Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec

What Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec does

Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec is a Quebec-incorporated nonprofit charitable foundation established in 1990 and headquartered in Laval, with a secondary operational site at the Base de plein air Bon départ in Wentworth-Nord (Laurentides). The foundation pursues a two-pillar program model. The first pillar is the Programme de dons aux organismes de bienfaisance, which distributes grants of at least CAD $1,000 to registered Quebec charities focused on improving the quality of life of children and families in vulnerable situations, with applications requiring sponsorship from a local Canadian Tire merchant. The second pillar is the Base de plein air Bon départ, a wholly-owned outdoor recreation facility acquired in 2000 that, since 2019, provides free respite stays and vacation camps to children aged 6-21 and adults living with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, mental health issues, or multi-disabilities.

The foundation's commercial/operational technology stack is minimal: a WordPress-based website, Mailchimp for monthly newsletters, and JotForm for online grant applications. There is no public API, no proprietary software platform, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. The organization runs with a lean team of approximately 13 employees and is governed by a board of directors, with day-to-day operations supported by a Coordonnatrice des dons and a Privacy Officer.

The foundation's revenue model is donations-based, not commercial. It raises funds through merchant-driven community activity across 100 Canadian Tire store locations in Quebec, individual donor giving, planned gifts, corporate partnerships (e.g., Desjardins), and recurring fundraising events including an annual golf tournament and a 50/50 anniversary raffle. In FY2023-2024 the foundation raised CAD $3,068,134, enabling support for 131 charities and more than 148,000 beneficiaries. Since inception, cumulative distributions exceed CAD $35 million across 2,124 organizations. The foundation is not a subsidiary of Canadian Tire in the corporate sense; rather, it is a separately governed nonprofit affiliated by brand and structurally supported by the network of independent Canadian Tire store owner-operators in Quebec.

Name

Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec

Legal name

Fondation Bon Départ de Canadian Tire du Québec Inc.

Website

https://fondationbondepart.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec is a Laval-based nonprofit founded in 1990 that distributes grants to Quebec charities and operates the Base de plein air Bon départ, a free outdoor camp for vulnerable children and adults with disabilities, funded by 100 affiliated Canadian Tire merchants, donors, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation and Community Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation services
• Community grantmaking programs
• Nonprofit fundraising campaigns
• Respite camp services
• Disability support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Laval

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds through donations from the public, merchants, partners, and various fundraising activities including golf tournaments, 50/50 raffles, lotteries (Loto 1000), and spring clean-up events. In 2023-2024, $3,068,134 was raised.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The foundation raises charitable funds and redistributes them through two main programs: (1) the Programme de dons aux organismes de bienfaisance, which awards grants of at least $1,000 to registered Quebec charities serving vulnerable children and families, and (2) the Base de plein air Bon départ, an owned outdoor facility in Wentworth-Nord that provides free respite stays and vacation camps to children aged 6-21 and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, mental health issues, or multi-disabilities. It is supported by the network of 100 Canadian Tire store owner-operators across Quebec who act as local fundraisers, volunteers, and grant-application sponsors.

Product overview

Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec operates as a charitable foundation with a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings consist of two main pillars: the Programme de dons aux organismes de bienfaisance (charitable donations program) providing grants of at least $1,000 to registered Quebec charities supporting children and families in vulnerable situations, and the Base de plein air Bon départ (outdoor recreation base) offering free respite stays and vacation camps for individuals with disabilities. These are complemented by fundraising events including the annual golf tournament and the Tirage Moitié-Moitié 50/50 raffle, as well as a planned giving program for long-term donor engagement. The foundation connects with supporters through monthly newsletters distributed via Mailchimp and maintains an online application system for charitable organizations seeking funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Base de plein air Bon départ: An outdoor recreation facility owned by the Fondation since 2000, offering free respite stays and holiday camps for children aged 6-21 and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, mental health issues, or multi-disabilities, located in Wentworth-Nord in the Laurentides region.

