The debate over Alberta’s future may be politically divisive, but the publicly disclosed fundraising numbers reveal a striking difference in how the competing referendum campaigns are being financed.

An analysis published by Let Alberta Decide, using Elections Alberta’s weekly contribution reports through August 6, found that the independence campaigns shown in its comparison receive a substantially larger share of their money from donations of $250 or less than the federalist campaigns.

According to the analysis, 78% of the $29,572.96 raised by Alberta’s Choice came from contributions of $250 or less. The Lavigne Show reported 51.3% of its $43,088.45 in contributions came from donors giving $250 or less.

Who is really grassroots?

Independence campaigns receive a much stronger share of their funding from donations of $250 or less.

Federalist campaigns depend far more heavily on large contributions.

Albertans are powering this movement.https://t.co/02g90VKrUb pic.twitter.com/TZnZVo82D0

— Let Alberta Decide (@LetABDecide) August 14, 2026

The contrast is sharpest with the federalist Vote to Stay. Of the $67,341.29 it raised, just 8.6% percent came from contributions of $250 or less, according to the data. Federalist Alberta’s Voice was at 39.1%.

Pathway to Independence reported $115,665.30 in contributions, with 51.8% coming from donations of $250 or less.

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Let Alberta Decide, which produced the comparison, reported the largest overall haul at $396,621.95. It said 48.9% came from contributions of $250 or less.

Elections Alberta requires referendum third-party advertisers to register once they incur or plan to incur at least $1,000 in referendum advertising expenses or accept or plan to accept at least $1,000 in referendum contributions. The agency also publishes financial reporting information for registered advertisers.

That disclosure regime is now in effect ahead of Alberta’s October 19 referendum, when Albertans will be asked whether the province should remain in Canada or whether the Alberta government should begin the constitutional process required to hold a binding referendum on separation.

The available contribution data supports the claim that the independence campaigns in this comparison are more heavily financed by small donors. The biggest gap is between Alberta’s Choice, at 78% from donations of $250 or less, and Vote to Stay, at just 8.6%.

The numbers don’t tell us what individual Albertans will ultimately decide at the ballot box. But when it comes to who is putting smaller amounts of their own money behind the campaigns, the independence side has a considerably stronger grassroots profile in this dataset.