Standing together for culture

// A word from FGM – February 2026 //

In Montreal and throughout Quebec, the arts and culture sector is going through a tough period, if not a crisis. Artists live in the same world as we all do and are likewise subject to the pressures brought on by inflation and the real estate market. As Culture Montréal pointed out back in 2024, the costs of artistic creation, production, and presentation are skyrocketing. Affordable creation premises and venues are increasingly scarce, among other things.

Still, there is no denying the importance of arts and culture. According to a 2025 survey commissioned by the Conseil des arts de Montréal, 80% of respondents feel that the arts improve their quality of life, and 87% appreciate having artistic programming and events in their neighbourhoods. Access to culture is therefore also a matter of well-being. So how can we better support the artists and cultural workers and organizations who play such a major role in our lives?

FGM and culture

For more than a decade, the Foundation of Greater Montréal has taken on a structuring role in developing cultural philanthropy. For one, we support the implementation of public and private matching programs, which enable cultural organizations to invest and increase the proceeds of their fundraising activities. This creates a valuable new source of stable, predictable revenue to support these organizations in carrying out their missions. Hundreds of organizations of all sizes working in a wide array of artistic disciplines across the Greater Montreal region have benefited from such programs with FGM’s support.

Equity in access to culture across different areas and neighbourhoods is too little talked about. Montreal benefits from a network of libraries and cultural centres (maisons de la culture) that provides an essential gateway to the cultural ecosystem. Happily, these sites are rather equitably distributed across the Montreal region. However, as our 2024 Vital Signs report on territorial inequities shows, some outskirts of central neighbourhoods and some areas outside the island are less well served. More recently, we also learned the Quebec government is planning to cut back on cultural outings in schools, which would restrict access to culture even more for young people. The Foundation supports the cultural sector and citizens who are calling for the government to back down.

Facing the crisis

In closing, I would be remiss not to remind you that several tax credits, including the additional tax credit for a large cultural donation, significantly lower the actual cost of donating to an eligible organization. In the survey cited above, 77% of respondents felt that support for the arts should be a priority for the business community, and 70% believed that citizens should also help fund the arts through donations. FGM exists to make the most of the generosity of all those who wish to give back and will always stand behind Greater Montreal’s cultural community.

Culture is the fabric through which we express and ballast our identities and create the ties that bind us as a society. In this respect, artists offer us much more than entertainment. In turn, it is up to all of us to support them as well. You can do this in so many ways: by attending their performances, shows, films, and exhibitions; by buying their music, books, or art; by making a donation to a recognized cultural organization; or, why not, by creating a fund dedicated to culture with FGM.