What Centraide Québec does

Centraide Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches is a public charitable foundation (fondation publique), founded in 1945 and headquartered at 550, chemin Sainte-Foy in Québec City. Operating as part of the global United Way network, the organization mobilizes philanthropy across the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions of Québec, distributing donations to 225 affiliated community organizations that together serve roughly 200,000 people per year, or about 1 in 5 regional residents. Its mission targets poverty, social exclusion, and inequality in four action fields: essential needs, inclusive communities, youth success, and breaking social isolation.

The foundation operates a 'don solidaire' (collective giving) model aggregating contributions from nearly 50,000 individual donors, 450+ corporate partners running workplace giving campaigns, and 800+ major donors across the Cercle des dons majeurs ($5,000+ annually), Cercle 1945 ($10,000+), and Leader Or ($2,500-$4,999) tiers. Core revenue streams include annual fundraising campaigns ($23.7M raised in 2025), workplace giving, planned giving vehicles (stock, life insurance, philanthropic funds, testamentary bequests), and the Tissu social cause-marketing merchandise line produced with Quebec-based Arseno. Supporting products include the clicdoncentraide.com donation portal, the 'La voix sociale' newsletter, the 'On cause social' podcast, the publication 'Du plomb dans les ailes,' and the CARO citizen-evaluation committee that provides rigorous but supportive grant vetting.

Resources are allocated through a triennial funding model covering core operations of associated organizations (not just projects), with capacity-building services such as DATAide and Université Laval FSA management training. The enterprise partner stack ranges from three Visionary partners at $1M+ (Beneva, iA Groupe financier, Mouvement Desjardins) through Bâtisseur and Mobilizer tiers down to Ambassador-level supporters. The foundation is governed by a board of directors and led by PDG Isabelle Genest, with Marie-Claude Trépanier directing partnerships and development and Christine Simard overseeing CARO. Government co-investment (e.g., SACAIS) and joint programming with other foundations (Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon) supplement the donor-funded core.

Name

Centraide Québec

Legal name

Centraide Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches

Website

https://centraide-quebec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Centraide Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches is a public charitable foundation that aggregates donations from individual and corporate donors across two Québec regions, deploying funds to 225 community organizations serving roughly 200,000 people annually to combat poverty and social exclusion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation / Community Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy services
• Workplace giving programs
• Charitable fundraising campaigns
• Planned giving services
• Social investment funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Québec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Fundraising Campaign: Core revenue stream from annual fundraising campaigns, with 2025 campaign raising $23.7 million from individual donors, corporate workplace campaigns, and organizational contributions across Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches.
2. Workplace Giving Campaigns: Corporate workplace campaigns where 450+ enterprises organize employee giving programs with optional corporate matching donations.
3. Planned Giving: Structured planned gifts including stock donations, philanthropic funds, life insurance beneficiaries, and testamentary bequests, enabling multi-generational impact.
4. Major Donor Cultivation: The Cercle des dons majeurs (800+ members giving $5,000+/year), Cercle 1945 ($10,000+/year), and Leader Or tier ($2,500-$4,999) provide significant recurring major donor revenue.
5. Tissu Social Merchandise: Social merchandise line (Tissu social) sold through the boutique, with 100% of profits directed to the community organization network. Partnered with Quebec-based Arseno for production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Centraide Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches is a public charitable foundation that mobilizes philanthropic donations from individuals, corporations, and major donors through annual fundraising campaigns, workplace giving programs, planned giving vehicles, and donor circles. The organization aggregates and channels these contributions as multi-year social investments to 225 affiliated community organizations across the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions of Quebec, supporting programs that fight poverty and social exclusion. Complementary offerings include the Tissu social cause-marketing merchandise line and educational content products such as the On cause social podcast, La voix sociale newsletter, and Du plomb dans les ailes publication.

Product overview

Centraide Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches is a public foundation that operates a collective giving ecosystem centered on the 'don solidaire' (solidarity donation) model. The core offering is its annual fundraising campaign, which channels donations to 225+ affiliated community organizations. Supporting products include workplace giving programs (Campagnes en milieu de travail), planned giving (Dons planifiés including stock donations, life insurance, and bequests), and the Tissu social merchandise line. Educational content products include the 'La voix sociale' newsletter, the 'On cause social' podcast, and the book 'Du plomb dans les ailes.' Volunteer programs include business volunteer committees and the CARO (Committee for Analysis and Relations with Organizations). The organization also manages social investment programs directing funds to community organizations in four action fields: essential needs, inclusive communities, youth success, and breaking social isolation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• On cause social: Podcast hosted by PDG Isabelle Genest covering social issues, inequalities, and poverty reduction
• La voix sociale
• Tissu social
• Du plomb dans les ailes

Products and services

• Annual Fundraising Campaign (Campagne de levée de fonds) Annual collective fundraising campaign enabling individual donors and organizations to contribute one-time or recurring gifts, with personal donations, in memoriam donations, and major donor tiers supporting 225+ community organizations across the region.
• Workplace Giving Campaigns (Campagnes en milieu de travail) Structured workplace giving programs through which 450+ enterprises engage employees in charitable giving via payroll deductions, with optional corporate matching donations, packaged under tiered partnership levels (Ambassador through Visionary $1M+).
• Planned Giving (Dons planifiés) Structured legacy and planned giving vehicles for high-net-worth donors and families, including stock donations, philanthropic funds, life insurance beneficiary designations, and testamentary bequests, enabling multi-generational community impact.
• Tissu social merchandise collection
• Social Investment Programs (Investissements sociaux)
• Business Volunteer Programs (Bénévolat d'affaires)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 5 residents served (200,000 people)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship (visionary), core (bâtisseur), core, core (mobilizer) and flagship.

