Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Fondation La Collecte

Fondation La Collecte is a charitable non-profit organization based in the Greater Montréal area that has been supporting youth mentoring since 1998. Formerly known as the Fondation des Grands Frères Grandes Sœurs, it has built an innovative model that turns the collection and recovery of textiles, clothing and household items into financial support for Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies and related mentoring initiatives.

The foundation installs donation boxes, operates community drop-off centres and organizes home and workplace collections. Donated goods are sorted and redirected towards reuse and resale channels. The revenues generated are then paid out as royalties to Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies, providing them with a recurring source of funding to sustain and expand mentoring services for children and young people.

Rather than running classic application-based grant programs, Fondation La Collecte focuses on generating steady funding flows for youth mentoring. Its primary beneficiaries are the Grands Frères Grandes Sœurs agencies serving Montréal and surrounding regions. By specializing in textile and multi-material recovery, the foundation combines an environmental mission — reducing landfill and encouraging circular economy practices — with a social mission of direct financial support to mentoring organizations.

Over more than two decades, the foundation has expanded its collection mechanisms: exterior donation boxes, home pick-ups, community donation centres, workplace campaigns and pop-up events. These activities collectively increase the volume of recovered materials and, in turn, the financial amounts transferred to partner agencies.

Founded in 1998 as the first Québec non-profit to deploy exterior donation boxes for clothing and household goods, the organization progressively refined its logistics and data management. In 2010 it developed semi-buried collection boxes and more efficient mechanical collection systems. It obtained recognition from the Canada Revenue Agency as a registered charity, confirming its philanthropic status.

In 2014, home pick-ups were added to reach more donors, followed by the opening of the first La Collecte donation centre in Lorraine in 2020. In 2021, the foundation rebranded as Fondation La Collecte to reflect a broader range of collection activities, while maintaining its core mission of funding youth mentoring. The organization continues to innovate with new services such as office article recovery, work integration platforms and bike-based home collection.

The primary impact of Fondation La Collecte is financial support to youth mentoring programs operated by Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the Greater Montréal region. By transforming household surplus into a revenue stream, the foundation helps maintain and develop mentoring relationships that foster social inclusion, academic perseverance and personal development for young people.

The foundation’s work also generates environmental benefits by keeping textiles and other household materials in circulation, as well as socio-economic impact through local logistics, operations and partnerships with retailers and community organizations. Its model positions it as a key funding partner at the crossroads of philanthropy, circular economy and community development.