Centre de soir Denise-Massé

What Centre de soir Denise-Massé does

Centre de soir Denise-Massé is a Montreal-based community nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by COSAM (Communauté et Santé mentale Inc.) and named in honor of Denise Massé, a nurse who served over 25 years in mental health at St-Luc hospital. It operates as the only organization on Montreal Island offering a drop-in evening and weekend reception space, open without appointment from 5pm to 10pm Thursday to Sunday at 1713 rue Atateken in the Centre-Sud neighborhood. The organization serves individuals living with mental health challenges (including mood, anxiety, personality disorders, and schizophrenia), social disorganization, and residential instability, with 70% of members reporting a mental health diagnosis and 77% citing support-network creation as their primary motivation. Its portfolio spans core reception services, a free weekly NADA auricular acupuncture clinic (up to 15 participants), specialized Compulsive Hoarding Disorder (TAC) home-visit services across ~10 boroughs plus Westmount, a Hearing Voices support group (10-12 participants), the PAAS-Action pre-employment program (up to 17 social assistance recipients), art workshops, community meals, recreational outings, and an annual summer camp.

The business model is a multi-stream nonprofit funding structure rather than a commercial revenue model. Direct revenue streams are minimal: nominal activity fees ($0.75-$15 per outing for members, slightly higher for non-members) and a small Christmas fundraising drive ($5,476.54 raised in 2025 via Zeffy). Substantive funding comes from donations and fundraising, government grants including Emploi-Québec funding for PAAS-Action, and partnerships/sponsorships with Ville de Montréal, Bell Cause / Bell Let's Talk, Desjardins du Quartier Latin, and multiple Quebec foundations (Carmand Normand, J.A. DeSève, ECHO). Bell Let's Talk has provided multi-year support including a disclosed $150,000 grant in 2017. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors with two seats reserved for participants, led by Director Kathleen Messier and Coordinator Fanny Arbour, supported by 5 permanent intervention workers plus on-call staff and TAC project coordinators. Impact metrics for 2025-2026 report 10,081 reception visits, 249 unique individuals served, 2,648 intervention hours, and 993 individual interventions.

Name

Centre de soir Denise-Massé

Legal name

Centre de soir Denise-Massé

Website

https://denise-masse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre de soir Denise-Massé is a Montreal nonprofit founded in 1989 that operates the only drop-in evening and weekend reception space on Montreal Island for people with mental health challenges, social disorganization, and residential instability, supplementing its core welcome room with free acupuncture, hoarding-disorder home services, support groups, and a pre-employment program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on donations from individuals, businesses, and community partners to fund operations. A Christmas fundraising campaign raised $5,476.54 in 2025. Donations are collected via Zeffy platform.
2. Government Funding (PAAS-Action): The PAAS-Action pre-employmentability program is funded by Emploi-Québec, allowing the center to employ up to 17 social assistance recipients in various roles.
3. Paid Activities: Some activities generate nominal fees from participants (e.g., bowling $4.25-$5.25, ice cream outing $2-$3, sugar shack $15, picnic $4.50-$5.50, community dinner $3, Bingo $0.75-$1.75). Summer camp requires registration fees.
4. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Partners including Ville de Montréal, Bell Cause, and various foundations provide ongoing financial and organizational support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centre de soir Denise-Massé operates an evening and weekend drop-in reception and community support center for people with mental health challenges, social disorganization, and residential instability. Its core offering is the Salle d'accueil drop-in space (Thursday-Sunday, 5pm-10pm) complemented by free auricular acupuncture, hoarding disorder services, a voice hearers support group, and a pre-employment program for social assistance recipients.

