Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien

What Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien does

Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien is a private, family-controlled nonprofit foundation established in 1990 in Montreal, Quebec, by Philippe II and Nan-B de Gaspé Beaubien. The foundation operates an entrepreneurial-philanthropy model in which three and four generations of the family are directly engaged in strategy, governance, and program delivery, with General Director Dominique Monchamp managing day-to-day operations. The foundation does not sell products or services; it generates revenue exclusively through donations and grants and deploys that capital across three pillars: freshwater protection in North America, community initiatives in the Laurentians, and the preservation of Canadian entrepreneurial history.

The foundation's primary operating asset is AquaAction, a nonprofit founded in 2015 that runs a three-stage innovation pipeline for water-technology entrepreneurs. AquaHacking is a watershed-targeted startup challenge that has operated across at least 11 Canadian watersheds since 2015; AquaEntrepreneur provides pre-commercialization support; and AquaNation facilitates market expansion for alumni ventures. Adjacent initiatives include the De Gaspé Beaubien Museum (a virtual platform documenting over 400 years of Canadian entrepreneurial history and profiling 10 Canadian entrepreneurs), Maison Phoenix (an intergenerational cooperative housing project for seniors in Val-David, supported since 2022), and contributions to the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts hospital. The foundation also sponsors the Emerging Talent Award EAU André-Perrault in partnership with C.I.EAU.

The foundation's revenue model is donation- and grant-based; it does not publish financial statements and discloses no pricing, product fees, or commercial contracts. Its marketing and distribution channels are limited to a bilingual website, organic social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), press releases, and event participation. There is no commercial sales motion, no AI/ML platform, no patents, and no headcount disclosed in the input data. The foundation operates as a member of Philanthropic Foundations Canada and Environment Funders Canada, which provide peer visibility but not revenue.

Name

Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien

Legal name

Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien

Website

https://fondationdegaspebeaubien.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien is a private Montreal-based family foundation founded in 1990 that funds freshwater innovation (via its nonprofit AquaAction), intergenerational housing in the Laurentians, and Canadian entrepreneurial history through the De Gaspé Beaubien Museum, with three family generations actively involved.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation services
• Freshwater protection funding
• Water technology innovation
• Community grant programs
• Entrepreneurial philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a private foundation, the organization generates revenue through donations and grants rather than commercial product or service sales. It allocates the majority of its funds to water preservation initiatives and public awareness programs. The foundation supports AquaAction (a nonprofit it founded in 2015), the De Gaspé Beaubien Museum, and Maison Phoenix.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien is a private family foundation that funds and facilitates innovative projects focused on protecting and restoring North America's freshwater, primarily through its nonprofit subsidiary AquaAction which runs the AquaHacking startup challenge, AquaEntrepreneur pre-commercialization support, and AquaNation market expansion programs. It also supports community initiatives in the Laurentians region and operates the De Gaspé Beaubien Museum showcasing Canadian entrepreneurial history.

Product overview

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation operates as a philanthropic organization supporting innovation for the common good, with its primary focus on freshwater protection in North America. The foundation's main initiatives include AquaAction (a nonprofit with three programs: AquaHacking for startups, AquaEntrepreneur for pre-commercialization, and AquaNation for market expansion), Community Actions supporting local initiatives in the Laurentians, and the De Gaspé Beaubien Museum documenting Canadian entrepreneurial history. The foundation also supports Maison Phoenix for intergenerational housing and the Emerging Talent Award EAU André-Perrault for young water sector innovators. Three generations of the family are actively involved in these initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AquaAction A nonprofit organization founded in 2015 with the mission to restore the health of freshwater in North America by investing in young Canadian entrepreneurs developing water technologies.
• AquaHacking A startup challenge catering to startups and new enterprises developing innovative solutions to the water crisis, the first step of the AquaAction entrepreneurial journey.
• AquaEntrepreneur A program that supports water technology enterprises in the pre-commercialization phase, helping bring their solutions from the lab to the market.
• AquaNation A program that facilitates the expansion of AquaAction members into new markets by offering targeted networking, visibility, outreach opportunities, and operational and strategic support.
• De Gaspé Beaubien Museum A virtual and interactive museum experience presenting over 400 years of Canadian entrepreneurial history, showcasing 10 Canadian men and women whose stories offer lessons for today's and tomorrow's entrepreneurs.
• Community Actions Local and community initiatives in the Laurentians region where the de Gaspé Beaubien family originated, with projects focused on direct and long-term impact on the population's quality of life.
• Maison Phoenix A nonprofit organization providing intergenerational cooperative housing for seniors with diminishing autonomy. The building is located near a public school in Val-David to facilitate intergenerational exchanges between residents and young people.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2015, AquaAction has held AquaHacking challenges across Canadian watersheds including Ottawa River (2015), Saint Lawrence River (2016), Lake Erie (2017), Lake Ontario (2018), Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence (2019), Okanagan Lake (2020), Atlantic (2020, 2022), Rivière des Mille Îles (2021), Quebec (2023, 2025), Great Lakes (2024), and Prairies (2025).
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AquaActionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by the foundation in 2015 as a nonprofit organization. AquaAction's mission is to restore the health of freshwater in North America by investing in young Canadian entrepreneurs. The foundation provides ongoing financial and strategic support to AquaAction, which runs programs including AquaHacking (startup challenge), AquaEntrepreneur (pre-commercialization), and AquaNation (market expansion). François de Gaspé Beaubien serves as President of AquaAction's board.
• Maison PhoenixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA nonprofit organization (OSBL) providing intergenerational co-operative housing for seniors with diminishing autonomy in Val-David, Quebec. The foundation funds the coordination of intergenerational activities, including the hiring of a dedicated coordinator (Geneviève Beauchamp in 2022). The building is located near a public school to facilitate intergenerational exchanges.
• De Gaspé Beaubien MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA virtual and interactive museum showcasing over 400 years of Canadian entrepreneurial history, developed and supported by the Gaspé Beaubien family. The museum tells the stories of 10 Canadian men and women entrepreneurs to inspire today's and tomorrow's entrepreneurs.
• C.I.EAU (Centre d'interprétation de l'eau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation partnered with C.I.EAU as a sponsor of the Emerging Talent Award EAU André-Perrault, awarding $1,500 to young water sector innovators. Dominique Monchamp, General Director of the foundation, presented the award at the official ceremony.
• Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation made a major contribution to the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts hospital in the Laurentians region, demonstrating its commitment to community health infrastructure.
• Philanthropic Foundations CanadaminorOthersThe foundation is a member of Philanthropic Foundations Canada (FPC), a bilingual organization representing Canadian philanthropic foundations.
• Environment Funders CanadaminorOthersThe foundation is a member of Environment Funders Canada (Financeurs en environnement au Canada), a network of Canadian foundations focused on environmental funding.
• Solutions Eco TimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinner of the 2021 Emerging Talent Award EAU André-Perrault, co-founded by Timothé Roy-Bouchard. The foundation awarded a $1,500 grant for innovative rainwater collection projects. The company develops solutions in the water sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/degaspebeaubien
• Facebookfacebook.com/fondationdegaspebeaubien
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-de-gaspe-beaubien-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien