Concordia University School of Health receives $5 million donation

Article Contents

A longtime supporter of Concordia University has pledged $5 million in funding for nutrition and health research at the university’s new School of Health.

The planned donation by Christine Renvale, a 1972 graduate of what was then Loyola University, was announced Tuesday.

“Donations are always important,” university president Graham Carr said in an interview Monday, “and demonstrating confidence in Concordia with a gift like this is especially important given the challenges facing English-speaking universities. Given Christine’s chosen focus, I think this will not only benefit Concordia, but the community as well.”

Article Contents

Last month, Concordia University announced budget cuts, expecting a decline in enrolment and government funding due to a 33 per cent tuition increase imposed by Quebec on out-of-province students attending British universities.

Carr said donations are always important and allow the university to support students through scholarships and stipends. Donations also help the university with additional research, such as purchasing equipment the university could not otherwise afford, and creating laboratories and other research space.

Renvali, president and CEO of Renvali Financial, an insurance brokerage specializing in retirement and estate planning, said the planned gift (which will therefore be part of her estate) builds on a previously planned $1 million gift to further nutrition research at the PERFORM Center (now part of the College of Health).

“I’m a big advocate of good diet and exercise and taking care of your body, your environment and yourself,” she said in the interview, adding that she chose to support research into health and nutrition after experiencing health issues that forced her to go on a strict diet.

Article Contents

Article Contents

“Good nutrition is so important to living a long, healthy and fulfilling life,” she said.

Rembali, who established a scholarship fund in 2021 to support the university’s women and leadership programs, has also dedicated time to Concordia University, where she sits on the university’s board of trustees and has held leadership roles on the alumni council and the Concordia University Foundation.

She said she has been pleased to have been part of Concordia University’s growth from two small institutions to one that is gaining influence in Montreal and across the country.

“It’s so exciting to see the real growth over 50 years. You know, we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary. It’s really wonderful and the leaders and mentors have been really inspiring,” she said.

Carr said the donation is a great example of the University Health School’s research-driven focus on preventive and community health care.

Because the donations are coming in the future, Carr said he couldn’t speculate on what specific research will be funded, but he did say the university is studying women who have had gestational diabetes and how nutritional management can help certain cancer patients recover.

Rembali also helped create Concordia’s planned giving program. As a financial planner who works with retirement and estate planning, he said planned giving fits into his area of ​​expertise because it allows people to donate to causes they support without impacting their current cash flow. Planned giving also gives donors a tax deduction and reduces taxes on their estates, he added.

Article Contents

Article Contents