Your Support Changes Lives
Give TodayYour Support Changes Lives.
Help build a more accessible and inclusive Canada for people of all ages and abilities.
Every year, Abilities Centre serves thousands of people across Durham Region and beyond. Our members and program participants include people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, including people living with disabilities affecting their mobility, vision, hearing, and cognition, as well as children, older adults, newcomers, and families from every walk of life.
Our accessible facility, inclusive programs, and specialized staff play a vital role in helping people feel welcomed, supported, and genuinely part of their community. But we cannot do this work alone.
As a registered charitable organization, Abilities Centre depends on the generosity of donors, partners, and community supporters to keep our programs running, our spaces barrier-free, and our doors open to everyone who needs us. Your support makes that possible.
Why Your Support Matters
Abilities Centre is the only non-profit organization in Canada with a truly comprehensive approach to accessibility and inclusion. We are not just a recreation facility. We are a community hub, a research lab, and an inclusion incubator that leads research, advocacy, and program development on accessibility and inclusion issues at the regional, provincial, national, and global level.
The need for this work is significant:
-
More than 1.3 billion people globally live with a disability
-
More than 6.2 million Canadians identify as living with a disability that causes pain or limits their mobility, vision, hearing, or cognition. That is nearly one in four Canadians
-
Despite this, only 4% of businesses are focused on making their products and services inclusive of disability
These numbers represent real people, many of whom face daily barriers to the sport, recreation, employment, education, and community life that most Canadians take for granted.
Abilities Centre exists to change that. And when you give, you are part of that change.
We are more than a space for people with disabilities. Abilities Centre is an inclusive community for people of all dimensions of diverse life, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, people with disabilities, and people of all abilities and backgrounds. Everyone belongs here.
Donations
At Abilities Centre, we believe that sport, recreation, and community life should be open to everyone, regardless of ability. Every day, people of all ages and abilities walk through our doors and discover what they are capable of. Your gift helps make sure those doors stay open.
People with disabilities in Canada continue to face significant barriers to participation in sport, recreation, and community life. Too many people are still told, in ways big and small, that there is not a place for them. We are here to change that, and we need your support to do it.
Your generosity funds the programs, spaces, and services that make full participation possible, from adaptive sport and fitness programming to arts, life skills, research, and community connection. Every dollar you give helps us remove a barrier, open a door, and show someone what they are truly capable of.
Together, and thanks to your generosity, we can build a community where ability is never a limitation and where everyone has a place to belong.
Why Give Monthly?
It is easy and convenient.
Monthly gifts are automatically and securely processed each month, and you will receive one consolidated annual tax receipt before tax time. Set it up once and know that your support is making a difference all year long.
Your gift goes further.
Monthly donations reduce administrative costs, which means more of your support goes directly to the programs and people who need it most.
You are always in control.
Life changes, and we understand that. If you ever need to pause, adjust, or cancel your monthly gift, simply contact Zed Pickering, Director of Partnerships and Revenue at and we will take care of it right away. No hassle, no questions asked.
Your Gift in Action
Every contribution, at any level, makes a real difference in the lives of people in our community. Here are just a few of the ways your support creates impact:
- [$X per month] could provide [program example, e.g., one adaptive sport session for a child with a disability]
- [$X per month] could support [program example, e.g., a month of life skills programming for a young adult]
- [$X per month] could help fund [program example, e.g., access to research-backed athletic development for a student athlete on a Paralympic pathway]
Additional Ways to Support
Monetary Gift
A monetary gift creates immediate impact. Your donation can be directed to a specific program or service of your choosing, or designated to our area of greatest need, allowing us to direct your support where it can do the most good right now.
Every dollar helps ensure that our programs remain accessible, our spaces remain barrier-free, and our community remains strong.
Tribute Gift
A tribute gift is a donation made in honour of someone special, to celebrate a milestone, or in memory of a person you love. It is a meaningful way to recognize the people who matter most to you while making a real difference in the lives of the people Abilities Centre serves.
When you make a tribute gift, we will notify your honouree or their family of your thoughtful contribution.
Legacy Gift
A legacy gift is one of the most powerful ways to ensure that the work of Abilities Centre continues for generations to come. Legacy gifts can take many forms, including a bequest in your will, a transfer of life insurance policy ownership, naming Abilities Centre as a beneficiary of your RRSP, RRIF, TFSA, or life insurance policy, or a gift of publicly traded securities.
We know that planned giving decisions are deeply personal and can feel complex. We strongly encourage you to seek independent legal and financial advice before making any decisions about a legacy gift, and we are here to support that conversation in whatever way is helpful.
Corporate Giving and Partnerships
Your organization can make a difference in ways that align with your business values, community commitments, and AODA leadership goals. Corporate support opportunities at Abilities Centre include monetary donations and multi-year pledges, event sponsorships, third-party fundraisers, and gifts in kind.
Corporate partnerships with Abilities Centre are more than a charitable contribution. They are a powerful signal to your customers, employees, and community that your organization is committed to building a Canada where everyone belongs.
Events and Cause Marketing
There are so many creative and fun ways to raise money for a cause that matters. Whether you are organizing a BBQ, a street sale, a dress-down day at your workplace, or dedicating a portion of proceeds from a product or service to Abilities Centre, every contribution makes a real difference.
Abilities Centre welcomes and gratefully accepts support from schools, community groups, workplaces, and individuals who want to raise funds in their own community in support of our mission.
Attend or Support an Event
Abilities Centre hosts its own fundraising events throughout the year. Attending an event, buying a ticket, registering to participate, volunteering your time, purchasing an auction item, or contributing a gift in kind are all meaningful ways to show your support and join our community.
Donate Your Vehicle
Have an old car you no longer need? Put it to good use. CharityCar.ca makes it easy to donate your vehicle to Abilities Centre in an environmentally friendly way. Your car is recycled responsibly and the value of your donation is directed to Abilities Centre, with a tax receipt issued to you for the full amount.
Contact Our Fundraising Team
Every Gift. Every Form. Every Person.
At Abilities Centre, we are committed to providing programs and services that help people of every age, ability, and background achieve their goals and feel like a valued member of our community.
Your support, in whatever form it takes, is essential. It funds programs, sustains spaces, and powers the research and advocacy that is making Canada more accessible for everyone.