Grant and Funding Programs Offered by ADV Foundation (ADV)

The ADV Foundation (À Dieu Va) is a public foundation and registered Canadian charity created in 2007 by entrepreneur and philanthropist J.-Robert Ouimet. Rooted in Catholic and ecumenical values, it operates from Québec with a mission to accompany leaders and organizations in their search for meaning, while promoting management models that place human dignity at the centre of business and institutional life.

The foundation primarily supports initiatives that help leaders and executives reflect on their role and responsibilities. It does this through conferences, colloquia on spirituality and management, seminars, testimonies, educational projects, webinars and audiovisual resources. By funding, commissioning or co-organizing these activities, ADV contributes to the wider dissemination of humanistic management practices inspired by Ouimet’s “Notre Projet” experience.

ADV targets leaders and decision-makers in companies, non-profit organizations and public institutions, as well as professors and researchers in management. Its projects include media initiatives such as the “Inner Motivation” audio capsules on Radio Ville Marie, symposia hosted at business schools such as HEC Montréal, and support for case studies and publications in management education. These interventions aim to reconcile personal fulfilment, efficiency and profitability by integrating a spiritual dimension and openness to transcendence.

Alongside leadership-oriented programming, the foundation explicitly "gives back to the community" by supporting individuals and organizations that provide food assistance to the most vulnerable groups and families. This may take the form of financial or material aid to frontline organizations engaged in food security and social support, thereby extending the foundation’s impact beyond reflection and training toward concrete social solidarity.

ADV’s website does not describe highly formalized grant programs with detailed calls for proposals, but its status as a public foundation and its stated objectives indicate a discretionary philanthropic approach. It mobilizes its resources to initiate and sustain projects aligned with its values—dignity, authenticity, humility, justice and solidarity—often in partnership with universities, media outlets and community actors.

Through its board of directors, composed of experienced managers, academics and community leaders, the foundation oversees the selection and governance of its projects and partnerships. Overall, ADV occupies a niche at the crossroads of faith, management and social justice, acting as a catalyst and funder for initiatives that humanize management and support the most vulnerable.