West Island Community Shares

What West Island Community Shares does

West Island Community Shares (legal name: Partage-Action de l'Ouest-de-l'Île) is a registered Canadian charitable organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Beaconsfield, Quebec. It functions as a centralized community fundraising and grant-distribution hub for the West Island of Montreal, raising donations from individuals and corporate partners and distributing them to more than 40 local nonprofit organizations serving six cause areas: resilient children and teens, vulnerable and marginalized populations, physical and mental health, basic necessities, women's empowerment, and green initiatives. In its most recent fiscal year ending March 2026, the organization distributed a record $1.525 million, the largest annual distribution in its nearly 30-year history, helping an estimated 65,000 neighbors annually.

The organization operates a distinctive 100% pass-through model in which all funds raised are distributed to community organizations, with operating costs covered separately by annual corporate partners such as Pfizer Canada (a founding partner with $3 million in lifetime giving), National Bank, BMO, RBC, Scotiabank, Desjardins, Broccolini, Ciena, and others. Revenue is generated through individual donations (cash and securities), recurring fundraising events including the Red and White Gala (now in its 22nd year), Cocktail en Blanc, the Bikes for Youth campaign, and third-party community-led events. A securities donation program allows donors to transfer publicly traded stocks with capital-gains tax advantages, expanding the addressable donor pool.

Governance is provided by an independent volunteer board of directors and a small operational team led by Executive Director Meagan Somerville (appointed July 2023) with Sara Sorial as Financial Controller. The organization is bilingual (English and French), subject to Canada Revenue Agency oversight as a registered charity (BN 87051 7992 RR0001), and received the Prix Accolades 2026 in the OBNL Entreprises d'économie sociale category from the Chambre de commerce de l'Ouest-de-l'Île.

Name

West Island Community Shares

Legal name

Partage-Action de l'Ouest-de-l'Île

Website

https://communityshares.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

West Island Community Shares (Partage-Action de l'Ouest-de-l'Île) is a registered Quebec charity founded in 1998 that centralizes donations and distributes 100% of funds raised to 40+ community organizations serving 65,000 West Island of Montreal neighbors annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Fundraising and Charitable Grant Distribution

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

Keywords

• Community fundraising
• Charitable grant distribution
• Corporate philanthropy partnerships
• Donor management services
• Nonprofit fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Pointe-claire

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. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals supporting community organizations in the West Island region. The organization distributes 100% of funds raised to community groups.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Annual corporate partners provide financial support and cover operating costs, enabling 100% of donations to go to community organizations.
3. Securities Donations: Donation of publicly traded securities including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, offering tax advantages to donors.
4. Third-Party Fundraising Events: Community members organize their own fundraising events and donate proceeds to the organization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

West Island Community Shares is a registered nonprofit charitable organization that raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and community events, then distributes 100% of those funds as grants to more than 40 local community organizations serving the West Island of Montreal. The organization channels resources into six priority areas: resilient children and teens, vulnerable and marginalized populations, physical and mental health, basic necessities, women's empowerment, and green initiatives, reaching approximately 65,000 neighbors annually.

Product overview

West Island Community Shares (Partage-Action de l'Ouest-de-l'Île) operates as a charitable grant-making organization rather than a technology product company. The organization functions as a central fundraising hub that collects donations and distributes them to local community organizations. Its core service is grant distribution to community organizations working in six key areas: children and youth resilience, vulnerable populations, physical and mental health, basic necessities, women's empowerment, and green initiatives. The organization operates on a model where 100% of raised funds go directly to community groups, with operating costs covered by corporate partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Grant Distribution Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000 neighbors helped annually through supported community organizations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CienamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2024Multi-year collaboration announced July 2024 to bridge the digital divide for underserved residents of the West Island. The partnership will foster digital inclusion for 8 community organizations in the West Island.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foundation of Greater Montreal (Fondation du Grand Montréal): A community foundation pooling and redistributing philanthropic capital to Greater Montreal nonprofits. Highly comparable to WICS in mandate and grantmaking function, though typically endowed rather than annual-pass-through.
• Centraide du Grand Montréal: The Greater Montreal federated giving organization raising workplace donations and distributing to local community agencies. Operates the same United Way-style model as WICS in the broader Montreal region, making it the closest direct comparable for fundraising structure and grantmaking approach.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Centraide Canada: National federated giving umbrella for local United Way/Centraide chapters across Canada. Comparable to WICS as the parent system that defines the workplace-giving and grant-distribution model WICS operates within, but operates at national scale rather than a single local region.
• Community Foundations of Canada: National network of 191 community foundations. Comparable to WICS in community-level grantmaking and donor stewardship but operates as a network of independently governed foundations rather than a single federated giving entity.

Regional players

• United Way Halton & Hamilton: A regional federated giving organization serving Halton and Hamilton in Ontario. Closely comparable to WICS in scale, model, and operations, but geographically separate and therefore not a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Donner Canadian Foundation: Canadian grantmaking foundation supporting community-based social innovation and nonprofit capacity. Comparable to WICS in grantmaking to community organizations but operates as a private foundation rather than a federated giving model.

Others

• CanadaHelps: Canada's online donation platform enabling charities to receive donations and issue tax receipts. Adjacent to WICS as donation infrastructure rather than a direct fundraising competitor, but comparable in enabling community-level giving.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WICSPartage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-shares-partage-action

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about West Island Community Shares