Product overview

Centre de soir Denise-Massé offers a unified portfolio of evening and weekend community services for people with mental health challenges. The core offering is the Salle d'accueil drop-in space, supplemented by specialized programs including the Clinique d'acupuncture NADA (free weekly acupuncture clinic), Services for Compulsive Hoarding Disorder (TAC), the Groupe d'entendeurs de voix support group, and the PAAS-Action pre-employment program. Additional therapeutic and social activities include art workshops, community meals, and recreational events such as karaoke, bingo, and game evenings. The organization also runs a summer camp and seasonal initiatives like the Lutin·e·s de Noël gift program. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where members access multiple services according to their needs, from drop-in social spaces to structured therapeutic interventions and employment support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Salle d'accueil (Reception Room) An open drop-in space without appointments, operating Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to 10pm, where members can socialize, play games, use computers, watch TV, or simply be without obligation to participate in activities. Free of charge.
• Clinique d'acupuncture NADA A free auricular acupuncture clinic using the NADA protocol with five specific points on each ear, held every Wednesday evening, open to up to 15 participants per session, aiming to calm the nervous system and reduce stress. Open to community members beyond the center's members.
• Services pour le trouble d'accumulation compulsive (TAC) Personalized home decluttering support for compulsive hoarding disorder, including 12-week weekly in-home sessions (1-3 hours each), 4-week emergency follow-ups, and the PAS à PAS closed 12-week group program (capped at 12 participants). Serves 10 Montreal boroughs and Westmount.
• Groupe d'entendeurs de voix – En quête de sens A voice hearers support group meeting twice monthly on Thursday evenings, accommodating 10-12 participants per session, following the principles of the international Hearing Voices Movement.
• Programme de pré-employabilité (PAAS-Action) A pre-employment program supporting up to 17 social assistance recipients through structured work experience positions including canteen clerk, journalist, janitor, secretary, and social life clerk roles. Funded by Emploi-Québec.
• Ateliers d'art (Art Workshops) Art workshops offering a safe, non-judgmental space for creative expression through drawing, painting, and collage, used as emotional regulation tools by members.
• Camp d'été (Summer Camp) Annual 5-day, 4-night summer camp held at Camp de l'avenir du lac Ouimet in Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs, offering outdoor activities including beach, water sports, games, and relaxation. The 2026 edition takes place June 22-26, 2026.
• Soupers communautaires (Community Dinners) Community meals providing opportunities for social connection and breaking isolation in a welcoming environment, such as the spaghetti carbonara dinner offered at $3.00 per person.
• Projet Lutin·e·s de Noël (Christmas Gift-Matching Project) Annual gift-matching project pairing participants with community members who provide personalized gifts based on a wish list. In its 9th edition, the 2025 program enabled 87 people to receive Christmas gifts thanks to 48 volunteers.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record.

• Ville de MontréalOthersMunicipal partner providing ongoing support to the organization. Recognized as a key partner on the organization's website.
• Bell CauseOthersBell Cause is a mental health initiative providing support and funding to mental health organizations. Recognized as a key partner supporting the center's mission.
• Fondation Carmand NormandOthersFoundation providing financial support to the organization. Recognized as a key partner on the organization's website.
• Fondation J.A. DeSèveOthersFoundation supporting the organization. Recognized as a key partner on the organization's website.
• Fondation ECHOOthersFoundation supporting the organization. Recognized as a key partner on the organization's website.
• COSAM (Communauté et Santé mentale Inc.)Strategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founding organization that initiated the Centre de soir Denise-Massé in 1989. The center was created through COSAM's initiative to provide evening services for people with mental health challenges.
• Emploi-QuébecOthersGovernment employment agency providing funding for the PAAS-Action pre-employmentability program. Allows the center to employ up to 17 social assistance recipients.
• Comité social Centre-SudOthersCommunity organization that hosted the Center's Christmas party in their premises. Space provided for the festive event attended by 92 people.
• Camp de l'avenir du lac OuimetOthersSummer camp facility in Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs where the annual summer camp takes place. Provides the location for the 5-day, 4-night outdoor experience.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AMI-Québec: Quebec-based community organization supporting people living with mental illness and their families through peer support and community programs. Directly comparable as a Montreal/Quebec non-profit delivering community-based mental health support to similar populations with a similar lived-experience approach.
• Revivre: Quebec organization supporting people with anxiety, depression, and OCD through peer support groups, education, and community programs. Directly comparable as a Quebec non-profit delivering community-based mental health support to similar populations through support groups and community activities.
• CAP santé mentale: Coalition of Quebec organizations advocating for and supporting people with mental health issues through community-based programs. Directly comparable as a Quebec mental health advocacy and support network operating in the same community mental health ecosystem.
• Maison Jean-Lapointe: Quebec-based organization providing addiction and mental health treatment, prevention, and community programs. Comparable as a Quebec mental health non-profit serving overlapping vulnerable populations, though with a more treatment-focused rather than community drop-in model.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Mental Health Association - Quebec: Quebec division of the Canadian Mental Health Association, a larger national organization providing broad mental health programs and advocacy. Comparable as a Quebec mental health organization but with a broader mandate and substantially more resources than the subject community drop-in center.
• Douglas Mental Health University Institute: Major McGill University-affiliated mental health institution in Montreal providing specialized treatment, research, and community programs. Comparable as a Montreal mental health organization but operating at a substantially larger scale as a hospital-based institution with broader clinical capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centre.denise.masse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre de soir Denise-Massé