After helping numerous others build philanthropic legacies,
Don Hatch sets up his own legacy fund
By Elizabeth Chorney-Boothv • Photography by Jared Sych
As a lawyer who practiced in Calgary for over 50 years, Don Hatch, who is now retired, has helped many clients figure out what to do with their wealth once they were no longer around to enjoy it themselves. Specializing in wills and estate law meant getting well acquainted with the concept of legacy philanthropy. For Hatch, that led to a long-term and deeply rewarding relationship with the Calgary Foundation. Not only has he encouraged many of his clients to include the Foundation in their estate planning, but Hatch is also creating a legacy of his own now.
Convinced by the Calgary Foundation’s demonstrated ability to responsibly manage funds, Hatch often referred clients who wanted to donate money either during their lifetimes or through their wills to the Foundation. His advice always came with the assurance their money would be used efficiently and meaningfully, whether they wanted to direct the giving themselves or not.
“Calgary Foundation offers a wonderful vehicle for people who are interested in doing charitable things,” Hatch says. “I was really impressed that the Foundation was there to facilitate whatever they wanted to accomplish.”
While every client of Hatch’s who donated to the Calgary Foundation made a difference, two have had a particularly long-lasting impact. In the early 1990s, Hatch helped Esther Honens set up an international piano competition — that has become world-renowned — still bearing her name. Honens wanted to ensure the competition could continue forever, and Hatch knew Calgary Foundation could serve as a long-term steward to provide a platform to young pianists.
Similarly, Hatch connected Eleanor Luxton to Calgary Foundation to help her preserve and educate about Banff’s history through the Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation. The daughter of prominent pioneers of Banff and the Bow Valley, Luxton wanted to use her wealth to do good while also building a legacy. She donated her historical properties in Banff as well as artifacts gathered by her family to establish her foundation, which is overseen by Calgary Foundation.
“One of the questions with these clients was, ‘Who will look after my legacy in perpetuity?’” Hatch says.
“The Calgary Foundation fits the bill perfectly.”
Hatch’s role hasn’t just been as a connector; he’s donated countless hours as well as financial contributions over the decades. He joined the Foundation’s board of directors in the late 1990s and stayed on for the maximum nine years before being named an honourary director. Now in his retirement, Hatch and his wife took his own advice, setting up the Don and Janet Hatch Family Fund through the Foundation to build their own legacy of philanthropy. As a donordirected fund, the Fund grants to causes near and dear to the Hatch family’s hearts, including school lunch programs and charities supporting women and children affected by
domestic abuse.
“Calgary Foundation makes it so easy,” Hatch affirms. “You can have so much confidence that the funds are being invested and managed in a prudent way. It just ticks all the boxes.”
June 2026