Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

What Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean does

Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (CSI-SLSJ) is a registered Canadian charity founded in 1979 in Alma, Quebec, and operating as a non-profit international solidarity organization. Its mandate is split between international development cooperation in four countries — Benin, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, and Senegal — and domestic global citizenship education (Éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale, ECM) delivered to the population of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. It does not develop proprietary technology products; its core "platforms" are program-based: educational workshops (Animations éducatives), a social innovation incubator (Incubateur solidaire), recurring civic events (Jeudis Cambio solidaires, Mercredis midis-échanges, JQSI), and content assets such as thematic fact sheets, comic books, and a trilingual indigenous folktale publication (La Magia del Chimborazo).

International programming is delivered through eight named civil society partner organizations across the four countries, with CSI-SLSJ acting as coordinator, capacity-builder, and grant channel for projects such as 'Ensemble pour un Sahel vert' ($1.35M, 2024-2027) and 'Semer pour demain' ($468,909, 2025-2027). Domestic programming operates through partnerships with regional educational institutions — UQAC, Cégep de Jonquière, Cégep de Saint-Félicien, and increasingly secondary schools — and an emerging digital/AI civic-education stream anchored by the 2026 Forum sur la solidarité numérique.

The revenue model is a hybrid of competitive government grants (Québec sans frontières, Programme de coopération climatique internationale, Affaires mondiales Canada), private foundation grants (Desjardins, Centraide, Louise-Grenier, Roncalli), individual donations and memberships ($20+ granting voting rights), annual benefit events (souper-bénéfice), and a single paid service line ($120 per educational animation session). The organization operates under a co-management model implemented in 2025, with co-directors overseeing international projects and communications/fundraising respectively, and a 9-member volunteer board of directors.

Name

Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

Legal name

Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

Website

https://centresolidarite.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 1979 in Alma, Quebec, the Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean is a registered charity that runs international development projects in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, and Senegal, and delivers global citizenship education programs to youth, schools, and the regional public of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alma

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government project grants: The primary revenue stream consists of project-based funding from the Quebec government (Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie — programmes Québec sans frontières; Programme de coopération climatique internationale), the Quebec Ministry of Environment, and the federal government of Canada (Affaires mondiales Canada). Funding is competitive and tied to specific development projects in four countries.
2. Donations and membership: Individual donations, including monthly donors, are solicited through the website. Any donation of $20 or more qualifies for a one-year membership, which grants voting rights at the general assembly and eligibility for the board of directors. The organization also accepts legacy bequests through the Fonds solidaire Nicole Guy endowment.
3. Benefit events: Annual fundraiser (souper-bénéfice) generates revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships. The 2024-2025 edition achieved a record benefit of $9,715.
4. Education animations (service fee): The organization charges a fee of $120 per educational animation delivered to schools, community organizations, and businesses, plus travel expenses from the Alma office. This represents a nominal cost-recovery fee for educational programming.
5. Private foundation grants: The organization receives funding from private foundations including Louise-Grenier Foundation, Roncalli Foundation, Desjardins Foundation (for the Incubateur solidaire), and Centraide Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. These support specific programs and the organization's operating capacity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (CSI-SLSJ) is a non-profit international solidarity organization that implements international development projects with civil society partners in four countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Senegal), delivers global citizenship education (ECM) programs and educational animations in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, and organizes academic international internships and solidarity stays in collaboration with regional educational institutions.

Product overview

The Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (CSI-SLSJ) is a non-profit international solidarity organization founded in 1979, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered on global citizenship education (Éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale - ECM), international cooperation projects, and experiential learning opportunities. The core offerings include the Éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale (ECM) program as the foundational pillar, supported by the Incubateur solidaire (social innovation incubator), Animations éducatives (educational workshops), Bandes dessinées solidaires (comic book resources), and Fiches thématiques (thematic fact sheets). These educational resources are complemented by international mobility programs including Stages internationaux (academic internships) and Séjours solidaires (solidarity stays) that provide hands-on international experience. The organization implements Projets de coopération internationale (international development projects) in four countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Senegal) addressing sustainable development, gender equality, and climate resilience. Annual events such as the JQSI, Semaine du développement international, Forum sur la solidarité numérique, and Journée de l'engagement international mobilize regional audiences around global citizenship themes. Specialized cultural and educational resources like La route du quinoa exhibition and La Magia del Chimborazo indigenous storybook support intercultural understanding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale (ECM) / Global Citizenship Education Core educational program that raises awareness about global citizenship, international solidarity, and social transformation among the regional population of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, including citizens, community groups, and local organizations.
• Incubateur solidaire / Solidarity Incubator

