2021 Annual Report: A word from Kathy Fazel and Karel Mayrand

A word from the Chair of the Board of Directors

I am very proud to present to you, in my capacity as Chair of the Board of Directors, the Annual Report of the Foundation of Greater Montréal (FGM). 2021 was yet another atypical year, one more in which life was lived according to the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic. FGM’s team – its staff, the Board of Directors and the Board’s committees – spared no effort in order to continue to serve the Greater Montreal community, most notably through the development of new partnerships and new ways of doing things. Since 2020, and all throughout the last year, the Foundation has been able to combine reflection, collaboration and action as it responded to the most pressing needs, of course, but also endeavoured to better support the community’s recovery, which is gradually taking shape. In that way, it has truly been an embodiment of its raison d’être.

FGM’s growth in recent years has been remarkable, but, by definition, that kind of growth does not happen in a vacuum. It is rather the product of multiple encounters, exchanges and partnerships that all contributed to the blossoming of the Foundation as a philanthropic institution, and above all, to its impact on the well-being and development of Greater Montreal and its residents. Naturally, I am thinking of the contributions of the Foundation’s donors, without whom none of what we do would be possible, as well as those of all the organizations we have supported throughout the year, and to which our community as a whole owes a debt of gratitude. I also have in mind all our community, philanthropic and governmental partners, with whom we collaborated on many projects over these last few months, and about whom you will read more in the pages that follow.

As a new chapter in FGM’s history opens with the implementation of the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan – which our CEO Karel Mayrand will tell you more about on the opposite page – Greater Montreal can more than ever count on a passionate, diversified and determined team, one that is committed to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals on its territory and thus contributing to its present and future well-being. The Foundation of Greater Montréal, your foundation, is grateful for your ongoing support in this wonderful adventure. Enjoy this report, and speak to you soon!

Kathy Fazel CFA, ICD.D
Chair of the Board of Directors

A word from the President and CEO

2021 was a major turning point for the Foundation of Greater Montréal, a year in which we initiated a shift aimed at increasing our impact and better reflecting and serving our community. Our new Strategic Plan, which will be deployed until 2026, embodies this new approach. In creating it, we involved you in the process. At the close of the most extensive consultation process in the Foundation’s history, during which we sounded out, in particular, donors, community organizations, partners, volunteers and staff, we were able to determine the principles and orientations that will guide FGM’s actions for the next five years. The Foundation aspires to help create a community that will be free of poverty and discrimination, where all can realize their potential and live in a healthy environment, both today and in the future. To bring this vision to life, we are working to mobilize available philanthropic resources, and make sure they are serving the intelligence, creativity and the quest for solutions that can respond in a tangible way to our community’s needs. I naturally encourage you to have a look at the details of the Strategic Plan.

We also believe we have a responsibility to use our resources to contribute to the advancement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, notably through ecological transition and the protection of our climate, but also through the pursuit of social equity, justice, diversity and inclusion. That is why we have developed a new Responsible Investment Strategy. With this initiative, we will ensure that the Foundation’s financial assets will from now on be invested in a way that aligns with our values and contributes to the furthering of our mission. I am very proud that we have adopted this Strategy, which positions FGM as a leader in this area, and I want to thank the members of our team and our partners who participated in its creation.

Indeed, in order to properly fulfill its role, a community foundation like ours cannot go it alone. It has a duty to listen to, and collaborate with, individuals and organizations from all sectors of the community. That kind of interaction has notably enabled us to create and deploy our new Collective Funds. By integrating the principles of trust-based philanthropy into our granting practices, we were able to benefit from the collective wisdom of Greater Montreal’s community sector. By building relationships with new partners and including them in our examinations of the most crucial issues we all face, we have expanded our focus and heightened our potential for impact. And in constructing more equal relationships and in transferring power to our partners, we are banking on the idea that it is indeed possible to serve the community in a more just, effective and sustainable fashion.

The Foundation of Greater Montréal, your foundation, has now joined the ranks of the major philanthropic institutions. The high-quality professional services we provide to the community are recognized and appreciated by our partners. But we are nonetheless going to keep reworking and improving our ways of doing things. That is our firm and lasting commitment for the years to come. Once again, I thank you for your support and your trust.

Karel Mayrand
President and CEO