cause, prevention and cure to the disease. The charity’s major programs include support services, information and education, First Link, ASANT Café, Minds in Motion, and research. 

Through its First Link referral program, ASANT helps people newly diagnosed with dementia receive the help they need as quickly as possible. It aims to reduce the length of time between diagnosis and referral to healthcare professionals. In F2018, the charity received 830 referrals from health professionals and 961 self-referrals, resulting in 10,717 client interactions. The program also ran 510 education and awareness presentations and 38 monthly support groups. ASANT Café is an online learning platform for people with dementia and their caregivers that offers support, discussion boards and educational resources. It is designed to help connect with people in locations where the charity’s support groups and resources are not easily accessible or available. In F2018, the asantcafe.ca was accessed an average of 600 times per month and membership has grown by 27%. Minds in Motion is a community-based program that encourages physical activity and mental stimulation for people with early signs of dementia. In F2018, the charity delivered 7 sessions with a total of 79 participants. 

Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT funds research through two major programs: the Alberta Alzheimer Research Program (AARP) and the Alzheimer Society Research Program (ASRP). ASANT co-funds AARP with the Alberta Prion Research Institute and Alberta Innovates. In F2018, ASANT funded five projects through this program. ASRP is controlled by Alzheimer Society of Canada (ASC). ASANT contributes to this program by granting money to ASC to be used for research assessments. The most recent F2018 ASRP impact report states that 24 projects were funded in F2018. 

Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT is a medium-sized charity with total donations and special events fundraising of $2.8m in F2018. Administrative costs are 24% of revenues (excluding investment income), and fundraising costs are 47% of donations and special events fundraising. For every dollar donated, 29 cents go towards the charity’s programs, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

Donations received from Alzheimer Society of Canada are reported net of expenses. F2018 research grants of $570k included grants of $150k to the Alberta Alzheimer Research Program (AARP) Round IV. As of F2018, Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT has fulfilled its commitments for Round IV, but reports commitments of $186k for Round V and $183k for Round VI. The charity has also committed $1.0m to fund the Hope for Tomorrow Dementia Research Catalyst Grants Program over a three-year period beginning May 1, 2018, as well as $117k to fund research projects administered by Brain Canada.  

Funding reserves of $5.6m can cover annual program costs and grants for 2.5 years. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Alzheimer Society of Alberta & NWT for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated on August 2, 2019 by Caroline McKenna.