Support the League
Become a Patron of Poetry to support a thriving and representative poetry community! The League of Canadian Poets is Canada’s only national charitable organization dedicated to poetry. We welcome your support in whatever amount feels comfortable, and are delighted to recognize donations at a wide range of levels.
Your donation will:
NOURISH
the careers of professional poets through our programs, funding and membership.
FOSTER
emerging poets of all ages through contests, awards and mentorship.
STRENGTHEN
the presence of poetry in Canada’s literary and arts communities through our publications, events, and celebrations like National Poetry Month.
All donations exceeding $10 will receive a charitable tax receipt.
Consider setting up monthly donations! This helps us streamline administration, and allows us to reliable count on your support.
Our Funds
General
General donations to the League of Canadian Poets support myriad projects, programs, and services that foster creativity, innovation, and recognition for poetry and poets in Canada. Some of the League’s major projects include National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, three annual book awards, and several annual poetry contests. It’s with the support of our funders, our members, and donors like you that our work is made possible!
Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest Fund
Established in 2021 by the friends, family, and community of Lesley Strutt to support an annual poetry contest. Lesley Strutt, the former Associate Member Representative for the League, was an incredible poet, friend and supporter of emerging poets across Canada. Her passing in 2021 left a void for many people, and the establishment of this fund honours her writing, legacy, and all the incredible work she did for poets in Canada.
Jessamy Stursberg Youth Poetry Fund
The Jessamy Stursberg Youth Poetry Fund was established in 2010 to foster a lifelong relationship between Canadian youth and the literary arts, specifically poetry. This fund supports youth initiatives developed by the League of Canadian Poets, the Jessamy Stursberg Poetry Prize.
Jessamy Stursberg enjoyed a life that was enriched by reading, particularly poetry. Born in Inverness, Scotland in 1916, Jessamy was married in Paris and lived with her husband, Peter, in London and New York before immigrating to Canada. Together, they raised two children, Judy and Richard. The family lived in Ottawa and later Vancouver, where Jessamy passed away.
Jessamy maintained a rich and imaginative life through her love of Chaucer, Shakespeare, John Milton, John Keats, Walter de la Mare, T.S. Eliot and Robert Burns. Books bridged new and old worlds for her and she was a great admirer of all those who wrote poetry. Her keen mind retained impressive amounts of verse, most of which she knew by heart. This gift became a comfort once her eyesight failed.
Poetry also contributed to Jessamy's concept of beauty. She adored and collected beautiful objects, from Georgian silver to native Pacific plants. Jessamy Stursberg was a remarkable woman with a talent for friendship. She possessed a profound ability to love, unconditionally, her family, her friends and a world that she helped make more beautiful.
It is the wish of her family to see Jessamy's love of poetry carried on by young people. Through this fund, Canadian youth now have access to greater opportunities to grow, as poets, through the love of writing, reading and instruction.
P.K. Page Trust Fund
The P.K. Page Trust Fund was established by D.C. Reid in 2011, in memory of the poet P.K. Page. Since achieving its capital goal in 2020, this fund has supported an annual mentorship program that pairs an established professional poet with an emerging poet for creative guidance and professional mentorship.
LCP Member Support Fund
The LCP Member Support Fund is currently in development. This fund will increase accessibility to League programs and services by supporting membership fee waivers and discounts for poets in need, as well as provide emergency grants to poets in crisis. If you are interested in helping the League establish this crucial fund, please contact [email protected].
More Ways to Give
The financial support of our funders, donors, members, sponsors, and partners is a huge part of what makes our work possible, but we would not be able to do what we do without the community members who support us in other ways as well! If you’re not ready to make a financial commitment to the League, here are a few other ways you can support our work:
Volunteering: The League has just three staff members to support its operations, which means we rely heavily on the contributions of volunteers to deliver our programs and services. Check poets.ca/careers to find out what volunteer opportunities are currently open!
Planned Giving: Individuals may include the League as a beneficiary in their will; download this document or email [email protected] to find out more.