Business success funds charity
The business factors that make Alfred Balm a compelling individual are many.
A former chairman and CEO of Canadian Fracmaster Ltd., Balm was renowned for his international business acumen while leading the global oilfield services company.
That business savvy has also been apparent in Balm’s role as founder of Emergo Group, an international investment firm involved in biotech, data service and health sciences.
But perhaps more importantly, it’s Balm’s many philanthropic endeavours that make him compelling.
He doesn’t look for recognition; he just simply gives when it seems right. Cheques from Alfred and Phyllis Balm are presented at many events, as the couple support the Poppy Fund, Lord Strathcona’s Horse Regimental Society, veterans’ funds, organizations helping the homeless, domestic violence victims, young arts performers and flood victims.
Balm has supported the International SeaKeepers Society, in which yacht owners collect meteorological and ocean data for environmental study.
He’s also known for funding an annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Calgary DropIn Centre and has paid for Boxing Day and New Year’s Day meals there, as well.
The Calgary Drop-In Centre puts it this way: “He gives to create a better world ... In (his) giving, we are encouraged and supported. In (his) humility, we are inspired.”
Balm’s also been quick to write columns supporting fundraising efforts, including the Herald’s Christmas Fund.
“Philanthropy is not a big term for big budgets,” Balm once wrote for the Herald. “It is a lifestyle, a duty that gives more to the giver than to the recipient. It can be part of the way we live our lives, in small or large commitments, for one reason only — the love of humanity.”