Accès Bénévolat

What Accès Bénévolat does

Accès Bénévolat is a non-profit volunteer centre (Centre d'action bénévole) founded in 1982 and headquartered at 2544 Boulevard Rosemont in East Montreal, Quebec. It operates as a two-sided matching platform-plus-services organization, connecting approximately 440 community member organizations with individual volunteers across health, social services, education, culture, and sports sectors in the East Montreal territory (encompassing roughly 11 boroughs and neighborhoods). Its core operational layer consists of an online volunteer opportunity platform listing approximately 146 active openings, supported by nearly 600 personalized orientation meetings per year, ongoing follow-up support, and a "flying team" of short-term volunteers for ad-hoc organizational needs. The technology stack is non-proprietary, built on a ViGlob-managed website with search filters and Google Analytics, augmented by Microsoft Teams for virtual information sessions and by Jebenevole.ca for outside-territory referrals.

The organization monetizes a small but explicit training and workshop fee stream ($70/$100 for full-day volunteer coordination courses, $30/$45 for half-day immigration-focused workshops, plus free retention, recruitment, and recognition workshops for members), and offers ancillary services including medical appointment accompaniment-transport, a multifunction room rental, and the SécuriCAB automated welfare-check service for seniors. Its primary revenue model is effectively freemium and grant-funded, with the Quebec CAB framework, donations via CanadaHelps, and likely Centraide/United Way funding covering the substantial majority of the cost base. Distribution and outreach span the website (~30,000 annual visitors), Facebook and Instagram organic social, an email newsletter, information sessions held every two to three weeks, and structured referral partnerships with 211 Grand Montréal, CLSCs, the FCABQ federation, and Jebenevole.ca. Accès Bénévolat is independently governed by a volunteer board of directors, employs 17 people, and shows no evidence of M&A, external equity investment, or planned exit activity.

Name

Accès Bénévolat

Legal name

Accès Bénévolat

Website

https://accesbenevolat.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Accès Bénévolat is a non-profit volunteer centre founded in 1982 in East Montreal that matches individual volunteers with approximately 440 community member organizations across social services, health, education, culture, and sports sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Services: Free membership and services for both volunteers and community organizations. The organization appears to be funded through government support and donations, consistent with the Quebec Centre d'action bénévole (CAB) model. Membership for organizations is free, and all volunteer matching services are provided at no cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Accès Bénévolat operates a volunteer center that connects individual volunteers with approximately 440 community-based nonprofit member organizations in East Montreal through an online volunteer matching platform (about 146 active opportunities) and personalized orientation services. It provides free advisory support, training workshops, and follow-up services to member organizations for volunteer coordination. Additional offerings include medical appointment accompaniment for vulnerable adults, an automated welfare check service for seniors (SécuriCAB), and a multifunction room rental.

