Give
The World Needs the NSCAD Difference
And we need you to make it possible.
For nearly 140 years, NSCAD University has developed people who think differently, work across disciplines, and bring ideas to life. NSCAD offers a distinctive approach to learning, centred around experimentation, critical inquiry, hands-on making, and close mentorship.
Today, the NSCAD Difference is more important than ever. As technology reshapes how we live and work, society increasingly needs people who can think laterally, navigate complexity, understand human experience, and transform ideas into action. NSCAD alumni bring these abilities into studios, businesses, classrooms, communities, and organizations around the world.
The atmosphere and environment that foster these skills—small classes, studio-based learning, specialized equipment, technical expertise, visiting artists, and hands-on mentorship—are central to the NSCAD experience. They are also among the elements of a NSCAD education least funded through tuition and government grants.
Donor support bridges that gap.
Your gift helps provide scholarships and bursaries, sustain studio learning, invest in equipment and emerging technologies, support faculty research and practice, and create opportunities that connect students with the wider world through student exchanges and visiting artist programs.
Support the NSCAD Difference. Make your gift today.
Give to NSCAD now
Ways to Give
Gifts to NSCAD support the next generation of creative thinkers. They help provide financial support to students through bursaries, scholarships and internships, fund programming and outreach on campus and beyond, provide investments in faculty and research, maintain and improve facilities, and to keep NSCAD up-to-date with specialized equipment.
NSCAD relies on individuals in our community to fund important priorities that cannot be sustained through our operating budget. Individual giving provides a means for alumni and friends of NSCAD to help maintain the university’s excellence from year to year. Donors can designate their gifts to a specific need—scholarships and bursaries, the library, galleries, experiential learning—or simply select the “area of greatest need,” which gives the university maximum flexibility to apply your gift. Typically, individual gifts are spent in the year in which they are received.
Donors can choose to make a one-time donation or set up an automated monthly gift.
Endowments take a longer-term view, focused on helping the university expand and sustain important initiatives that enhance the experience for students, faculty and the community. Donations made to the university’s endowment are done so with the understanding that the capital value of the gift (the principal) is invested, and a portion of investment earnings are available to fund the mission of the university.
Donors may establish named endowment funds restricted to a specific purpose, such as scholarships, bursaries, academic chairs, building refurbishments, library or equipment acquisitions. The original donation is secured and allowed to accrue interest—it is this interest that is dispersed according to the wishes of the donor.
For more information, please contact the Philanthropy Team: give@nscad.ca.
Leaving a legacy gift is a way in which donors can have a large impact on the university. NSCAD offers many planned giving opportunities—all of which can be tailored to meet your specific financial and estate planning needs. A planned gift can help you achieve your tax and financial goals, as well as your philanthropic goals, and it can help you make a much larger gift than otherwise possible in your lifetime.
For more information, please contact give@nscad.ca and download the NSCAD Planned Giving Guidefor additional information.
A tribute gift is a thoughtful way to honour a friend, family member, colleague, or inspiring professor. These gifts are often made to celebrate an important milestone, such as a graduation, retirement, special birthday, or anniversary.
A memorial gift is a meaningful way to remember a loved one’s legacy or to express your appreciation for someone special. Your gift will make a difference in the lives of students today, tomorrow, and far into the future.
When a gift is made in memory, in honour, or in celebration of someone, a personalized letter will be sent to the individual or family of the person being recognized, informing them of the tribute. (The gift amount will not be disclosed.)
Projects and Priorities
Funding Priorities
There are many ways for donors to make a meaningful impact at NSCAD. The priorities described here represent some of the university's highest priorities and align with the President's Priorities and Action Pathway.
Scholarships and bursaries help recognize excellence, nurture potential, and remove financial barriers to education. Donor-funded awards make it possible for talented students to pursue their studies, achieve their goals, and fully participate in the NSCAD experience.
Donor support also strengthens experiential learning opportunities that prepare students for success beyond graduation. Internships, study travel, and other credit and non-credit learning experiences help students build professional skills, expand their networks, and engage with new ideas, communities, and career pathways.
The Head, Heart, Hand program provides paid experiential learning opportunities that allow students to apply their skills in meaningful ways while contributing to the university community. Through hands-on projects, students gain valuable professional experience while helping to preserve and enhance NSCAD's historic facilities for the benefit of students, faculty, and staff.
Support for these and other priorities helps ensure that NSCAD continues to provide exceptional opportunities for students while advancing the university's mission as a leader in art, craft, media, and design education.
To learn more about these priorities and other opportunities for philanthropic support, please contact give@nscad.ca.
Sponsorship Opportunities
As Canada's premier university for studio-based learning in art, craft, media, and design, NSCAD offers meaningful opportunities for businesses, foundations, and community partners to support student success and connect with emerging talent. Sponsorships help create exceptional experiences for students, celebrate achievement, and connect organizations with the next generation of artists, designers, makers, and innovators.
Sponsorship opportunities include:
- NSCAD University Film Festival, presented by TD Insurance
- NSCAD Student Art Award
- NSCAD Fashion Show
- NSCAD Design Week
- Design Shift Awards, presented by Verecan
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and partnership benefits, please contactgive@nscad.ca.
NSCAD Student Art Award and Gala
The NSCAD Student Art Award recognizes and promotes exceptional students. Since 2010 the award has celebrated top talent across 10 visual arts disciplines at NSCAD. This premier award provides young artists with vital visibility as they embark on their careers. The winner is revealed at this must-attend spring gala.
