The Mary A. Tidlund Charitable Foundation was registered on October 14, 1998 as a public foundation with Revenue Canada. The foundation identifies, financially supports, participates in medical and educational programs in Canada and overseas. The foundation also has a mandate to alleviate poverty.

Mary Tidlund, a founding member of the Foundation was adopted at the age of 7 by a loving Calgary family. Along with 3 other adopted children, Mary shared her childhood with at least 40 other foster children that her parents nurtured and loved. She knew at a young age the importance of giving and receiving and that she would give back in some way. Early in her business life she organized functions for hundreds of Calgarians where the proceeds would be given to the Red Cross - Bangladesh projects. In Saskatchewan where she operated her businesses she annually contributed funds for educational advancement for children. In 1998, after extensive world travels, she realized she could do far more by creating a formal structure and using her skills with others to aid in areas where they could identify medical, literacy and the alleviation of poverty needs. The foundation was registered and now she can continue to give back what has been given to her, to everyone everywhere with medical, literacy and the alleviation of poverty needs.