Foundation of Greater Montréal (FGM) is a Canadian community foundation that transformed its grant-making following the COVID-19 pandemic, recognising that traditional funding approaches were too slow and restrictive to respond to the realities communities were facing. Through an extensive consultation involving nearly 700 community and philanthropic stakeholders, FGM redesigned its strategy around trust-based philanthropy, with a stronger focus on addressing the root causes of inequality rather than responding only to immediate needs.
The Foundation’s new approach places greater emphasis on sharing power with communities. Funding programmes were redesigned to provide multi-year unrestricted grants, streamline applications and reporting, and offer support beyond funding through capacity building and ongoing relationships. Community members are now involved in grant-making through advisory committees drawn from the communities the funds are intended to support, helping ensure funding decisions reflect lived experience alongside institutional expertise.
FGM also sought to remove barriers that had previously excluded grassroots organisations from philanthropy. It expanded support for emerging organisations, including those without established philanthropic networks, and, following changes in Canadian legislation, increased its funding for community groups without registered charitable status. Alongside this, the Foundation created new collective funds focused on social equity, Indigenous initiatives, women’s leadership, and climate and ecological transition, reflecting priorities identified through community consultation rather than organisational assumptions.
The shift has led to measurable changes. Between 50% and 70% of organisations applying for FGM funding in 2023 were first-time applicants, while 30% to 80% of funded organisations were grassroots or emerging groups. The Foundation has also demonstrated a strong catalytic effect, leveraging more than three times its own investment through collaborative funding partnerships and expanding collective funds from $300,000 to $3.5 million.
What practitioners can take from this
FGM demonstrates that equitable grant making requires more than changing funding criteria. By listening to communities, reducing barriers to access, sharing decision-making, and using philanthropy to convene and mobilise other funders, foundations can strengthen both individual organisations and the wider ecosystem working towards systemic change.