As CKUA looks to the future, we are committed to growing and diversifying our revenue. One key strategy over the coming months and years will be to seek support from community-minded businesses that align with CKUA’s mission and vision.
KRP LLP Chartered Professional Accountants is one of the largest full-service accounting firms in Western Canada. We are delighted to recognize and thank them for their $100,000 gift to CKUA.
“We’re an independent firm with our headquarters in downtown Edmonton,” says Rob Picton, a partner at KRP. “From here we serve clients in Alberta and all over the world.”
With more than 200 employees, KRP is the largest independent firm in Alberta. That independence is important to the leadership team of KRP. “There’s been significant consolidation in the accounting industry,” says Picton. “It’s getting harder for independent businesses to survive. KRP has roots going back to the 1940s.”
Picton adds, “Because we are solely here, with our office in Edmonton, we are entrenched in this community. We count among our clients many not-for-profit organizations and societies, most of which are in Edmonton or in northern Alberta. We work with them and get involved with them, contributing our skills and sometimes our capital, to make our community better.”
“KRP has a long history with the arts, and with CKUA,” adds Picton. “We have numerous partners who are listeners; our staff are listeners. And we’re neighbours,” he says, noting that CKUA and KRP have their offices in the same block on the north side of Jasper Avenue, at 98th Street. “Being downtown, to us, means being in the centre of business and cultural activity. It’s important to us that the arts have a presence downtown, and that downtown is accessible for people.”
CKUA’s Chief Development Officer, Kevin Fitzgerald, acknowledges the generosity of KRP. He notes that individuals and businesses that donate more than $50,000 become part of CKUA’s Centenary Club, supporting CKUA as it looks to its 100th year in 2027.
“As CKUA creates new revenue streams, we know that corporate giving will play an important role in a sustainable CKUA,” says Fitzgerald. “We are thrilled to welcome KRP LLP Professional Chartered Accountants as the first member of the CKUA Centenary Club. KRP supports our community in many ways. When we started meeting with them, it was clear that we were well aligned. Like CKUA, they are authentic and independent. They are strong supporters of the arts, and they understand CKUA’s role as Alberta’s voice for music, arts, and culture. We thank KRP LLP Professional Chartered Accountants for their support and leadership, and their commitment to a fully sustainable CKUA!”
When we ask Picton what he hopes will come of KRP’s support of CKUA, he focuses on CKUA’s support of local artists. He also mentions what younger listeners might glean from listening to CKUA.
“Our support of CKUA means a lot to us because CKUA is an incubator of local and provincial and Canadian talent. Lots of artists get their first radio play on CKUA and go on to have great careers. That’s important. We also like to bring to our own staff an awareness of what CKUA does. There are lots of younger staff here who didn’t grow up on the radio. To flip to that FM dial might be a foreign concept for them, but we are trying to bring CKUA to the forefront. Streaming platforms don’t necessarily build your community. Your local radio station can.”
Thank you to our friends at KRP LLP Professional Chartered Accountants for this generous gift. We are so grateful for your investment in CKUA and your commitment to community!
Over the coming months, we’ll share more info about how corporate giving will strengthen CKUA in the future. Learn about CKUA’s fundraising and community support plans at ckua.com/donorpowered.
If you missed Rob Picton’s conversation with Grant Stovel during Alberta Morning on May 27, catch it here:
