Karen Gochnauer moved to Yellowknife in the early 1990s to work as a geologist. Karen had a deep love for dance, music, and community. Her love of dance extended to all forms including Scottish Country, Modern, Jazz, Hip-hop, Ballet, and, for a break, just moving to music at parties and festivals. Karen was an inspiration to the Yellowknife dance community and was always generous with her time and energy as a teacher and mentor. There was never a community event, whether dance, arts, or community-related, that Karen did not find time to attend with her infectious smile.Karen passed away in 2024 surrounded by friends and the love of family, after an all too brief battle with cancer. This fund honours her memory, and will support organizations in Yellowknife and across the NWT to promote dance, music, and community.
In memory of David J. Ramsden. Dave had a long association with the North, working in Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Inuvik, Hay River and Yellowknife. His career with the Government of the NWT included appointments as the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Deputy Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, and senior management positions with Public Works and Services and the NWT Power Corporation, as well as Secretary to Cabinet.
David Sutherland lived in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories for 30 years. He had a passion for cross-country skiing and was a dedicated coach of the sport.
The Doug Bothamley Memorial Fund was established in memory of Doug’s many volunteer activities and contributions to the NWT sporting community and various other non-profit organizations in Yellowknife.
The Dustin Pidborochynski Memorial Scholarship Fund was originally established in 2019 with Skills Canada NWT, in memory of Dustin (Dusty) Pidborochynski. Dusty was a journeyman welder, a avid supporter of trades and apprenticeship programs, who sadly lost his life just weeks after being hired as the welding instructor at Ecole St. Patrick’s High School. In 2023, the Fund was transferred from Skills Canada NWT to the Yellowknife Community Foundation to support the longevity of the Fund and enhance its accessibility, for NWT students pursuing an apprenticeship. Family and friends would say that Dusty was wise beyond his years and always willing to lend a hand. He was teaching in everything that he did and never took the easy way out. In the year before he passed he had enjoyed coaching young welders and was volunteering his time as a welding technical expert for Skills Canada NWT’s territorial skills competition.
Born in Alberta, Mary Elaine (Sweet) Whitford first came north in 1964 as a university student and after attaining her Masters in Social Work, returned in 1965 to work in Fort Smith, where she also met her future husband, Tony Whitford. Elaine and Tony raised their three sons in the Northwest Territories. Elaine was lost to cancer in 2003. Elaine’s thirty-two year career in social work was marked by a passion and commitment that made her a role model for many young northerners pursuing a career in the field. During her life, Elaine contributed greatly to the well-being of Northerners and was influential in encouraging and assisting many of them to remain in school and pursue a post-secondary education. Former Commissioner Tony Whitford and his family established the fund to recognize the contribution Elaine made to the North, and build on her legacy by supporting NWT post-secondary students who want to make a difference and make our communities stronger.
You can only apply through our online application portal. In 2026, the application portal opens on April 2nd.
Access it here: https://www.grantinterface.ca/Home/Logon?urlkey=yellowknifescholarship
Mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted barring extreme circumstances. Please reach out to information@ykcf.ca if you need accommodations.
In order to apply for a scholarship, you must be pursuing studies in that field – that is, accepted or enrolled in a program.You must provide either a proof of acceptance or proof of enrolment as part of your application.You cannot apply if you are merely interested in the field of study. You also cannot apply if the field is outside of your primary program of study (eg. If you are a Biology major taking a Music class as an elective, you cannot apply for the Alice and Randy Daniels Music Fund).
Every year, our application period happens between April and May. All of our scholarships, except for:
We consider you to be a 'resident' As per our policy, of the Northwest Territories, Yukon, or Nunavut if you meet one of the following criteria:
Yes! We encourage you to complete the eligibility quiz to see which funds you are eligible to apply. Remember that not every fund is available for residents outside of Yellowknife, but most are available to people who reside in one of the Northern Territories.
Each residency declaration is a one-click question embedded within the application process.You just need to provide the email address of your residency witness, and they will be emailed directly.
Once you create a profile on our application portal, it will ask you to complete an eligibility quiz to determine which Student Award funds you are eligible to apply to. Once complete, you can start applying to the funds that apply to your studies! Once you have completed the eligibility quiz and you think there should be a Student Award that isn't listed, please contact our office to inquire!
Tel: 867 446 4527
Email: information@ykcf.ca
All of our funding amounts vary from scholarship to scholarship, year by year. However, each scholarship is worth at least $1,000. Clicking on each award will show you how much each scholarship is worth this year.
Each application is reviewed by our Student Award Review Committee. Student awards that we administer for another organization are reviewed by Committee members from that organization. Assessment criteria can also be seen here.
As much as you can! You will get into the flow of the process the more you write and apply. The key is to give each question your all.
Yes, you can re-use answers. Although, be sure to read and re-read the application instructions to confirm your writing is applicable to the question. If there are common questions among different student awards, you will see that they will already be filled out if you already answered that question for another scholarship application.
You no longer have to upload a reference letter for most of our awards. Simply provide the email address of your reference, and we will send them a recommendation form to fill out.
We have different types of reference requests: academic reference, character reference, sports involvement reference, and arts-involvement reference. We suggest you ask someone you know well and for an extended period of time. Some great examples are employers, teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, mentors, or instructors.
For some of our Funds, you will have to submit a statement of financial need. This can look very different for everyone - that is why your statement is in the form of a written essay. We want to learn more about your unique circumstances, as long as you are comfortable sharing.
Exp: "I grew up with a single father and he always made sure we were taken care of, but it was a struggle. We never left the territory for vacation. When some of my friends would have nice clothes and good snacks for lunch, I always had old clothes and a peanut butter sandwich, every day. Life was good but we didn't have luxuries. I could not go to college without financial support and student loans."
It is a good idea to start the process of applying early, to ensure you have all of the needed documents (eg. letter of admission, reference letters received) completed and submitted by the deadline.
All of our scholarships are due on the same day every year. If you are ready to submit your application, feel free to do so before the deadline. However, all applications will be reviewed only after the deadline. Applying for a scholarship earlier than the deadline will not give you an advantage.
You may only submit one application per scholarship. Keep in mind that each scholarship has specific criteria. Please complete the eligibility quiz to see which Student Award Funds you are eligible to apply to.
31 May at 11.59pm MST: All applications due via scholarship portal found on the Yellowknife Community Foundation website.
June & July: Yellowknife Community Foundation staff and Student Awards Review Committee members conduct due diligence checks on all applications and undertake a review process. As a normal part of our review process, you may hear from us with questions about your application. We appreciate your time in providing clarity.
Mid to Late July: Applicants are notified. Every applicant will receive notification regardless of funding decision.
If you have any questions, please contact the Yellowknife Community Foundation at information@ykcf.ca
If you have any questions, please contact the Yellowknife Community Foundation at information@ykcf.ca, or call us at (867) 446-4527, our business hours are:
