Role of Domaine-du-Roy Foundation in the funding ecosystem
The Domaine-du-Roy Foundation is a regional health foundation created in 1987 to improve the quality and quantity of care offered to the population of the MRC Domaine-du-Roy, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec. Working in close partnership with the CIUSSS du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, it finances equipment purchases, refurbishments and various health projects that directly benefit patients, residents and staff in local facilities, including the Roberval Hospital and multiple CLSCs, long-term care centres and rehabilitation services.
The foundation’s activities are entirely dedicated to improving access to high-quality, nearby health services for some 30,000 residents of the MRC and the Indigenous communities of Mashteuiatsh and Opitciwan. Its support targets all CIUSSS installations on this territory, from acute care and mental health to seniors’ residences and community services.
Funding programs and types of support
The foundation offers several funding mechanisms. A flagship program, “Petits pas, grandes réalisations”, provides up to CAD 25,000 per project to teams within CIUSSS installations in Domaine-du-Roy. An annual envelope of CAD 100,000 is reserved for this program, which finances small equipment and local projects that improve quality of life, patient experience and working conditions for staff.
Beyond this program, the foundation finances:
- Medical equipment of all sizes, from small devices costing a few hundred dollars up to large equipment worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Refurbishment and redevelopment projects, such as modernizing imaging suites or creating new family lounges and therapeutic spaces.
- Initiatives that promote physical and mental health, including cultural and recreational activities in seniors’ residences and projects for hospitalized children.
For equipment projects above CAD 25,000, the CIUSSS runs an internal prioritization process and presents a list of needs to the foundation, which then selects items to fund, with emphasis on technologies that add new services in the territory and are unlikely to be purchased by the CIUSSS itself.
General process and evaluation criteria
For small projects and equipment under CAD 25,000, applicants complete an online application form, obtain approval from their department manager and submit a quote where relevant. Projects must be submitted by March 31, the end of the foundation’s financial year. Requests are reviewed by a committee against defined prioritization criteria such as added services, improvement of care, importance of the need, well-being of beneficiaries and staff, frequency of use and technological enhancement.
Larger refurbishment or special projects may be submitted directly to the foundation by email and are evaluated case by case, as long as they align with its mission of improving local health services.
Supported audiences and overall impact
The foundation supports a broad range of CIUSSS institutions on its territory, including Roberval Hospital, CLSCs in Roberval and Saint-Félicien, rehabilitation centres, long-term care homes, intermediate resources, seniors’ homes and specialized units. Funded projects have enabled purchases such as imaging equipment, clinical simulation labs, cardiology devices, electric stretchers and various tools that optimize diagnostics, comfort and safety.
Beyond equipment, the foundation invests in human-centred initiatives: family lounges in mental health and obstetrics, culturally adapted spaces inspired by Indigenous traditions, music performances in seniors’ living environments and projects that strengthen attachment and well-being for families and vulnerable people. Through recurring fundraising campaigns, a lottery, events and partnerships with businesses and other donors, it positions itself as a key development lever for health services in Domaine-du-Roy.
Transparency, governance and accountability
The Domaine-du-Roy Foundation publishes strategic plans and detailed annual reports outlining its revenues, funded projects and impacts. This documentation, combined with a clear funding policy and formal application tools, reflects a structured, transparent approach to grant-making and responsible management of donated funds.