Products and services

• Programme de dons aux organismes de bienfaisance A charitable donations program that provides financial grants of at least $1,000 to registered Quebec charities helping children and families in vulnerable situations, focused on improving quality of life through healthy lifestyle habits and well-being initiatives.
• Base de plein air Bon départ An outdoor recreation base located in Wentworth-Nord in the Laurentides region that offers free respite stays and vacation camps to children aged 6-21 and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, mental health issues, or multi-disabilities.
• Programme de dons planifiés A planned giving program allowing donors to arrange future donations to support the foundation's mission over the long term.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 148,000 people helped in 2023-2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Base de plein air Bon départcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000The Base de plein air Bon départ is owned by the foundation since 2000. It is a charitable organization with the mission to promote development of children in vulnerable situations and people living with intellectual disability, allowing them to experience an unforgettable holiday camp in a natural environment. The foundation operates respite and vacation camp programs at this facility.
• 100 Canadian Tire Store Owners (Marchands membres)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1990The 100 Canadian Tire store owner-operators across Quebec form the core foundation of the organization. Without these merchant owners, the foundation would not exist. They participate as member merchants, sponsor charitable organization applications, volunteer at events, and are essential to the foundation's fundraising and community engagement efforts.
• Jumpstart/Bon départ (National Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJumpstart exists across Canada to ensure children in need have equal access to sport and physical activities. The Quebec foundation is a separate entity focused on local charitable organizations and the Base de plein air, while the national Jumpstart program handles individual sporting equipment and registration assistance requests.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Fondation CHU Sainte-Justine: The fundraising foundation for Sainte-Justine children's hospital in Montreal. It shares the Quebec children's-welfare focus and major-donor fundraising mechanics, but operates at a more specialized pediatric health vertical and is a much larger institutional fundraising operation.

Direct peers

• Fondation du Grand Montréal: A major Quebec community foundation that aggregates donor funds and redistributes them to local charities. Its grantmaking model, community focus, and Quebec geography closely mirror the foundation's core program, making it a strong structural benchmark.
• Fondation Desjardins: The philanthropic arm of Desjardins Group, a Quebec-based cooperative, focused on education, youth, and community development. It is highly comparable due to its cooperative/retail-network affiliation, Quebec geography, and youth-focused grants, and is also a current partner of the foundation.
• Abilities Across Canada (formerly Easter Seals Canada): A national disability services and advocacy organization serving children and adults with physical disabilities. It is directly comparable to the Base de plein air's program mission serving children and adults with intellectual disabilities and other challenges.
• Opération Enfant Soleil: A Quebec-centric children's charity raising funds through province-wide events and donations to support pediatric health. It mirrors the foundation's Quebec focus, children-focused mission, and event-driven fundraising model, though its beneficiary scope is health-specific.
• Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities: The national sister charity of the same Canadian Tire brand, Jumpstart provides sport and recreation funding to children in need across Canada. It is the most direct comparable because it shares the Canadian Tire identity, donor base architecture, and child-focused mission, although it operates at national rather than provincial scale.
• Camp Massawippi: A Quebec-based summer camp that has served children and adults with special needs for decades. Its mission — outdoor recreation and respite for vulnerable populations — directly mirrors the Base de plein air Bon départ service offering, making it the closest program-level peer.
• Centraide du Grand Montréal: The leading community fundraising federation in Quebec, channeling workplace donations to a network of community agencies. It is directly comparable to the foundation's grant-distribution model serving vulnerable populations across Quebec and competes for the same corporate donor mindshare.

Broad incumbents

• Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon: One of Canada's largest private foundations, focused on child development, education, and family wellness in Quebec. It is structurally comparable as a large Quebec-based grantmaking foundation for children and families, but represents a much larger and more institutional incumbent.
• YMCA du Québec: A long-established Quebec social-services organization offering youth programs, day camps, and community support. While its scope is broader than the foundation's, YMCA Quebec operates the same community-based youth and family programs and serves as a benchmark for organizational scale and program diversity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9AyzcrkuU7hcG6LCtIYdPA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/fondationbondepart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-bon-depart-de-canadian-tire-du-quebec
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondationbondepart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondation Bon départ de Canadian Tire du Québec