Centraide of Greater Montreal announces investments of $70.3 million in 375 community agencies Français

Cision Canada

4 hours ago

MONTREAL, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Centraide of Greater Montreal has announced that its strategic investments in the community totalled $70.3 million for 2024-2025. This result was revealed in the Report to Our Community presented yesterday at Centraide's annual general meeting. Thanks to this funding, 375 community agencies can provide services and implement concrete projects to fight poverty and social exclusion. This commitment directly benefits approximately 800,000 people who live in the regions of Montreal, Laval and the South Shore.
The housing crisis, rising food insecurity, and increased homelessness are exacerbating the vulnerability of many people. This growing precariousness has prompted Centraide to scale up its investments in several key sectors to better address priority issues and support the populations who are most at risk. This approach targets growing needs, particularly in the area of housing, as well as the needs of non-permanent residents, the Indigenous community, and people experiencing homelessness.
Centraide also supports about forty neighbourhood roundtables in Montreal, in Laval and on the South Shore to bolster initiatives in disadvantaged and vulnerable areas. These roundtables strive to improve living conditions in local communities through projects that address specific neighbourhood issues.
The second largest social and community investor after governments, Centraide is a key social development stakeholder. As an agent of change, it lends its voice for social issues while creating solid connections with the community. Its ability to mobilize people and resources means that it can consult and closely collaborate with partners from across the community, institutional, economic, university and civic sectors. It works with Quebec's Centraide network to efficiently distribute emergency government funds that require swift allocation, which in turn strengthens its impact on the ground. Centraide also helps develop innovative projects to generate lasting change and improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations.
"Social emergencies can't wait. Our community support is only possible because of the generosity of our donors and the exceptional commitment of our volunteers and partners," said Claude Pinard, President and Executive Director of Centraide of Greater Montreal. "Thanks to their contributions, Centraide can soundly invest every donation to take effective action in building an inclusive, poverty-free Greater Montreal."
New members elected to the Board of Directors
In compliance with its governance rules, Centraide has welcomed three new community volunteers to its Board of Directors: Anne-Marie Boucher, Lawyer, BCF and Corporate Director; Renée Loiselle, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP; and Maha Lebbos, Vice-President, Digital Transformation and Information Systems, Fondaction. Centraide also acknowledges the commitment of its three outgoing Board members: Vice-Chair Marie-Josée Neveu, Partner, Chair of the Partnership Board, Fasken; Normand Bélisle, President, Norbel Management; and Martin Thibodeau, Senior Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, Rona.
Centraide has also appointed new people to chair its committees. Marie-Josée Lapierre, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust, will chair the Governance Committee. Saad Saade, Vice President, Technology and Transformation, WSP, will chair the Technology Committee. Marie-Hélène Noiseux, Full Professor, Department of Finance, ESG UQAM, will serve as Vice-Chair of the Board while retaining her duties as treasurer.
About Centraide of Greater Montreal
A true agent of change, Centraide of Greater Montreal is a public foundation whose mission is to bring people together and take action for an inclusive and poverty-free Greater Montreal. To achieve this goal, it supports a network of 375 community agencies and projects in Laval, in Montreal and on the South Shore that improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. Centraide works with the Greater Montreal centraide-mtl.org.