The League is proud to run a variety of programs and services that support poets and poetry in Canada. Find out more about the various programs, events, and publications organized by the League of Canadian Poets below.
Become a Patron of Poetry.
Nourish. Foster. Strengthen.
Patrons of Poetry are engaged community members who recognize the importance of supporting Canadian poetry. Your support helps us maintain important programs, explore new projects and opportunities, and ensures our organization is financially healthy and sustainable. As a Patron, you’ll also gain access to recognition opportunities, special mail-outs, and more.
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. We encourage you to consider setting up monthly donations, which help us streamline administration, and allow us to reliably count on your support.
Donate today.
Poetry needs superheroes. A donation to the League of Canadian Poets supports poets and poetry from coast to coast.
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!
We are also grateful to have funds that support specific programs and services, to which you can donate directly through Canada Helps.
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.
The Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest runs annually each summer, as part of our Summer Lovin' Contests.
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. 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 could not do what we do without the generous contributions of our volunteers! Visit our careers page to see any open opportunities, or contact [email protected] if you are interested in volunteer opportunities not listed.
Planned giving
The League of Canadian Poets is grateful to receive bequests under a will. To help guide individuals through the difficult process of leaving a gift in a will, we have prepared a document with suggestions to support you.
Custom poem fundraisers
Since 2019, the League has worked with volunteer poets to craft spontaneous poetry for couples, passers-by, friends, and family.
Our first event was held in partnership with Union Station in Toronto, and the very first Poetry in Union was held on Valentine's Day 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic moved us all online after just two in-person events, our dedicated volunteers worked with us to reimagine this event in a digital format, and our 2021 Poetry in Union event was a sweet gathering of online friends in a most impossible time.
In 2023, our online events were rebranded to "custom poem fundraisers," where, for a small fee, individuals can sign up to be paired with a poet who will craft them a beautiful custom poem - on the spot! We have some very talented volunteers! - for any occasion. We were grateful for the generous poets and readers who signed up to celebrate with our Valentine's Day 2023 event, Heartfelt.
Spontaneous poetry writing can capture the feeling, image or essence of a special moment, event or conversation. LCP Custom Poetry Fundraisers will connect you with a Canadian poet who, after a brief conversation, will write a unique, personal, and beautiful spontaneous poem just for you. This unique experience is an uplifting way to celebrate a special occasion, loved one, or memory.
Proceeds from custom poetry fundraisers will help us grow and sustain our outreach programs (like Poetry Pause), create paid publication opportunities for poets (like the LCP Chapbook Series), support our awards in recognition of the incredible talents in Canadian poetry, and better connect and support our hundreds of poet members across Canada.
Heartfelt: Custom poems for Valentine’s Day
Book a virtual appointment with a Canadian poet to craft an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift: a custom poem, written just for you after a short conversation.