Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Overview of Available Grants and Funding
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a regional non-profit in Quebec that raises funds and redistributes them to a large network of community organizations. It finances programs that support youth success, basic needs, social inclusion and vibrant communities, investing millions of dollars annually in grants across the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. View Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean's website for more information.
Content last updated: March 14, 2026
About Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
What is the mission of Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean?
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean’s mission is to raise funds and redistribute them to organizations that support people in need across the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. As a community builder, it develops a strong network of mutual aid and helps vulnerable individuals live with dignity by backing sustainable social solutions.
What type of organization is Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean?
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a Non-profit organization.
When was Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean founded?
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean was founded in 1981.
What is Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean's official website?
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean's official website is https://centraidesaglac.ca/.
What else should I know about Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean?
Role of Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean in the funding ecosystem
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a community-based non-profit organization that has been active since 1981 in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. Its core mandate is to raise philanthropic funds and redistribute them as financial support to community organizations and projects that help people in vulnerable situations. As part of the broader Centraide United Way movement, it acts as a key funding hub for local social services, channeling donations from individuals, companies and institutions back into the regional community.
Each year, Centraide conducts an extensive fundraising campaign, notably in workplaces, among major donors and through planned giving. According to its recent community report, the 2024 campaign raised more than 3.6 million dollars, enabling investments of roughly 2.9 million dollars in 121 organizations and projects and reaching about 80,000 people—roughly one in four residents of the region.
Main funding streams and areas of intervention
Centraide structures its social investments into several broad fields of action rather than narrow programs. These thematic envelopes guide how funds are granted to organizations:
- Supporting youth success – Funding early childhood development, school perseverance and family support initiatives so that children and adolescents can thrive. The organization states that about a third of its investments go to this area, supporting dozens of projects for young people.
- Ensuring the essentials – Grants for services that meet basic needs such as food security, clothing and access to adequate housing. Around 15% of investments are directed to programs that help individuals and families cover these essentials.
- Breaking social isolation – Support for organizations working with seniors, people with disabilities, workers in difficulty, people facing mental health issues or crises, and immigrants and refugees, with the aim of connecting them to networks of mutual aid.
- Building vibrant communities – Funding to strengthen volunteer action, the leadership and capacities of front-line organizations, and collective projects that improve living conditions in neighbourhoods and municipalities.
Centraide also mentions a dedicated fund for social development and innovation (formerly the “Fonds concertation”), which supports collaborative initiatives and innovative responses to emerging social issues, as well as endowed “Fonds SVP – Solidarité pour vaincre la pauvreté” whose investment income is distributed annually to community groups.
Territorial scope and allocation process
The organization’s funding covers the entire Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, including the MRCs Domaine-du-Roy, Maria-Chapdelaine, Lac-Saint-Jean-Est, Le Fjord-du-Saguenay and the city sectors of Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie. Its community report details investments and priority issues by territory, such as homelessness, food insecurity, aging populations, low income and housing pressures.
Requests for financial support are analyzed annually through a structured process. A Social Investments Committee composed of experienced volunteers from various professional sectors, together with members of the permanent team, reviews each application. They assess needs, fit with Centraide’s orientations and available resources, then make funding recommendations to the board of directors. Centraide emphasizes that, on average, more than 80% of the funds collected are returned to the community in the form of social investments and services.
Governance, donors and long-term impact
Centraide Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is overseen by a volunteer board of directors drawn from the business community, public sector and civil society. Complementary committees focus on social investments, communications, social development, major donors and the network of associated organizations. A professional staff team coordinates fundraising, grant management, community partnerships and support to funded organizations.
The organization maintains strong relationships with major corporate and institutional partners as well as hundreds of individual donors, including a structured “Circle of Major Donors” and a “Leaders Challenge Fund” that matches high-value contributions. Beyond direct funding, Centraide positions itself as a community builder, convening partners, supporting capacity building in the community sector, and promoting social inclusion throughout the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.