The Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition at the Foundation of Greater Montréal aims to step up the fight against climate change and stimulate the adaptation, resilience and ecological transition in Greater Montréal.

The Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition in 2023

This year, the Fund supported organizations or projects working towards climate justice and the social-ecological transition, in support of the people most affected by social and environmental inequalities. More specifically, those initiatives focus on:

  • food autonomy;
  • greening and fighting heat islands or;
  • empowering communities.

Moreover, initiatives specifically targeting the improvement of historically marginalized populations’ well-being, as identified by FGM, have been prioritized. Check out our Strategic Granting Framework to better understand the principles that govern our granting choices.

A total sum of $195,000 was available this year, with individual grants reaching up to $30,000.

Discover the Fund’s 2023 grantees

Download this explainer for more information about FGM’s Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition.

Montréal mobilizes for the climate and ecological transition

All over the world, major cities have become living laboratories where solutions that will propel the future ecological transition are being found. Montréal is in the vanguard of this movement. Several ecological initiatives have sprung up here over the past few years, and a diverse ecosystem has emerged. Still, even in this dynamic environment, funding sources continue to be scarce, fragmented or not flexible enough to allow for innovations to be scaled up throughout the region.

In 2019, the philanthropic sector mobilized to support Montréal’s objectives in the fight against climate change. Several Montréal philanthropic institutions and foundations (Trottier Foundation, ECHO, Bronfman Foundation, McConnell Foundation, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec) teamed up with the City of Montréal, the David Suzuki Foundation and C40 to develop a climate plan. Several other foundations showed an interest in this initiative, which demonstrated the potential for philanthropic sector cooperation on climate and ecological transition.

The Montréal Climate Partnership (MCP)

In 2020, Montreal’s economic, philanthropic, institutional and community stakeholders wanted to join forces to speed up the city’s decarbonation and improve its resilience. This momentum gave birth to the Montreal Climate Partnership (MCP), in which the vision and mission of the Collective Fund for climate and ecological transition are brought to life.

With the participation of philanthropic institutions, notably the Trottier Family Foundation and the Foundation of Greater Montréal, which acts as its operational and financial arm, this association sets the stage for generating a foundational impact thanks to collaborative work and shared resources.

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Through the Fund, FGM pursues four strategic objectives:
  • Mobilize and reinforce the capacity of the ecosystem of organizations active in the ecological transition;
  • Increase the funding available for initiatives that contribute to the fight against climate change and move forward the ecological transition in Greater Montréal;
  • Unite Montréal’s philanthropic actors behind Greater Montréal’s climate- and environment-related objectives so as to enhance their reach and impact;
  • Support foundational or innovative projects with a significant potential impact.
Components of FGM’s Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition:
  1. Projects aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change;
  2. Initiatives dealing with adaptation to climate change, protection of natural environments, greening and natural infrastructures;
  3. Projects aiming to increase awareness, mobilization and engagement both on a citizen and a community level;
  4. Research, data collection, reports or studies to fill gaps in this area;
  5. Foundational projects not falling under any other category.

Fund partners may direct their contribution towards any of the components, or contribute unrestricted funds.

Make a donation

Download this explainer for more information about FGM’s Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition, or contact us to learn more about how to donate or how to make a funding request.

Through the Collective Fund for Climate and Ecological Transition, FGM supports the Montreal Climate Partnership (MCP). As part of its Great Expectations campaign, the MCP invites all Greater Montreal organizations, businesses and institutions to commit to a number of actions in support of climate and the ecological transition. Click here to learn more about the commitments FGM has made.