Le Phare

What Le Phare does

Le Phare, Enfants et Familles is a registered Canadian nonprofit charitable organization (Registration: 87808 9721 RR0001) founded in 1999 in Montreal, Quebec, by Michèle Viau-Chagnon and Nicole Marcil-Gratton. It is the only community-based pediatric palliative care resource in Quebec, providing free-of-charge services to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Its core service, Maison André-Gratton, is a residential facility accommodating up to 12 children at a time, complemented by in-home volunteer respite (3 hours/week), psychosocial support, bereavement follow-up, and complementary therapies including pet, music, massage, water, and multi-sensory therapies. All services are offered free of charge, with no billing or insurance required, and the organization served 276 families and 200 children in fiscal year 2023-2024, delivering 542 respite care stays and 11 end-of-life stays alongside 1,561 hours of family support and 2,500+ recreational activities.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across community donations (over 50% of operational funding), government grants, corporate partnerships, planned giving, and fundraising events. Total funds raised exceeded $3.5 million CAD in fiscal year 2023-2024, double the amount collected in 2019-2020, with the annual Marche pour Le Phare walk alone generating $200,000 in 2024. Distribution occurs directly via the Montreal facility, through at-home respite visits, and via hospital referral partnerships (over 50% of new admissions originate from external healthcare partners including Sainte-Justine and CHUSJ). Go-to-market is community-led: hospital referrals, word-of-mouth from served families, corporate campaigns, and grassroots philanthropy groups (Les Lucioles du Phare, Le Cercle de la relève). Le Phare is governed by a Board chaired by François Gratton (since June 2017) with Lyne St-Martin as Executive Director; the operating team comprises 95 employees (including 6 physicians) and 70 volunteers. The organization does not develop proprietary technology — its 'platform' is the care facility, clinical staff, and the community ecosystem built over 25 years.

In 2024, the Quebec government announced a $50 million investment over 5 years to enhance respite services for disabled people and their families across the province, formalizing Le Phare's role within the public pediatric care infrastructure. The organization has since expanded its footprint: launching La Lanterne du Phare, a bereavement support center (October 2025), and co-creating ECHO, a French-language national community of practice in pediatric palliative care with Pallium Canada (June 2024). Strategic corporate partnerships span Tim Hortons (122 outlets in greater Montreal), Affinerie CCR, Bingo Lachine, and iSaute, providing multi-year funding and in-kind support.

Name

Le Phare

Legal name

Le Phare, Enfants et Familles

Website

https://phare-lighthouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Le Phare, Enfants et Familles is a Montreal-based nonprofit founded in 1999 that provides free pediatric palliative care — respite stays, symptom management, end-of-life care, and bereavement support — to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families across Quebec, operating Quebec's only community-based facility of its kind.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Palliative Care

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care (HLADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospice & Palliative Respite Care (HSABAGAG), Respite Care for Families of Children with Disabilities (HSAAAIAL)

Keywords

• Pediatric palliative care
• Respite care services
• Bereavement support programs
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• End-of-life care

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Community Donations: Individual donations from the general public constitute the primary revenue source, providing over 50% of essential daily operational funding. Donations support complementary care and therapies including pet therapy, massage therapy, water therapy, music therapy, and sensory development activities. Monthly giving programs allow donors to contribute on a recurring basis.
2. Government Grants: Government funding supplements community donations to support the daily operations of the organization.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate donations, sponsorships, employee giving programs, matching donations, and cause-related marketing initiatives. Notable examples include Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign ($72,000), Affinerie CCR ($90,000 over 3 years), Bingo Lachine ($77,000), and iSaute fundraising campaigns. Payroll deduction programs for employees are also facilitated.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy giving programs including donations by will, life insurance beneficiary designations, RRSP donations, publicly traded shares transfers, tribute funds, charitable annuities, and securities donations through trust companies.
5. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including the Marche pour Le Phare (walk from Quebec City to Montreal, now a single-day event raising over $200,000 in 2024), corporate fundraising campaigns (Complice à fond), birthday gift programs (Ma fête en cadeau), memorial pages, and community fundraising initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Le Phare, Enfants et Familles provides free pediatric palliative care to children with life-limiting illnesses (0–18) and their families across Quebec. Core services delivered through its Maison André-Gratton residential facility include respite stays, symptom management, end-of-life accompaniment, complementary therapies (pet, massage, water, music, multi-sensory), psychosocial support, and bereavement follow-up. All services are provided free of charge and funded by community donations and government grants.

