About Carthy Foundation
Carthy Foundation is a private foundation based in Calgary, Alberta. Established in 1965, the Foundation supports national and regional charitable initiatives.
MISSION | Striving toward a prosperous Canada – pioneering, confidently diverse, and with abundant opportunity, our mission is to foster the promise of youth and environmental wealth.
Our Team
Shelley Uytterhagen, President
Shelley Uytterhagen joined the foundation in 2001 as Program Director and was appointed President in 2008. She leads the development and execution of the foundation strategy, ensuring alignment with the foundation’s mission and values. A strong advocate for the philanthropic sector, she has served on the Boards of Philanthropic Foundations Canada and Environment Funders Canada. Enabling cross-sector collaborations, forging strong relationships, and watching an idea become reality are among her favourite things.
Shelley worked in international development before turning her attention to Canada. She holds an MA (International Studies) from the University of Leeds, a BA (Political Studies) from the University of Saskatchewan and the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation. She loves exploring new trails with her dog and defying Calgary’s weather with a beautiful garden.
Karen Wilkie, Vice President
Karen Wilkie has over 25 years of experience in research and strategic policy development, stakeholder engagement and facilitation, and project management in both the government and nonprofit sectors. Since joining Carthy Foundation as the Program Director in 2014, she supported the design and implementation of the foundation’s funding programs. Her work is driven by ongoing learning and building strong relationships to advance solutions.
Karen holds a Master of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary where she specialized in urban ecology and land use policy. She previously studied protected area management at the University of Waterloo. Karen enjoys exploring the outdoors, designing birthday cakes, and riding public transit in new places.
Neale Carbert, Senior Grants Officer
Neale joined the Carthy Foundation team in 2018. To her role as Senior Grants Officer, she brings a background in policy and government relations. Neale has an affinity for project design, implementation, and evaluation, with almost ten years of experience working in Calgary’s nonprofit sector. At Carthy Foundation, Neale is involved in each stage of the grant lifecycle. From the proposal stages through approval, and ongoing grant management, Neale enjoys working alongside grantees and supporting their work in the community.
Neale holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science from Huron University College, a Master of Public Administration from Western University’s Local Government Program, and a Graduate Certificate in Evaluation from the University of Victoria. On her days off, she strives to reach new heights in the Canadian Rockies.