Montreal

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Our commitment to Montreal

The Foundation remains deeply committed to our Montreal roots, where we continue to support local projects as we have done since 1937. On this page, you will find information about the funding priorities and application guidelines for our Montreal funding stream.

Our Montreal funding stream

Since our founding in 1937, the McConnell Foundation has supported many organizations dedicated to improving the lives of Montrealers. Today, alongside our focus areas of communities, reconciliation and climate change, the Foundation remains deeply committed to our Montreal roots, where we continue to support local projects. Montreal funding decisions are approved yearly in the spring.

In addition to funding Montreal-based projects that advance our three focus areas, we devote approximately $2,000,000 annually to funding organizations and institutions that have a positive impact on the greater Montreal community, and that meet the criteria below:

  • Major Campaign funding:
    We define major campaigns as targeted efforts to fundraise for large projects that require significant capital, often in the scale of the millions over multiple years. McConnell will fund up to 10% of the total capital campaign request, to a maximum of $1M over 5 years per request. 
  • Revitalizing heritage buildings for the social sector:
    We invite applications from charitable organizations and nonprofits revitalizing heritage buildings for use by the social sector. Projects may be at different stages of development and funding may be used for developing financial models, space analysis, consultancy fees, construction and renovation, etc. Funding requests for building purchase will not be considered.
  • Hospitals:
    We no longer provide capital campaign support to hospitals and healthcare centres. However, we will support hospitals, CISSS and CIUSSS in the greater Montreal area interested in being part of Nourish Leadership program. Nourish supports health care leadership on climate, equity and community well-being through food. The Foundation will provide between $50K to $100K per institution for projects on the Food For Health levers. Learn more at nourishhealthcare.ca/montreal.

Application guidelines for Montreal organizations

Decision tree for organizations seeking Montreal funding. Montreal funding is for capital campaign support or for revitalizing heritage buildings.
Decision tree for organizations seeking Montreal funding. Montreal funding is for capital campaign support or for revitalizing heritage buildings.

Montreal-based organization seeking funding for communities, reconciliation or climate, should apply through the McConnell Foundation’s focus areas funding streams. To explore your project idea, or if you are unsure which focus area is right for your application, we invite you to book at 15-minute Virtual Office Hours appointment with a member of our program team. They will help you explore potential alignment between your project and our Focus Area funding and guide you to resources you may need as you consider applying.

A note on applying and eligibility

Unlike our focus area funding steams, applicants for Montreal funding are only required to submit a short-form application along with budgetary information. All funding decisions are approved once a year in the spring.

In addition to our general eligibility criteria which can be found on our For Applicants page, the Montreal funding stream does not consider requests:

  • for major campaigns at private educational institutions, hospitals and healthcare centres.
  • for major campaigns that focus solely on research, programming, annual operating funds or other recurring costs
  • from for-profit organizations (except in rare and specific situations)
  • to reduce accumulated capital or operating deficits
  • for endowments
  • involving partisan political activities
  • involving strictly religious purposes or activities
  • for purely academic or basic research
  • for organizations or projects based outside of Canada
  • for international development
  • for emergency needs.

Recent funding

Below are a few of our most recent Montreal funding partnerships. Explore our Funding database to view all our partnerships.

Funding will support renovating the infrastructures at Kanawana Camp in Saint-Sauveur, and to honour its long relationship with the Foundation.

$ 700,000 2023 - 2027

Funding will contribute to the new Summit School Creative Arts Centre for neurodiverse youth.

$ 400,000 2023 - 2027

Funding will contribute to the construction of a new accessible building that will house programs and services available to the Anjou community, and an intergenerational living environment.

$ 200,000 2023 - 2025

Funding will contribute to renovating the main house near the Atwater metro station in Montreal.

$ 200,000 2023 - 2025

Funding will contribute to the renovation of Higgins House, located in the Peter-McGill neighbourhood, where the Diet Dispensary has been serving its clientele since 1959.

$ 400,000 2023 - 2025

Funding will contribute to La Maison Bleue’s efforts to establish a fifth house in Montreal North.

$ 450,000 2023 - 2027

Ready to submit? Log on to our Application and Reporting portal to start your Montreal application.