Funded Programs
Donation Programs
In 1989, Charitify opened its doors. It was a place where low-income and homeless Calgarians could get basic medical care and referral services. Since then, we’ve helped thousands of people, but 30 years later, the city has changed – and Charitify has changed too.
Host an Event
Your charity event can be as simple or as complex as you’d like, from a small bake sale to a grand gala. So don’t let the word “event” intimidate you. Your work will be deeply appreciated, no matter the scale. Whether your project is big or small, we believe the key to hosting a successful event is organization and passion. We’ve put together a basic list to help get you started.
Permanent Programs
MC3 Graduate Scholarships
Any contributions to MC3 graduate scholarships will consolidate the endowments for those listed below.
- Americas’ Scholarship: the first permanent program established by MC3, this scholarship provides tuition and fee payments for an entire course of study for a graduate student.
- John Roberts MC3 Graduate Scholarship: this scholarship is for graduate students reading History, and was first granted in 2013, in honor of John M. Roberts who was Warden of Merton College 1984-1994.
- John Kirby Graduate Scholar (Americas’ II): this graduate scholarship was named in memory of MC3’s late President John Kirby (1962, right), who served from 2008 – 2019, a time of significant growth in MC3 activities.
- Robert McKelvey Graduate Scholarship: this graduate scholarship provides critical tuition and cost-of-living funding for world-class scholars to pursue their graduate studies in the humanities. The scholarship is named in honour of MC3 founding father Robert (‘Bob’) McKelvey.
Reach Scholarship
The Reach Scholarship provides life-changing opportunities to students from lower income countries, by providing full funding for both tuition fees and living costs for the duration of a student’s course. It enables exceptional young people, who otherwise would not have the means, to access a Merton education and realise their potential during their time here. Merton has now had two Reach Scholars, and donations will be vital in enabling it to continue offering this extraordinary opportunity to students from lower income countries. More information on eligibility can be found here, and quotes from our Reach Scholars are here.
Choir
The Choir of Merton College comprises 30 undergraduate and graduate students, who sing at regular services in the famous 13th-century Chapel. Since the establishment of Merton’s Choral Foundation in 2008, the Choir has gained an international reputation for offering the best of choral music through tours, recordings and broadcasts. In 2020, the Choir won the award for best choral album at the BBC Music Magazine Awards for its recording of Gabriel Jackson’s The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Donations help to provide regular singing lessons for Choral Scholars, pay for music, and enable the Choir to record new albums and perform around the world.
Conservation and Digitization Fund
Merton’s rich history means that it finds itself the caretaker of many important historical artefacts. This fund allows Merton to conserve and digitize these items, recording them in a digital format for a wider audience to enjoy, while preserving the original artefact for future generations. Recently MC3 funded the digitization of three expedition diaries of Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine, the Mertonian mountaineer best known for taking part in the 1924 Everest expedition with George Mallory. Digitizing materials also allows Merton to enhance celebrations of its history, and in this case the imaging will be used for an exhibition and other initiatives to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1924 expedition.
Tutorial System
The Tutorial System is at the heart of Merton’s academic excellence, providing its students with unparalleled intellectual opportunities. It gives them the chance to be taught regularly, in one-on-one or small group settings, by world-leading academics who are able to tailor their teaching, give focused support and monitor progress closely. Mertonians regularly place at or near the top of the Norrington Table, with Merton achieving the highest average examination score of all Oxford colleges from 2006 to 2019. The Tutorial System requires a strong ratio of tutors to students, which can only be assured by securing each of our Tutorship posts for the future with a permanent endowment fund. The support of alumni and friends is vital in protecting the Tutorial System, and in late 2021 allowed Merton to secure one of its three Tutorial posts in Physics, in honour of its first Fellow in the subject, Professor Michael Baker.
Merton Hardship Fund
Established during the coronavirus pandemic, the Merton Hardship Fund exists to support members of the Merton community who are in need. This fund helps Merton ensure that its students have the financial and welfare support they need to successfully complete their students under what continue to be very challenging conditions. It also supports the needs of staff, and other members of the College community such as alumni, in cases where their circumstances change unexpectedly. Donations will help Merton maintain a strong community where we can rely on each other in our times of greatest need.
