EDMONTON, June 11, 2026 — Irving Kipnes has spent a lifetime putting his money behind worthy philanthropic causes in Edmonton and across the country. With a new $5-million donation to the Partners In Health Canada, Kipnes is challenging others to also extend their generosity to those in need beyond Canada’s borders.
“Dianne and I started supporting Partners In Health more than a decade ago because we believed in their work, and I still do,” Kipnes said, referring to his late wife. “Especially in this time of government aid cutbacks, it’s important that those of us who have the ability to step up, do so. We also need to improve health care at home, of course, but it shouldn’t be one or the other. It’s also a fact that money goes a lot further in the places where Partners In Health works.”
The latest gift brings total contributions from the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation to Partners In Health Canada to more than $10-million, making the foundation the largest individual donor in the charity’s 15-year history.
The gift will support Partners In Health’s oncology and maternal and child health programming in Rwanda, including at the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in the north of the country.
“Irv’s ongoing generosity and Dianne’s legacy will positively affect thousands of lives over the next five years,” said Mark Brender, National Director of Partners In Health Canada. “Mothers who receive successful breast cancer treatment will be there to support their children. Children with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma will have a good chance at living a long and normal life. These outcomes were unimaginable in rural east Africa a generation ago, but this kind of support makes them a reality and proves what is possible. We are incredibly grateful.”
The announcement coincides with upcoming events in Edmonton featuring one of PIH’s leading global voices. Partners In Health senior clinical advisor Dr. Joia Mukherjee, also an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, will be in Edmonton June 24 and 25 for speaking events at the University of Alberta and a public event at St. George’s Anglican Church. Entrance to the public event is free and tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite.