Impactful Giving

Since joining the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences last year as senior director of major gifts, I have been in awe of the incredible generosity of our alumni and donors – and the impact has only continued to grow this year.

I am thrilled to share that the College of Nursing has received an extraordinary gift from an anonymous donor. This investment of $400,000 will fund two bursaries per year for Indigenous undergraduate nursing students.

The College of Nursing is committed to supporting Indigenous students’ success. The nursing class that graduated in October 2024 included 12 Indigenous members. And in the class that joined the profession in February 2025, there were 14 Indigenous grads – the most ever in a single cohort.

The new bursaries, to be launched in the 2026-27 academic year, will ensure that more Indigenous students can pursue nursing education and join this crucial workforce.

In the Max Rady College of Medicine, more than $1.3 million has been secured to support UM’s first Endowed Professorship in Clinical Health Psychology, thanks to the contributions of individual donors, the department of clinical health psychology and the Rady Faculty.

The new professorship will protect up to 50 per cent of a clinical faculty member’s time for research.

We are nearing our total fundraising goal of $1.5 million for this initiative. To learn more about contributing to research excellence in the Rady Faculty, visit umanitoba.ca/giving.

In the departments of psychiatry and pathology, new endowed student awards are being established, thanks to the generosity of a married couple who were longstanding members of the UM community and now live in Alberta, Dr. Bhamini Balachandra and Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra.

Dr. Bhamini Balachandra completed her residency in psychiatry at UM. She worked as a staff psychiatrist at Health Sciences Centre from 1994 to 2018 and was a member of the UM psychiatry department, twice elected Psychiatry Educator of the Year.

Her philanthropic gift will fund three awards in her name in the department of psychiatry: a prize for first-year psychiatry residents, a resident-of-the-year scholarship for clinical excellence, and a scholarship for residents in recognition of clinical excellence in psychosis.

Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra, a forensic pathologist and member of the UM pathology department, was Manitoba’s chief medical examiner from 1998 to 2016. He was known for his exceptional dedication and expertise. Endowed student awards in his name will soon be established in the department of pathology.

It is inspiring to witness philanthropy thriving across the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and to see the impact of your generosity on student success, faculty excellence and community engagement.

If your class is celebrating a milestone reunion this year, establishing or contributing to a class gift is a meaningful way to join with former classmates in leaving a legacy.

You can also reconnect in person this fall at Homecoming festivities. Save the date for the Bisons Block Party, taking place on Sept. 20, 2025 on the Fort Garry campus, to join us in celebration.

I look forward to connecting with you as we continue to launch exciting initiatives and create opportunities for our students and researchers to dream big and do more for our community. Please reach out today to discuss giving opportunities.