Product overview

Accès Bénévolat operates as a volunteer center serving East Montreal, functioning as a platform-plus-services model that connects volunteers with member organizations. The core platform consists of an online volunteer matching portal with approximately 146 active opportunities and a directory of 440 member organizations. Supporting services include personalized volunteer orientation (approximately 600 meetings annually), volunteer follow-up and matching, and a flying team of short-term volunteers for organizations' ad-hoc needs. Member organizations receive advisory services, training programs (full-day and half-day workshops on volunteer coordination, recruitment, retention, and recognition), and collective networking activities. Additional services include medical appointment transportation accompaniment for seniors, a multifunction room rental, automated welfare check calls (SécuriCAB), newsletter subscription, and an annual report. The organization is supported by ViGlob for website management and partners with platforms like Jebenevole.ca and Bonhomme à lunettes to extend service offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Matching Platform (Plateforme de jumelage bénévole) Online platform connecting individual volunteers with member organizations in East Montreal. Lists approximately 146 active volunteer opportunities with search filters for sector, type of volunteering, client demographics, age requirements, and availability. The platform receives nearly 30,000 visitors annually.
• Volunteer Information Sessions (Séance d'information sur le bénévolat) Orientation session for prospective volunteers explaining how to become a volunteer, available opportunities, and how to get started with the organization. Held virtually via Microsoft Teams or in-person at the Rosemont office.
• Personalized Orientation Meetings (Rencontre d'orientation personnalisée) One-on-one interviews conducted by orientation counselors to understand potential volunteers' motivations and match them with appropriate opportunities. Approximately 600 meetings conducted annually.
• Volunteer Matching Follow-up (Suivi de jumelage bénévole) Ongoing follow-up service ensuring successful volunteer-organization matching. Staff contact both parties to confirm the partnership is working well and address any evolving needs.
• Flying Volunteer Team (Équipe volante de bénévoles) Pool of short-term volunteers ready to assist member organizations with ad-hoc tasks such as garden maintenance, material sorting, minor repairs, and event support including reception, setup, and decoration.
• Advisory Support for Member Organizations (Soutien-conseil aux organismes membres) Free personalized advisory support for member organizations covering all aspects of volunteer coordination, from structuring volunteer programs to volunteer recognition. Available by phone, email, or in-person/Zoom consultation.
• Training: Mobilisation et coordination des bénévoles d'aujourd'hui Full-day training program for volunteer coordinators covering planning, recruitment, selection, onboarding, coordination, recognition, and evaluation. Priced at $70 for members and $100 for non-members.
• Training: Clés pour l'accueil et la coordination des bénévoles issus de l'immigration Half-day training on welcoming and coordinating volunteers from immigrant backgrounds, covering intercultural communication, recruitment keys, retention, and conflict management. Priced at $30 for members and $45 for non-members.
• Volunteer Retention Workshop (Atelier sur la rétention des bénévoles) Workshop helping volunteer coordinators identify obstacles to retention and develop solutions. Free for members, conducted in 2.5-hour sessions.
• Volunteer Recruitment Workshop (Atelier sur le recrutement de bénévoles) Workshop teaching organizations how to enhance volunteer postings and utilize various recruitment methods including word-of-mouth strategies. Free for members.
• Recognition Event Workshop (Atelier Idées et outils pour concevoir un événement de reconnaissance) Workshop on planning volunteer recognition events, finding meaningful gifts on limited budgets, and event logistics. Free for member organizations.
• Collective Activities for Volunteer Coordinators (Activités collectives pour coordonnateurs de bénévoles) Networking and exchange sessions for volunteer coordinators to share best practices, challenges, and solutions. Free for member organizations.
• Medical Appointment Accompaniment-Transport Service (Service d'accompagnement-transport aux rendez-vous médicaux) Transportation and accompaniment service to medical appointments for adults with mild physical or cognitive loss of autonomy, with annual income under $25,000 and no other support network. Available Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Clients must be referred by a CLSC or member organization.
• Multifunction Activity Room Rental (Location de salle d'activités multifonction) Rental of a 312-square-foot multifunction activity room with kitchenette, bathroom, and separate entrance. Equipped with tables, chairs, projector, and screen for meetings, conferences, and events.
• SécuriCAB Automated Welfare Check Service Automated welfare check calling service for seniors including safety calls and health reminders. Available 7 days a week, free and bilingual for all elderly individuals.
• Member Organization Directory (Répertoire des organismes membres) Public online directory of 440 member organizations, with each organization having its own page including mission description, contact information, and links. Supports volunteer recruitment by showcasing available organizations across East Montreal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 600 personalized orientation meetings conducted annually with potential volunteers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fédération des centres d'action bénévole (FCABQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccès Bénévolat is a member of the Quebec network of 120+ Centres d'action bénévole (CAB) administered by the Fédération. The FCABQ administers the Jebenevole.ca provincial platform that provides additional volunteer matching services for those outside Accès Bénévolat's territory.
• 211 Grand MontréalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner211 Grand Montréal is a free telephone and chat service providing information and referrals to nearly 6,000 sociocommunity resources, available 7 days a week in 200 languages. They refer individuals seeking volunteer opportunities to Accès Bénévolat.
• Bonhomme à lunettesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLow-cost prescription eyewear provider that operates a point of service at Accès Bénévolat offices on Tuesdays from 1:30pm to 4pm in Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie. Since 2007, they serve 59 community organizations across Quebec.
• CLSCs (Local Community Service Centers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCLSCs serve as referral partners for the accompaniment-transport service. New clients must be referred by a CLSC or member organization, which completes the request form 5 days in advance.
• Jebenevole.cacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial volunteer matching platform for CABs and nonprofit organizations to connect with volunteers. Administered by the Fédération des centres d'action bénévole. Volunteers seeking opportunities outside Accès Bénévolat's territory are directed to this platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Idealist: Global nonprofit platform for volunteering, jobs, and internships. Comparable volunteer-matching function but with a much broader geographic and digital reach, competing for the same volunteer audience.
• Points of Light: Large US-based volunteer engagement organization with a global network. Comparable in aggregating and supporting volunteer-serving organizations, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• VolunteerMatch: Large US-based digital volunteer matching platform connecting volunteers with nonprofit opportunities. Comparable in mission (volunteer matching) but operates at national scale with a proprietary technology platform rather than a single regional territory.
• Volunteer Canada: National volunteer engagement organization that conducts research, develops tools, and supports volunteer centers across Canada. Comparable in mission and peer-to-peer support model, though operating at the national level rather than a single region.

Emerging players

• Catchafire: Skills-based volunteer matching platform focused on connecting professionals with nonprofits for virtual projects. Comparable in volunteer-matching function but focused on episodic, skills-based engagements rather than traditional volunteer placements.

Others

• 211 Grand Montréal: Referral service funded by Centraide that connects individuals to ~6,000 community resources. Currently a referral partner of Accès Bénévolat, illustrating the broader community-services ecosystem in which the organization operates.

Direct peers

• Fédération des centres d'action bénévole du Québec (FCABQ): Provincial federation that administers the Jebenevole.ca platform and supports 120+ member CABs including Accès Bénévolat. Direct peer as the umbrella network that sets the operating model and provides member services.
• Centre d'action bénévole de Montréal: Direct local peer volunteer center also serving Montreal under the FCABQ network. Operates with the same organizational model (volunteer matching, training, member services) but serving a different Montreal territory.

Regional players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Montreal: Regional volunteer-based mentoring nonprofit operating in Montreal. Comparable in recruiting, screening, and matching volunteers with community-service outcomes, but focused on a single mentoring program rather than broad volunteer matching.
• Centraide / United Way Greater Montreal: Major Montreal-area community fundraising organization supporting upstream nonprofits. Comparable as a community-sector intermediary that funds and convenes nonprofit organizations in the same ecosystem Accès Bénévolat serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AccesBenevolat
• Facebookfacebook.com/AccesBenevolat
• Instagraminstagram.com/acces_benevolat/?hl=fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acc%C3%A8s-b%C3%A9n%C3%A9volat

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 Accès Bénévolat