Product overview

Le Phare, Enfants et Familles is a pediatric palliative care organization offering a comprehensive range of services centered around its core facility, Maison André-Gratton. The organization provides residential respite care, volunteer in-home respite services, psychosocial support, and bereavement follow-up. Complementary therapies include pet therapy, massage therapy, water therapy, music therapy, and multi-sensory activities. Fundraising is supported through multiple programs including Ma fête en cadeau (birthday gifts), Étoiles du Phare (star fundraisers), Complice à fond (corporate fundraising), and Don en mémoire (memorial fundraising). The organization also operates an Education Centre and hosts the annual Marche pour Le Phare fundraising walk. All services are provided free of charge to families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maison André-Gratton: The primary hospice facility of Le Phare that can accommodate up to 12 children at a time, providing a warm, peaceful, and animated living environment.

Products and services

• Maison André-Gratton (Residential Respite & Palliative Care) Residential facility in Montreal's Rosemont-Angus neighbourhood that can accommodate up to 12 children at a time, providing a warm, peaceful, and animated living environment with a therapeutic indoor pool, multi-sensory room, music therapy room, kitchen, and backyard for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
• Bénévolat à domicile (Volunteer In-Home Respite) Trained volunteers visit families' homes for three hours per week to provide friendly, entertaining presence for seriously ill children and their siblings, allowing parents to rest or attend to other responsibilities.
• Soutien psychosocial (Psychosocial Support) Social worker-assisted support to help families cope with pain, fears, death, and complex choices, including bereavement support for parents and siblings.
• Thérapies complémentaires (Complementary Therapies) Range of therapies including pet therapy, massage therapy, water therapy in a therapeutic indoor pool (37°C), music therapy, and multi-sensory activities for children in palliative care.
• Ateliers et suivis de deuil (Bereavement Workshops and Follow-up) Grief workshops and bereavement follow-up services including memory cultivation activities, commemorative ceremonies, and support groups for bereaved parents and families.
• Centre d'éducation Le Phare (Education Centre) Education center providing training and knowledge sharing in pediatric palliative care, including online training courses and community of practice programs for healthcare professionals.
• ECHO – Communauté de pratique francophone en soins palliatifs pédiatriques French-language pediatric palliative care community of practice offering free bimonthly webinars with expert panels to disseminate best practices in pediatric palliative care across Canada, developed in partnership with Pallium Canada.
• La Lanterne du Phare: Centre d'accompagnement du deuil Racanelli

