Every gift to Sheridan College Career Academy (CCA) is a direct investment in the future of our students, our community, and the workforce of tomorrow. While tuition and government funding provide a foundation, they cover only a portion of the true cost of delivering a transformative education. Your donation—no matter the size—fuels scholarships, modernizes learning tools, and opens doors for deserving students who might otherwise be left behind. This page is your gateway to making a lasting difference through charitable giving, whether you are an alumnus, a local business, a foundation, or a friend who believes in the power of skills-based education.

Why Your Support Matters

At Sheridan CCA, we are deeply committed to bridging the gap between ambition and opportunity. Many of our students are working adults, career changers, or recent high school graduates facing financial barriers that delay or derail their educational goals. State and federal aid often do not fully cover the cost of attendance, leaving thousands of dollars in unmet need each year. Private philanthropy is the safety net that catches these students, enabling them to enroll, persist, and graduate with the skills to thrive in high-demand fields such as healthcare, technology, skilled trades, and business.

Donations also allow the college to respond nimbly to emerging industry trends. When local employers signal a need for training in electric vehicle repair, cybersecurity, or advanced manufacturing, philanthropic funds can quickly seed new equipment, curriculum development, and instructor certifications—often faster than public budgets can react. By giving, you become a partner in workforce innovation, ensuring our programs stay ahead of the curve and our graduates remain highly employable.

Where Your Gift Goes

Transparency is central to our fundraising philosophy. Donors can designate their gift to a specific program, initiative, or fund, or give to the area of greatest need, allowing college leadership to deploy resources where they can have the most immediate impact. The following are the primary channels through which private support flows:

• Student Scholarships and Emergency Aid: Over 70% of our students rely on some form of financial assistance. Donor-funded scholarships reduce loan burdens and help cover textbooks, tools, uniforms, transportation, and even unexpected crises like a car repair or medical bill that might force a student to drop out. The CCA Emergency Fund is a lifeline that can mean the difference between stopping out and crossing the graduation stage.
• Program and Equipment Excellence: State-of-the-art labs, simulation mannequins, welding bays, computer labs, and industry-specific software are essential to hands-on learning. Gifts designated for equipment keep our technology current, mirroring real-world workplaces and giving students a competitive edge in job interviews.
• Faculty Development and Innovation Grants: Excellent teaching drives student success. Donations support professional development workshops, conference attendance, and innovative classroom projects that inspire instructors and ultimately benefit learners.
• Facilities and Learning Spaces: From renovating a tired classroom into a collaborative active-learning studio to expanding a health sciences wing, capital gifts shape the physical environment where education happens. Even modest gifts accumulate over time to fund transformative campus improvements.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the scholarship I received. It covered my books and gave me peace of mind so I could focus on my clinical rotations. Now, as a registered nurse, I’m paying it forward by giving back to the same fund that helped me.”

Types of Gifts

One-Time Gifts

A single donation of cash, cheque, or credit card is the simplest way to make an immediate impact. Many donors choose to honor a loved one, celebrate a milestone, or mark a special occasion with a one-time gift. Even a gift of $25 can provide a textbook chapter or a set of safety goggles, and every dollar is stewarded with care.

Recurring Gifts

Monthly or quarterly sustaining gifts provide a reliable stream of support that allows the college to plan ahead. Recurring donors often say they appreciate the ability to spread a larger annual contribution over manageable increments. A monthly gift of $10, for example, automatically adds up to $120 each year—enough to cover a student’s required uniform for a culinary arts or healthcare program.

Pledges and Multi-Year Commitments

For donors who wish to make a significant commitment over time, pledges are an excellent vehicle. A five-year pledge might fund a named scholarship or equip a lab, with payments scheduled annually or quarterly. This type of structured giving creates a lasting legacy and can be tailored to your financial planning.

Planned and Legacy Gifts

Including Sheridan CCA in your will, trust, or beneficiary designation is a profound statement of belief in our mission. Planned gifts often allow donors to make a larger impact than they could during their lifetime, and they may offer tax advantages to the estate. Common planned giving vehicles include bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and gifts of life insurance or retirement account assets.

Gifts of Stock and Appreciated Securities

Donating publicly traded stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares that you have held for more than one year can be extremely tax-efficient. You may avoid capital gains tax and receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the securities. Our development team can work with your broker to facilitate a seamless transfer.

In-Kind Donations

Businesses and individuals can donate goods or services that directly support our programs. Examples include construction materials for building trades students, restaurant-grade kitchen equipment for culinary arts, medical supplies for health sciences, or professional services such as printing, marketing, or legal support. In-kind gifts are recognized at their fair market value and can be a powerful way to contribute in-kind expertise.

How to Donate

Making a gift to Sheridan CCA is straightforward and secure. The preferred method is through our online giving portal, which accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, and electronic funds transfers. The portal allows you to choose a specific fund, indicate whether your gift is in honor or memory of someone, and set up recurring donations. All online transactions are encrypted and PCI-compliant.

If you prefer to give by mail, you may send a cheque payable to “Sheridan CCA Foundation” with a note indicating the fund or purpose. For stock transfers, wire instructions, or in-kind contributions, please contact the Foundation office directly. While we do not publish phone numbers or email addresses here for security reasons, all contact details are available on the official Sheridan CCA website or through the Foundation’s secure inquiry form. Walk-in donations are also welcome at the bursar’s office during business hours; staff can accept cash or cheque and provide a receipt on the spot.

Tax Benefits and Receipts

Sheridan CCA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (or equivalent, depending on jurisdiction) and all donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. For each gift, you will receive a formal acknowledgment letter that serves as your official receipt, including the amount, date, and a statement that no goods or services were provided in exchange. The college issues receipts promptly—usually within two weeks for online gifts and immediately for walk-in donations. Annual cumulative giving statements are also provided each January for your tax preparation convenience.

Please consult your tax advisor to determine how your gift may affect your specific tax situation, particularly for gifts of appreciated assets or planned giving arrangements. The college cannot provide tax or legal advice, but we are happy to work with your professional advisors to facilitate your philanthropic goals.

Recognition and Stewardship

We celebrate our donors because we know that every gift represents a personal choice to invest in our students. Recognition can take many forms, always with respect for donors who prefer to remain anonymous. Annual donors are listed in our online Honor Roll (unless anonymity is requested) and invited to special events such as scholarship luncheons where they can meet the students whose lives they have touched.

Cumulative and major gift donors may be recognized through named spaces, endowed funds, or membership in giving societies. More important than any plaque or listing, however, is the relationship we build with every supporter. We pledge to keep you informed about the impact of your gift through newsletters, impact reports, and occasional stories from students and faculty. Stewardship is an ongoing conversation, and we welcome your input, questions, and campus visits at any time. To learn more about how we put your generosity to work, explore our How to Apply page to see the admissions journey that your support helps facilitate, or contact the Foundation directly through official channels.