• Benevaflagship (visionary)GTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance company Beneva is a Visionary partner (campaigns of $1M+) and presenting sponsor of Défi Entreprises through 2027. The partnership enables significant corporate and employee donations while providing Beneva with CSR association with Quebec's leading philanthropy brand.
• iA Groupe financierflagship (visionary)GTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services company iA Groupe financier is a Visionary partner ($1M+ campaigns) with extensive executive engagement including former CEO Yvon Charest and EVP Renée Laflamme as major donors.
• Mouvement Desjardinsflagship (visionary)GTM or Marketing PartnerMouvement Desjardins credit union federation contributes as a Visionary partner ($1M+) providing significant corporate donations and employee workplace campaign participation.
• Université Lavalcore (bâtisseur)GTM or Marketing PartnerUniversité Laval is a Bâtisseur partner ($500K-$1M campaigns) with Rectrice Sophie D'Amours actively promoting Centraide. The university also partners on management training for community organizations through FSA.
• ArsenocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec-based apparel manufacturer Arseno produces the Tissu social merchandise line, providing design and manufacturing expertise that transforms donations into social impact through retail cause-marketing.
• Banque Nationale du Canadacore (mobilizer)GTM or Marketing PartnerMajor financial institution as Mobilizer-level partner ($100K-$500K campaigns), contributing through corporate donations and employee workplace campaigns.
• Creaformcore (mobilizer)GTM or Marketing Partner3D measurement technology company Creaform is a Mobilizer partner hosting workplace campaigns. PDG Fanny Truchon actively champions employee engagement.
• Hydro-Québeccore (bâtisseur)GTM or Marketing PartnerProvincial Crown corporation Hydro-Québec contributes as Bâtisseur partner ($500K-$1M), with employee Kim Fortin recognized as dedicated volunteer.
• Leviocore (mobilizer)GTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology consulting firm Levio is a Mobilizer partner supporting workplace campaigns as part of its social responsibility initiatives.
• LégercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch firm Léger partners with Centraide on the Indice d'anxiété financière (Financial Anxiety Index), conducting semi-annual surveys of Quebec residents on financial stress.
• United Way Centraide CanadaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation connects Centraide Québec to the global United Way network, enabling international giving and best practice sharing while maintaining local investment.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: Global parent of the United Way network. Operates as a broad incumbent across 40+ countries; Centraide Québec sits within its federation. Relevant for benchmarking brand and best-practice frameworks.
• Croix-Rouge canadienne (Canadian Red Cross): Large incumbent humanitarian charity operating across Canada. Not a federated-giving peer, but competes for the same corporate-partner CSR dollars and individual major donors, and uses similar major-donor and planned-giving vehicles.

Direct peers

• Fondation communautaire du Grand Québec: Regional community foundation serving the greater Québec area. Uses a comparable pooled-fund, grantmaking-to-local-NGOs model and competes for the same major-donor and corporate-partner relationships in the same territory.
• United Way Greater Toronto: Canada's largest United Way affiliate, running the same workplace-giving and community-investment playbook across the GTA. Comparable structure, donor tiers, and social-investment model, at significantly larger scale.
• Fondation du Grand Montréal: Montreal-based community foundation aggregating philanthropic capital for the region's NGOs. Closely analogous grantmaking model and donor base to Centraide, with overlapping corporate and major-donor pools.
• Centraide du Grand Montréal: The Montréal Centraide is the most direct peer: same federated-giving, workplace-campaign, and United Way model operating in the same province (Quebec), but on a materially larger metropolitan territory. Comparable in mission, donor structure, and affiliated community organizations.
• Centraide Canada (United Way Centraide Canada): National umbrella body of which Centraide Québec is an affiliate. Provides shared infrastructure, national campaigns, cross-border giving, and brand standards — directly comparable as a peer entity in the same network.

Regional players

• Centraide Outaouais: Neighbouring Quebec Centraide serving the Outaouais region under the same federated model. Comparable structure but distinct geography; useful for benchmarking on donor density and campaign efficiency in a smaller market.
• Centraide Mauricie: Quebec Centraide serving Mauricie. Operates the same workplace-campaign and community-investment model in a different regional territory, providing a useful scale-and-density comparator.
• Centraide Estrie: Another Quebec Centraide affiliate serving the Estrie region. Same model and methodology as Centraide Québec, operating in a smaller regional territory; comparable on campaign mechanics and donor-segment mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@centraidequebec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centraide-quebec-et-chaudiere-appalaches

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Centraide Québec