NSCAD University Film Festival
The NSCAD University Film Festival celebrates the alumni of NSCAD University with special attention to the Film Program established in the 2002/2003 academic year. The Festival features a collection of curated and juried films, offered in-person and online.
Tax Benefits
NSCAD University is registered as a charitable organization with the Canada Revenue Agency, charitable Number 107788192RR0001, and is authorized to issue receipts for income tax purposes.
Canadian Gifts
Donors receive an income tax receipt for contributions of $10 and above. The receipt may be used to claim the charitable tax credit.
U.S. Gifts
NSCAD University is an approved beneficiary of the Council for Canadian American Relations (CCAR), a 501(c)(3) public charity in the U.S. that is a “qualified donee” under the Income Tax Act (Canada).
For information about CCAR please visit ccar-nyc.org or contact info@ccar-nyc.org).
Under the Canadian-U.S. income tax convention, U.S. donors are entitled to an income tax deduction for contributions to NSCAD University if the donor or a family member is or was enrolled at the university.
Gifts of Shares
Supporters who donate shares directly to NSCAD, will not pay capital gains tax normally attached to the sale of securities. Donors will receive a tax receipt for the full value of the shares. This policy also applies to bonds, mutual funds and other forms of capital property listed on approved stock exchanges. Please note: This tax benefit only applies to securities transferred directly. If you choose to sell them and give the proceeds to NSCAD, you will be taxed on the gains.
For more information, please contact Advancement at 902-444-7215 or advancement@nscad.ca.
As the CRA introduced new rules in 2024, be sure to connect with your financial advisor to review the tax implications of your gift of securities.
Thank You
You give NSCAD and our students the power to create. Thank you for supporting excellence.
To NSCAD University’s many donors, we extend our heartfelt thank you for your generosity and passion for the work that we do.
This has been one of the most challenging periods in our long history. Events have demanded that we apply our creativity to an unanticipated situation and our faculty, staff and students have shown their adaptability.
Your gifts have supported many areas of the university, but overwhelmingly, they have been directed to scholarships and bursaries. Thank you for your part in ensuring that the NSCAD University experience is available and accessible.
To view the NSCAD University Donor Report, please click here.
Donor Profiles
Please visit nscad.ca/donate to make a donation. You may choose to direct your gift to scholarships and bursaries, or one of the many priorities identified on the donation page. Whatever aspect of our work you choose to contribute to, please know that you are helping NSCAD University fulfill its mission.
If you made your donation online through Canadahelps.org, simply log into your account to access your receipts. If you donated by mail, phone or directly through the NSCAD University website, please contact give@nscad.ca indicating your name and approximate gift date.
This is very exciting news and we are eager to work with you to realize your vision. Please contact our Advancement Director who will be happy to assist you further.
Yes. Donations support the designated purpose identified by our donors.
Yes, NSCAD University has an endowment. Endowments are designed to provide long-term sustainability for priorities that cannot be supported by the university’s operating budget. Donors may contribute to our general endowment or establish named funds based on a minimum investment tied to the intended purpose. Please contact our Advancement Director who can respond to your specific questions.
NSCAD University may choose to accept a gift-in-kind. Our decision is based on the university’s Gift Acceptance policy which has been developed to consider the needs and intentions of the donors, as well as the university’s ability to manage these gifts. Receipting of gifts-in-kind is guided by rules established by the Canada Revenue Agency and the Income Tax Act. See our Gift in Kind policy for details. If you have questions, please contact give@nscad.ca.
Donors to NSCAD University are celebrated and recognized in many ways.
- Our annual Stewardship Report provides a listing of all donors from the last fiscal year. (NSCAD’s fiscal year starts April 1 and runs through March 31 of the following calendar year, following the practice of the Canadian government.)
- We have digital “donor walls” associated with fundraising activities. You can meet the donors to the Institute for the Study of Canadian Slavery, the generous supporters of our 2020 Giving Tuesday Campaign and the donors who supported the Emergency Bursary Fund.
Absolutely. Please let us know of your preference when making your gift and we will safeguard your privacy.
If you are filing income tax in Canada you may claim your donation. NSCAD’s charitable ID is 107788192RR0001. Charitable receipts are issued by the university. If you need a copy of yours, please contact give@nscad.ca
NSCAD University is an approved beneficiary of the Council for Canadian American Relations (CCAR), a 501(c)(3) public charity in the U.S. that is a “qualified donee” under the Income Tax Act (Canada). For information about CCAR please visit ccar-nyc.org or contact info@ccar-nyc.org).
Under the Canadian-US income tax convention, US donors are entitled to an income tax deduction for contributions to NSCAD University if the donor or a family member is or was enrolled at the university.
Team/Contact
Kara Holm
Chief Philanthropic Officer
Telephone 902-478-4100
Email Kara
Holly Dunn
Lead, Philanthropy + Alumni
Telephone 902-266-3866
Fax 902-425-3240
Email Holly
Donna Wellard
Lead, Donor Strategy + Partnerships
Telephone 902-956-8526
Fax 902-425-3240
Email Donna
Adrienne Dean
Philanthropy + Alumni Coordinator
Telephone 902-478-4100
Fax 902-425-3240
Email Adrienne
Melissa Hartman
Interim Advancement Services Officer
Telephone 902-494-8114
Fax 902-425-3240
Email Melissa