Founded in 1999, the FGM is modeled after the 700-odd community foundations that already exist in Canada and the United States. Their versatility, flexibility, and effectiveness allow these foundations to satisfy both the wishes of donors and the needs of the charitable organizations they benefit.

The FGM differs from other charitable organizations in that it builds endowment funds, the revenues from which are used to support charitable work in a number of areas, primarily health, education, social services, arts and culture, and the environment. Donations to the FGM thus serve the Greater Montreal community in perpetuity.

The FGM is an inclusive organization and maintains strong ties with both the foundations that helped to create it and the other organizations that join as active charitable partners. For more information about these foundations and organizations, View our partners list.

The Foundation of Greater Montreal is ten years old! – Its creation Many major projects start off with a simple idea, good intentions and people with the determination and devotion to make things happen, but most of all to influence people! The start-up of a community foundation in Montreal is a perfect example. In the late 1980s, people like Michel Lamontagne and others were getting together to explore the possibility of creating regional public foundations to manage permanent endowment funds whose capital would be secured in perpetuity while the annual income would be distributed according to the wishes of the donor. During this exploratory phase in the early 1990s, Mr. Lamontagne, as a founding member representing Quebec, agreed to serve on the inaugural Board of Directors of the Community Foundations of Canada, whose mission has always been to support the development of community foundations across the nation. Continue>>