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 nights of respite provided to 942 families since founding in 1999
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Tim Hortons (122 outlets in greater Montreal)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Tim Hortons outlets in the greater Montreal area chose Le Phare as the beneficiary of their Holiday Smile Cookie campaign in 2023-2024, raising $72,000 for the organization. This represents one of Le Phare's largest single corporate fundraising campaigns.
• iSautecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Since 2024, iSaute (five trampoline park locations in the Quebec City area) is a proud partner of Le Phare. In its first year, iSaute hosted 20 birthday parties for children at Le Phare and their siblings. During September 2025, all iSaute locations ran a round-up-at-the-register campaign, with a fundraising day on September 13, 2025.
• Clenche (advertising agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Clenche developed Le Phare's new advertising campaign 'L'ombre et la lumière' (Shadow and Light) launched in 2024. The campaign, featuring Ariane Moffatt and produced with Spark Foundry media support, shows how community generosity illuminates the lives of children in palliative care.
• Spark FoundrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Spark Foundry provided media support for Le Phare's 'L'ombre et la lumière' advertising campaign, contributing to the production and placement of the campaign materials.
• Pallium CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Le Phare, Enfants et Familles and Pallium Canada partnered to create ECHO, a new French-language pediatric palliative care community of practice in Canada. Free bimonthly webinars with expert panels are offered across Canada.
• Bingo LachinecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2023Bingo Lachine partnered with Le Phare starting December 2023 and has provided $77,000 in total support within one year. Bingo Lachine is committed to over 40 community and sports organizations, demonstrating its broad community engagement.
• Affinerie CCRmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 April 2022Partner since 2016. Affinerie CCR celebrated its 90th anniversary by committing $90,000 over 3 years and became the official equipment purchasing partner of Le Phare. The partnership funded specialized beds and will fund future equipment including a bladder ultrasound device, bath chairs, and bed tents. Affinerie CCR also launched the Ma fête en cadeau corpo program.
• R2iminorGTM or Marketing PartnerR2i is described as a committed corporate partner that mobilizes its teams in multiple ways throughout the year to support children and families at Le Phare.
• Le Groupe M OuelletminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn celebration of its 25th anniversary, Le Groupe M Ouellet chose to donate its corporate party to Le Phare. Employees, clients, and partners mobilized to raise $37,106 for the cause.
• LC 2000minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLC 2000 celebrated its 50th anniversary with a festive dinner for suppliers and clients benefiting Le Phare, doubling the proceeds to contribute $20,000 in support of the mission.
• Ad hoc rechercheminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAd hoc recherche offers a $50 donation in honor of each employee's birthday, supporting Le Phare's mission. This ongoing gesture represents a collective effort where the force of numbers amplifies each individual contribution.
• Mira Foundation (service dog Benelux)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenelux, a Mira Foundation service dog, provides emotional support to children at different times. The inclusion of an assistance dog in pediatric palliative care was formally recognized with the 'Welcome Dipsy!' announcement in 2023-2024. Studies show dog therapy reduces stress and anxiety and increases social interaction.
• Palliative Home Care Society of Greater MontrealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization in a pilot project to bridge the gap between pediatric and adult palliative care. The project involves Le Phare, the Palliative Home Care Society of Greater Montreal, and Maison St-Raphaël to support young people transitioning from pediatric to adult palliative care services.
• Maison St-RaphaëlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization in a pilot project to bridge the gap between pediatric and adult palliative care. This initiative addresses the gap in services for young adults (18+) who have complex healthcare needs but no longer qualify for pediatric palliative care.
• Ariane Moffatt (artist/ambassador)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAriane Moffatt participated in Le Phare's 'L'ombre et la lumière' advertising campaign, lending her public profile to raise awareness and support for pediatric palliative care.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Together for Short Lives: UK-wide charity for children's palliative care, comparable to Le Phare in mission but operating at national scale with policy advocacy, training, and a network of member hospices. Represents the scaled version of the model Le Phare could evolve toward through its ECHO community of practice work.
• CHU Sainte-Justine: Montreal's primary pediatric teaching hospital and one of Le Phare's largest referral partners (Sainte-Justine/CHUSJ). Operates within the acute-care hospital setting rather than the community hospice model, but is the most relevant institutional peer in terms of pediatric specialty population and Quebec geography.

Direct peers

• Canuck Place Children's Hospice: British Columbia's pediatric palliative care hospice, directly comparable to Le Phare in offering free respite, end-of-life, and bereavement care for children with life-limiting illnesses. Both organizations operate the only dedicated community-based pediatric palliative care program in their respective provinces.
• Emily's House (Philip Aziz Centre): Toronto-based pediatric hospice providing free residential respite, palliative, and bereavement care to children with life-limiting illnesses — the closest functional analogue to Le Phare's Maison André-Gratton in Ontario, with comparable 12-bed facility model and family-centric care approach.
• Roger Neilson House: Ottawa's pediatric palliative care home operated in partnership with CHEO, providing respite and end-of-life care similar to Le Phare. Comparable in offering free services and family-centered programming; competes indirectly by serving Canada's Ontario corridor.

Others

• Pallium Canada: National charitable organization providing palliative care education, training, and capacity building. Direct strategic partner of Le Phare through the ECHO francophone pediatric palliative care community of practice and adjacent in mission focus on palliative care workforce development.
• Mira Foundation: Quebec-based service dog foundation whose dog Benelux is integrated into Le Phare's pet therapy program. Comparable as a Quebec nonprofit serving children with complex medical needs, with adjacent mission in special-needs family support and similar donor-driven operating model.

Regional players

• Fondation Docteur Julien: Quebec pediatric foundation operating children's community health and social pediatrics centres for vulnerable children. Comparable in serving Quebec children with complex needs through community-based, donation-funded care with a multidisciplinary team model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PhareEnfantsFamilles
• Facebookfacebook.com/PhareEnfantsFamilles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-phare-enfants-et-familles
• Instagraminstagram.com/lephareenfantsetfamilles/?hl=fr-ca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Le Phare