Montreal Heart Institute Foundation

What Montreal Heart Institute Foundation does

The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation is a registered Canadian charity (registration number 10183 7896 RR0001), founded in 1977 and headquartered at 5000 Bélanger in Montreal, that operates as the primary philanthropic fundraising arm of the Montreal Heart Institute. It supports the Institute's four-pillar mission of cardiovascular research, prevention, care, and education by channeling donations into specialized research centres (the Research Centre, the Centre de pharmacogénomique, and the Advanced Simulation Centre for Structural Heart and Valve Therapy — the first of its kind in the Americas), specialized clinics (the EPIC Centre for prevention, the Sun Life Diabetes Prevention and Remission Clinic — Canada's only such clinic — and the Karen & Murray Dalfen Arrhythmia Centre), and dedicated research funds including a $25 million Women's Heart Health Fund. It also funds training, with the new Simulation Centre planning to train 40 to 50 international specialists annually.

The Foundation's revenue is generated through a hybrid model: individual one-time and recurring donations via the fondationicm.org portal, peer-to-peer fundraising through Zeffy, corporate donations, sponsorships, matching programs, payroll deductions and cause-marketing, plus proceeds from signature annual events. These events include the Bal des Grands Cœurs (gala with Cirque du Soleil performance, 26th edition in September 2026, raising $1.47M in its 25th edition), the Kanawaki Golf Tournament (40th edition in August 2026), Polo avec cœur, the Montreal Auto Show Charity Preview, the Travel with Heart raffle ($73,000 in prizes), and fitness challenges (Marathon Beneva de Montréal, Bromont Ultra, Demi-Marathon Sun Life). Pricing for events and donations is published in Canadian dollars with tax receipts issued at $20 and above.

Notable financial and partnership signals include a historic $140 million posthumous bequest from Paul Durocher in June 2024, a $1.5 million gift from Brian and Mila Mulroney in December 2023, more than $1.5 million in cumulative support from Sun Life since 2019 (extended in 2025), flagship corporate partners including Power Corporation, National Bank, Bell, Canada Life, and Desjardins, and a new cause-marketing partnership with Tuango in 2026. Governance was refreshed in 2025–2026 with the appointment of Karl Blackburn as President and CEO (April 2026), Jacques Goulet as Board Chair (June 2026), and six new board members (June 2025).

Name

Montreal Heart Institute Foundation

Legal name

Montreal Heart Institute Foundation

Website

https://fondationicm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation is a Montreal-based registered Canadian charity founded in 1977 that raises philanthropic funds to support cardiovascular research, prevention, care, and education at the Montreal Heart Institute, serving individual donors, corporate partners, and patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy and Cardiovascular Research Fundraising

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Cardiovascular research funding
• Heart health philanthropy
• Nonprofit fundraising events
• Corporate charity partnerships
• Peer-to-peer donations

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual donors, processed through the Foundation's website with optional 3% processing fee coverage.
2. Annual Events: Revenue from signature events including the Kanawaki Golf Tournament ($1,000 tickets), Bal des Grands Cœurs ($275+ tickets), Polo avec cœur ($5,000 table of 10), and Travel with Heart raffle ($20+ tickets).
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate donations, sponsorships, matching donations, payroll deductions, cause marketing, and donations of goods/services from corporate partners.
4. Online Fundraising Campaigns: Peer-to-peer fundraising through Zeffy platform, allowing individuals to create personal fundraising campaigns for various initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that raises and manages philanthropic funds to support the Montreal Heart Institute's four-pillar mission of cardiovascular research, prevention, care, and education. It operates research centres, specialized clinics, and dedicated research funds while generating donations through signature annual events, corporate partnerships, peer-to-peer fundraising, and major planned gifts.

