Fondation Beati

What Fondation Beati does

Fondation Béati is a private nonprofit foundation established in 1990 in Montreal, Quebec, with a mandate to support citizen groups, collectives, and nonprofit organizations addressing social inequalities, poverty, and systemic oppressions across all regions of Quebec. The foundation operates a trust-based philanthropy model, providing unrestricted, multi-year funding that allows grantees to deploy resources according to their own priorities rather than foundation-directed outcomes. Its core offerings include the Programme régulier (triennial unrestricted funding of $30,000 per year, totaling $90,000), the Fonds discrétionnaires (flexible grants up to $5,000 per initiative for urgent or innovative projects), and the Micro-bourse des utopies réalistes ($5,000 micro-grants under the Fonds Patrice Rodriguez). Selection is made by an independent committee of community peers with full grant-allocation authority. Supporting programs include training, coaching, fiscal sponsorship services in development, and a public Policy Toolbox under a Creative Commons license. The foundation also runs the upcoming Programme Relais, a B2B-style platform enabling other philanthropic actors to deploy trust-based funding through Béati's peer-selection infrastructure. Its go-to-market is community-led: an annual open call for proposals with simplified submissions (letter of intent or short video), complemented by regional information sessions and direct outreach via website, email, and social media. Allocated targets include 50% of funds to equity-seeking communities (Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2EAI+, religious minorities, people with disabilities) and 50% to initiatives outside major urban centers. Since inception, the foundation has supported 106+ regular-program initiatives and hundreds of total projects across Quebec. Governance is held by a 9-member Board of Directors and an 8-member independent selection committee; the foundation employs 6 staff and is co-located with Fondation McConnell in Montreal. A 2025-2030 strategic plan and refreshed governance (December 2025) signal an ongoing evolution toward broader sectoral influence and ecosystem-level redistribution of philanthropic capital.

Name

Fondation Beati

Legal name

Fondation Béati

Website

https://www.fondationbeati.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondation Béati is a Montreal-based nonprofit foundation that provides unrestricted, multi-year, and flexible grants to grassroots community organizations across Quebec, using a trust-based philanthropy model and an independent peer selection committee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Trust-based philanthropy
• Unrestricted grant funding
• Community foundation grants
• Social justice funding
• Nonprofit capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Foundation - Grant Disbursement: As a public foundation, Fondation Béati collects, administers, and distributes funds to support projects contributing to collective well-being in Quebec. Funded by an initial anonymous donation in 1990, the foundation operates as a registered charity distributing grants to community organizations and citizen initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fondation Béati is a public foundation that distributes unrestricted, trust-based grants to Quebec community organizations and citizen initiatives addressing social inequalities and systemic oppressions. Its core offerings are three grant programs — a triennial Regular Program (~$90,000 over 3 years), a Discretionary Fund (up to $5,000), and a Micro-grant ($5,000) — alongside training, accompaniment, and an open-source policy toolbox for grantees and the broader nonprofit ecosystem.

Product overview

Fondation Béati operates as a public foundation offering a portfolio of grant programs centered on trust-based philanthropy. The core offerings include the Programme régulier (triennial $90,000 unrestricted funding), Fonds discrétionnaires (up to $5,000 flexible grants), and Micro-bourse des utopies réalistes ($5,000 grants for innovative projects). Supporting programs include the upcoming Programme Relais for collaborative philanthropy, training and support services, and the Boîte-à-politiques resource library—all designed to strengthen community initiatives across Quebec through reduced administrative burden and enhanced accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fonds Patrice Rodriguez (Patrice Rodriguez Fund): A memorial fund created in 2021 to honor Patrice Rodriguez, founder of Parole d'excluEs and co-founder of Le Boulot vers. It presents the Micro-bourse des utopies réalistes (Realistic Utopias Micro-Grant).

