Giving Societies

Dalhousie’s giving societies recognize the diverse ways that our alumni and friends make a positive and meaningful impact on the outcomes and mission of the university. We are proud to have three dedicated giving societies – the MacLennan Society, the President’s Circle and the Legacy Society.

The MacLennan Society

The MacLennan Society celebrates the more than 6,500 Dal alumni and friends who thoughtfully donate to the university each year in support of areas they’re passionate about.

The MacLennan Society is named in honour of Rod MacLennan (BSc’60, LLD’98)—the first living Dalhousie alumnus to reach 50 years of consecutive giving.

“For me, giving back is just something you should do, if you can. Fortunately, I was able to start giving back to my alma mater and I have continued to do so, happily.” – Rod MacLennan

MacLennan Society members

New members of the MacLennan Society are gifted with a Black-Eyed Susan adorned pin. These pins denote the giving milestone that the donor has achieved.

  • Gold 50 years of giving (in a 60-year span)
  • Silver 25 years of giving (in a 30-year span)
  • Bronze 10 years of giving (in a 15-year span)

The President’s Circle

The President’s Circle recognizes an intimate group of Dal donors who achieve a lifetime giving of $100,000+. Through their giving, our President’s Circle members provide the greater Dal community with cutting-edge programming and research opportunities, access to invaluable financial aid, and world-class spaces for our community to learn, research, compete and perform.

“President’s Circle members are among some of our greatest supporters, making a lasting impact on students, faculty and research. They are enabling opportunities and changing lives.” – President Deep Saini

The Legacy Society

The Legacy Society recognizes donors who have made the generous decision to include Dalhousie in their estate plans.  Legacy Society members are invited to unique university events, kept up to date with Dalhousie news and provided customized stewardship reports. More than 400 Dalhousie alumni and friends are members, a number that continues to grow each year. Through the Legacy Society, we aim to demonstrate appreciation for future gifts. The Legacy Society recognizes individual estate gift donors as well as family estate gifts.

“Dalhousie gave me the gift of a life-changing experience. My gift in my will is ensuring a life-changing experience for others.” – Karen Woolhouse (BSc’65)

To learn more, please contact the Donor Relations Team at donor.relations@dal.ca.