Product overview

The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation is a healthcare philanthropy organization that supports the Montreal Heart Institute. Its offerings include specialized medical research centres (Research Centre, Centre de pharmacogénomique, Advanced Simulation Centre), specialized clinics (EPIC Centre for prevention, Sun Life Diabetes Prevention and Remission Clinic, Karen & Murray Dalfen Arrhythmia Centre), research funds (Women's Heart Health Fund), and annual fundraising events (Bal des Grands Cœurs, Kanawaki Golf Tournament, Polo avec cœur, Travel with Heart Raffle, Montreal Auto Show Charity Preview). The Foundation also operates an online peer-to-peer fundraising platform via Zeffy and awards programs recognizing excellence in cardiovascular care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bal des Grands Cœurs and its Après-Bal Annual fundraising gala featuring a gourmet meal, Cirque du Soleil performance, and Après-Bal celebration; the 25th edition raised $1,471,000 in September 2025.
• Kanawaki Golf Tournament Annual golf tournament at Kanawaki Golf Club supporting the Montreal Heart Institute.
• Polo avec cœur Annual polo event supporting the MHI's arrhythmia clinic, featuring a gourmet meal, live auction, polo match, and Best Hat Contest.
• Travel with Heart Raffle Annual raffle offering dream vacations as prizes, with tickets starting at $20 and $73,000 in prizes including a $25,000 grand prize trip.
• Montreal Auto Show Charity Preview Exclusive preview of the Montreal Auto Show raising funds for five hospital foundations including the MHI.
• Online Fundraising Platform Peer-to-peer fundraising platform powered by Zeffy enabling individuals to create and manage personal fundraising campaigns for the Foundation.
• Fitness Challenges Fundraising program partnering with fitness events such as Marathon Beneva de Montréal, Bromont Ultra, and Demi-Marathon Sun Life, enabling participants to raise funds while physically challenging themselves.

Named customers2 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

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, flagship and major.

• Simulands (Zurich)coreTechnology or Integration · 27 February 2026Zurich-based Simulands provides high-fidelity cardiovascular simulation systems for the Advanced Simulation Centre for Structural Heart and Valve Therapy, the first of its kind in the Americas.
• TuangominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 January 2026Quebec-based company committed to heart health. When completing a purchase on the Tuango platform, clients have the option to include a donation to the Foundation to support research, prevention, and cardiovascular care.
• Cirque du SoleilflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025Founding partner for the Bal des Grands Cœurs event, providing exclusive performances. 25 years of creativity partnership with the Foundation.
• Sun LifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Sun Life is a major partner supporting the Sun Life Diabetes Prevention and Remission Clinic. Their support since 2019 totals more than $1.5 million. In 2025, Sun Life extended its commitment to continue vital support in the fight against diabetes, helping the Clinic innovate and serve more patients.
• Power CorporationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner for Foundation events, supporting cardiovascular research and care initiatives.
• National BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent partner for the Bal des Grands Cœurs and other Foundation initiatives, supporting women's heart health fund.
• BellmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Foundation events and cardiovascular health initiatives.
• Canada LifemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Foundation events and cardiovascular health initiatives.
• DesjardinsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Foundation events and cardiovascular health initiatives.
• Sun LifeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSensitive Heart level partner for women's heart health initiatives, in addition to their major diabetes clinic partnership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SickKids Foundation: One of Canada's largest hospital foundations, running large-scale signature events, corporate partnerships, and major-gift campaigns for pediatric care and research — comparable fundraising sophistication and event-driven GTM.
• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: Canada's leading voluntary health organization focused on cardiovascular disease, raising funds through donations and events to support research and prevention — directly comparable mandate and donor model to the MHI Foundation.
• MUHC Foundation: Montreal's McGill University Health Centre Foundation raises funds for adult and pediatric specialty care through major gifts, events, and corporate partnerships — directly comparable urban hospital foundation model.
• CHUM Foundation: Foundation of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, a leading Quebec hospital foundation leveraging corporate sponsorships and signature events to fund specialty care and research — comparable Quebec hospital fundraising arm.
• Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation: Montreal-based hospital foundation using signature galas, corporate partnerships, and major-gift fundraising to support a world-renowned specialty hospital — same geography, same fundraising model, same donor pool.

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association: The largest US-based nonprofit funding cardiovascular research and education, with a broad portfolio beyond any single hospital — comparable mission but operates as an umbrella advocacy and research funder rather than a single-institution foundation.

Regional players

• VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation: Vancouver-based hospital foundation supporting specialty care and research at Vancouver General Hospital — comparable fundraising model and signature event programs but geographically distinct.
• Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation: Major Canadian hospital foundation raising funds for University Health Network specialty care through galas and major gifts — comparable model but operates in a different Canadian region with a distinct donor pool.
• St. Michael's Hospital Foundation: Toronto-based hospital foundation (Unity Health Toronto) raising funds through events and major gifts for inner-city specialty care — comparable fundraising infrastructure but different Canadian region.

Emerging players

• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF Canada): Canadian health-focused nonprofit funding diabetes research and care through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and signature events — comparable health-foundation model and event-driven GTM, but with narrower disease focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FondationICM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondationicm
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondation.icm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Montreal Heart Institute Foundation