Founded in 1966, Centraide of Greater Montreal (Centraide Montreal) raises money to support charities in Montreal and Laval. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in the community and empower vulnerable members to take charge of their lives. Funded charities deliver programs that align with one of Centraide Montreal’s four priority areas: Support Youth Success, Taking Care of the Essentials, Break Social Isolation, and Build Caring Communities.

Through Support Youth Success, Centraide Montreal supports charities that work with youth from early childhood to adulthood and their families. Taking Care of the Essentials addresses the basic needs of people in Greater Montreal, namely food and shelter. Break Social Isolation funding goes to charities that help marginalized people who struggle with social isolation (seniors, people with disabilities, immigrants, people in crisis). Build Caring Communities funding goes to charities that improve living conditions of local neighbourhoods and encourage volunteer engagement.

In F2021, Centraide Montreal reported spending $74.9 million* on agency support, including $45.0 million in grants, $25.6m in emergency covid-19 funds, and $4.2 million in program support. Of the regular investments (excluding covid-19 funding), 32% was spent supporting youth success, 26% on reducing social isolation, 23% on building caring communities, and 19% on taking care of the essentials. Centraide Montreal funded 350 agencies and projects. The largest grant recipient was YMCAs of Quebec, which received $1.2m, followed by Vivre Saint-Michel en santé with $529k, and Corporation de développement Communautaire Centre-Sud with $478k.

COVID-19 response

In F2021, Centraide of Greater Montreal distributed $25.6m to four covid-19 emergency funds: $15.4m to the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) which supported 349 agencies, $8.0m to the Centraide covid-19 Emergency Fund which supported 438 agencies, $1.5m to the Youth Project which supported 56 agencies, and $710k to the New Horizon for Seniors Program (NHSP) which supported 74 agencies.

* Ci reports $75.6m in total mission spending in F2021, $688k higher than what Centraide reported. Ci included $352k in grants that were deferred in previous years as well as $336k in program costs for research and development in its financial analysis.

Charity Intelligence consolidated the operating charity with its foundation using the foundation’s audited financial statements in F2021 and F2020.

Centraide Montreal collected $77.6m in donations in F2021. It is a Major 100 – one of Canada’s largest charities in terms of donations. Administrative costs are 8% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 5% of donations. Centraide Montreal's overhead ratio is 13%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 87 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Centraide Montreal has $105.2m in funding reserves, of which $53.6m are investments held by the operating charity and $50.5m are investments held by the foundation. $3.1m is donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, the charity can cover annual program costs and grants for one year and four months.

Centraide’s audited financial statements report grant commitments for the upcoming F2022 year of $40.9m.

Ci has sent this profile update to Centraide of Greater Montreal for review. Comments and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 26, 2021, by Shira Wine.