Buildings and Facilities
The varied buildings of Merton College connect us to our rich history, as well as providing accommodation for undergraduates and many graduates, and enabling the College to support teaching, research, and events. Merton aims to ensure its buildings are environmentally friendly, accessible for students with disabilities, and up-to-date in terms of materials and technology. Donations are vital in helping the College continue providing the best possible working and living environment for its students and academics.
Special Programs
Professor Richard McCabe Endowed Graduate Scholarship in English
(Target: $1,633,000 to go) Professor Richard McCabe began as a tutor in English at Merton in 1993, leading the subject with distinction for more than thirty years until his recent retirement. In honor of his extraordinary tenure, the College proposes to establish an endowed graduate scholarship in his name, which would fully fund all fees to support a DPhil student in English at Merton, from home or overseas. With funding for the Humanities under immense strain, we invite all Mertonians to support this unique fund, safeguarding the excellence in teaching and learning epitomized by Richard. The endowment target is significant – £1.6million ($2.133m), but as we go to press two gifts amounting to £375,000 ($500,000) have given us an inspiring start.
Endowing the Post of College Chaplain
(Target: $667,000 to go) The Chapel, and the post of Chaplain, have been central to the identity and purpose of Merton since the founding of the College in 1264. Religion has been a core charitable object of the College since its foundation, with public worship at Merton continuing for 761 years. With the establishment of the Merton choirs and the installation of the Dobson organ, musical life within the Chapel has flourished and been enriched, creating a global audience for Merton’s world class music. Under the guidance of the Chaplain, this essential component of College life remains both vibrant and relevant. A US philanthropist has pledged a match fund of £1m ($1.334m) to endow the post of College Chaplain, representing 50% of the target. A College benefactor has since pledged half the remaining sum leaving a final target of £500,000 ($667,000). We invite MC3 members to consider a donation – of whatever size – towards this historic opportunity to endow in perpetuity the post of Chaplain.
Fifth MC3 Graduate Scholarship
(Target: $120,000 to go) MC3 Graduate Scholarships provide essential tuition and cost-of-living support for exceptional scholars, empowering them to pursue world-class graduate research at Merton. With the successful establishment of the fourth MC3 Endowed Graduate Scholarship, dedicated to the Humanities and named in honour of MC3 founding father and visionary leader Robert (‘Bob’) McKelvey – we are now within reach of an exciting milestone: the creation of our fifth MC3 Endowed Graduate Scholarship. Only a small amount remains to complete this fund and extend the transformative impact of MC3’s support to yet another outstanding Merton scholar!
Library Conservation: 18th-Century Works by Newton
(Target: $8,000) Merton Library holds two rare early editions of Isaac Newton’s Opticks, his revolutionary work on light and color. The 1721 English edition, the last published in his lifetime, reflects the evolution of his thinking, while the 1706 Latin edition introduced his ideas to a wider European audience. Both volumes show signs of heavy use, a testament to centuries of scientific curiosity at Merton. To ensure these important works remain accessible to future scholars, we are seeking support for specialist conservation to preserve their original gold-tooled bindings while making them durable for continued study.
Fellows' Garden Tree Appeal
(Target: $12,000) For generations of Mertonians, the Horse Chestnut near the Late Gate has been a familiar and much-loved feature of Fellows’ Garden. Unfortunately, decay has taken its toll, resulting in its recent loss. In its place, a new Spanish Oak will be planted, chosen by the College for its reminiscent profile and promise to thrive in the changing climate of the years ahead. We invite MC3 to join us in supporting this renewal, helping to ensure that the Fellows’ Garden continues to embody the beauty, continuity, and care that have long defined Merton.
The Student Support Fund
(Target: $66,000) We are dedicated to strengthening our support for all students by ensuring access to the services and opportunities that foster both well-being and academic success. Your donation will sustain and expand this vital fund, helping every Merton student access the resources they need to thrive. The fund provides financial assistance for: Academic and personal development, supporting postgraduate research, and helping students in financial need.