Products and services

• Programme régulier (Regular Funding Program) Triennial unrestricted grant program providing $30,000 per year ($90,000 total over 3 years) to Quebec citizen initiatives selected through an open annual call and peer-committee review.
• Fonds discrétionnaires (Discretionary Fund) Flexible, on-demand grant of up to $5,000 for urgent, immediate, or innovative Quebec projects with minimal administrative burden and no detailed reporting.
• Micro-bourse des utopies réalistes (Fonds Patrice Rodriguez) A $5,000 micro-grant supporting bold, counter-hegemonic ideas from individuals or collectives in Quebec, including 1-year access to the foundation's support programs; laureates are identified and selected proactively by the independent selection committee.
• Programme Relais (Bridge Program) Collaborative funding platform enabling other foundations and philanthropic actors to channel flexible, peer-selected funding to Quebec community organizations using trust-based philanthropy practices.
• Formation et accompagnement (Training and Support Programs) Capacity-building services for supported groups, including tools, resources, coaching, and training on topics such as philanthropy and AI, with fiscal-sponsorship and pro-bono services in development.
• Boîte-à-politiques (Policy Toolbox) Public, open-source resource library sharing Fondation Béati's internal policies, guidelines, and tools under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA license for transparency and ecosystem learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 new initiatives funded annually through Regular Program since 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondation McConnellcoreOthersOffice cohabitation arrangement at 1002 Sherbrooke Ouest, 18th floor in Montreal. Shared workspace supporting collaboration between the two foundations.
• Fondation InspiritcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to mobilize philanthropy against islamophobia. Addressing the global reality of Islamophobia which manifests differently across social, political, and historical contexts, with normalization of discriminatory discourse and rising hate acts affecting Muslim communities.
• Fondations Philanthropiques Canada (FPC)coreOthersMember of FPC, collaborating with other foundations to share best practices in funding, governance, and environmental justice.
• Environment Funders Canada (EFC)coreOthersMember of EFC, collaborating with other foundations on environmental justice funding practices and climate action.
• Future of GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership contributing to reflections on the future of philanthropy and exploring more bold and relevant philanthropic models.
• New Power LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-Canadian network developing equitable approaches to capital redistribution to better support underfunded communities.
• Collectif des fondations québécoises contre les inégalitéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of Quebec foundations working collectively to address social inequalities in Quebec.
• Réseau mondial des intersections (RÉMI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network examining relationships between foundations and Indigenous peoples, working toward practices respecting self-determination.
• CPDC (Collectif pour le développement durable des communautés)minorOthersCommunity network aligned with foundation values.
• LDL (Ligue des droits)minorOthersRights league network where foundation holds membership and participates in joint initiatives.
• CQRJMminorOthersRegional community network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aga Khan Foundation Canada: Large Canadian foundation addressing poverty and pluralism across pluralistic communities. Comparable to Béati in equity-seeking and pluralism focus, but operates as a much larger incumbent with global reach and broader thematic portfolio.

Direct peers

• The Canadian Women's Foundation: National Canadian foundation funding gender-equity initiatives including anti-violence, economic empowerment, and Indigenous women's programs. Comparable in operating as a public-facing grantmaker with multi-year funding for community organizations serving equity-seeking populations.
• Foundation for Black Communities: Newly established Canadian trust-based foundation dedicated to Black community wealth-building and capacity. Strong methodological peer to Béati: trust-based unrestricted funding, equity-targeted mandate, and emphasis on community-led decision making.
• Fondation du Grand Montréal: Quebec's largest community foundation, distributing grants across Greater Montreal. Directly comparable in core activity (community grantmaking, multi-year funding, regional Quebec focus), and an immediate benchmark for Béati on endowment management, donor stewardship, and grantee support programs.
• Fondation McConnell: Major Canadian public foundation focused on social and ecological innovation, equity, and Indigenous reconciliation. Direct peer to Béati: co-located in the same Montreal office building, overlapping values around trust-based philanthropy and community-led change, and serves as an established reference point in Quebec's philanthropic ecosystem.
• Centraide of Greater Montreal: Federated giving organization serving Greater Montreal with comparable fundraising and grant distribution to community organizations. Strong functional overlap with Béati in supporting grassroots nonprofits addressing poverty and social exclusion across the same Quebec geography.
• Maytree Foundation: Canadian private foundation focused on poverty reduction through systems change and refugee resettlement. Highly comparable to Béati in trust-based / unrestricted grantmaking philosophy, equity-seeking target populations, and emphasis on policy and advocacy alongside direct service.
• Fondation Inspirit: Canadian foundation advancing pluralism and inclusion. Direct peer: established core partnership with Béati (joint mobilization against Islamophobia), shared equity-and-diversity funding thesis, similar values-aligned grantmaking model.

Regional players

• Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie: Quebec-based family foundation focused on education and youth empowerment in developing countries. Comparable as a Quebec-rooted grantmaking foundation with a clear social-transformation mandate, though focused on education rather than the broader social-justice envelope Béati covers.

Emerging players

• Fondation Émergence: Quebec-based foundation supporting LGBTQ+ rights and elder care. Comparable in mission alignment with Béati's equity-seeking grantees and in Quebec regional focus, though narrower in thematic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Beati