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,148 people participated in regional awareness activities; 58 youth completed international stays; $617,012 invested in development projects; over 200 members; over 1,000 newsletter subscribers; over 10,000 social media followers (2024-2025 annual report)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AQOCI (Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSI-SLSJ is one of approximately 70 member organizations of AQOCI, which provides access to communities of practice, training, tools, and collective advocacy and mobilization capacity. AQOCI organizes the JQSI and SDI national programming, of which CSI-SLSJ is an active participant.
• AgrinovacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgrinova is a technology transfer center in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region that partners with CSI-SLSJ on international development projects, providing agricultural expertise for projects in Senegal and other countries.
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUQAC collaborates with CSI-SLSJ on international internship programs and research. The university's Certificate in Cooperation International program places students in international development placements. UQAC is a partner in the 'Ensemble pour un Sahel vert' project.
• Cégep de JonquièrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cégep de Jonquière sends students in various programs (Techniques de travail social, Techniques cinématographiques, Techniques de tourisme) on international placements coordinated by CSI-SLSJ in Senegal and Ecuador.
• Nébéday (Sénégal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNébéday is the primary Senegalese partner organization, implementing projects in the Sine-Saloum region focused on climate resilience, improved cookstoves (foyers améliorés), eco-tourism (Camp nature), and women's empowerment. Partner in the major 'Ensemble pour un Sahel vert' project ($1.35M, 2024-2027).
• ONG Racines (Bénin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONG Racines is a Beninese civil society organization implementing nutrition and food security projects with CSI-SLSJ, including the project 'Accompagnement nutritionnel des enfants de 0 à 5 ans dans la commune de Ouèssè' ($90,000, 2025-2027).
• PEH-BénincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEH-Bénin is the lead partner for the project 'Semer pour demain: solutions agricoles pour un Savalou résilient' ($468,909, 2025-2027), focused on climate-adapted agricultural techniques in the Savalou commune.
• Act'Éco (Bénin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAct'Éco is the Beninese partner for the project 'Écoresponsabilité: une commune béninoise s'engage' ($30,000), focused on mobilizing community groups in Tori for ecoresponsible behaviors including plastic pollution reduction and decarbonization.
• Association d'appui et d'éveil Pugsada (ADEP, Burkina Faso)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADEP is the Burkina Faso partner implementing the project 'Renforcement de la résilience des filles et des jeunes femmes vulnérables et des déplacées internes' ($100,000), addressing food, housing, income, health, and violence issues faced by vulnerable young women in the context of Burkina Faso's security crisis.
• Fundación Arte Nativo (Équateur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Arte Nativo uses short film as an intervention tool and organizes the Kunturñawi and Wawas al Cine festivals. Partner in the 'D'un regard à l'autre' intercultural cinema project and projects on indigenous women's self-determination in La Moya community.
• Fundación M.A.R.CO. (Équateur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación M.A.R.CO. is the Ecuador partner for rural development projects focused on sustainable dairy and guinea pig value chains in 9 communities, with a gender equity policy adopted within the producer cooperative.
• Fundación Nosotras con Equidad (Équateur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Nosotras con Equidad implements projects on gender-based violence prevention and women's economic autonomy in rural indigenous communities of Cacha and Punín, Ecuador. Current project 'Sinchi Warmi' ($30,000, 2025-2026).
• COlab – Innovation et culture numériqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with CSI-SLSJ to organize the Forum sur la solidarité numérique in February 2026, bringing together diverse generations to discuss digital citizenship and ethics.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• SOCODEVI: Quebec-based cooperative development NGO delivering partner-led economic development in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Comparable on partner-implemented development model and Quebec donor base, but operates with a cooperative-enterprise mandate rather than youth/education focus.

Direct peers

• Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie: Quebec NGO focused on international cooperation through education, including youth mobility and teacher-training programs. Highly comparable on the educational-cooperation and youth-mobility axes (stages internationaux, séjours solidaires).
• SUCO (Solidarité Union Coopération): Quebec-based international cooperation NGO running volunteer placements and development projects with a similar grassroots solidarity model. Direct overlap on international stages, partner-led development, and Quebec-based donor base.
• Carrefour de solidarité internationale de Sherbrooke: Regional Quebec international solidarity NGO offering ECM programming, international internships, and development projects in Global South partner countries. Most structurally comparable peer given shared regional mandate, AQOCI membership, and ECM-focused portfolio.
• Canada World Youth / Jeunesse Canada Monde: Canadian NGO running international youth-exchange and solidarity programs with partner organizations in the Global South. Comparable on youth mobility, reciprocal internships, and partner-delivered development model, though federally chartered and larger.
• CECI (Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale): Long-standing Montreal-based international cooperation NGO implementing development projects and volunteer-sending programs across many countries. Comparable in mission (international solidarity) and Quebec anchor, but substantially larger in scale and budget.

Broad incumbents

• Oxfam-Québec: Major Quebec-based international solidarity and humanitarian NGO with global brand and significantly larger budget. Overlaps on ECM programming, Quebec government grant capture, and AQOCI participation, but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
• WUSC (World University Service of Canada): Canadian NGO running international student-internship and refugee-education programs through university partnerships. Comparable on the international stages / university pipeline and educational-cooperation model, but operates nationally with a far larger budget.
• Equitas — Centre international d'éducation aux droits humains: Montreal-headquartered international human rights education organization delivering programs to youth and educators globally. Comparable on the global citizenship / human rights education axis and similar Canadian funding model (grants + foundations).

Others

• AQOCI (Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale): Umbrella association of ~70 Quebec international cooperation NGOs that CSI-SLSJ belongs to. Not a competitor but a network/convener that funds collective advocacy and shared programming (JQSI, SDI) — a strategic counterpart rather than peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centresolidarite
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-de-solidarit%C3%A9-internationale-du-saguenay-lac-saint-jean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Centre de solidarité internationale du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean