Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Université Laval Foundation (FUL)
Overview of Available Grants and Funding
The Université Laval Foundation is the university’s official philanthropic organization in Québec City. It raises and manages charitable funds and endowments to support Université Laval through scholarships and bursaries, student services, research chairs, faculty teaching and research funds, and priority infrastructure, via multiple funding programs and funds. View Université Laval Foundation (FUL)'s website for more information.
About Université Laval Foundation (FUL)
What is the mission of Université Laval Foundation (FUL)?
The Université Laval Foundation’s mission is to mobilize philanthropy in order to support Université Laval’s teaching, research and community impact. By collecting and managing donations and endowments, it maximizes the impact of each gift through scholarships, student support, research, and strategic projects that strengthen the university and benefit society.
What type of organization is Université Laval Foundation (FUL)?
Université Laval Foundation (FUL) is a Foundation.
What is Université Laval Foundation (FUL)'s official website?
Université Laval Foundation (FUL)'s official website is https://www.dprd.ulaval.ca/la-fondation/.
What else should I know about Université Laval Foundation (FUL)?
Role of the Université Laval Foundation in the funding ecosystem
The Université Laval Foundation (La Fondation de l’Université Laval) is the official philanthropic arm of Université Laval. It mobilizes graduates, individuals, private and public foundations, corporations and institutional partners to raise and manage charitable funds in support of the university’s mission of education, research and service to society. Through a master trust and a large portfolio of endowed and current-use funds, it channels donations into financial support for students, teaching innovation, research excellence and major institutional projects.
The Foundation’s impact reports and financial statements show a diversified funding role: it supports scholarships and bursaries, student services and emergency aid, faculty teaching and research funds, research chairs, large infrastructure and other strategic initiatives. Each year, millions of dollars are committed and disbursed to faculties and central services, with detailed reporting on the origin of commitments (individual donors, ULaval community, foundations, organizations) and the allocation by themes such as scholarships, faculty funds, chairs and infrastructure.
Supported audiences and sectors
The Foundation primarily funds Université Laval students, professors, researchers and units. It contributes to:
- Entrance and merit scholarships, leadership and engagement awards, and thematic bursaries such as Envol for low-income college entrants.
- Student persistence and accessibility initiatives, including funds for students in financial precarity and student investment funds in each faculty.
- Research and teaching through endowed chairs, strategic projects (e.g., environmental action, health, international studies), and laboratory or program innovation funds.
- Infrastructure and learning environments, such as faculty spaces, sports facilities and specialized equipment.
Its funding also reaches broader society via projects in areas like climate action, health, inclusion, Indigenous education, arts and culture, and entrepreneurship, in close collaboration with donors and partners.
General approach to funding and governance
The Foundation does not operate as a classic open-call grant agency; instead, it stewards a wide range of designated and non-designated funds aligned with donor intent and university priorities. It works with faculties and services to define funds, scholarship programs and strategic projects, and then manages the flow of donations toward those purposes. Decentralized selection processes for scholarships and project funding are usually handled by university units under institutional rules.
Strong governance is emphasized. The Foundation has an independent board of directors responsible for vision and financial sustainability. It publishes annual impact reports, audited financial statements for both the Foundation and the master trust, and maintains formal policies on gift acceptance, investment, ethics, and financial information quality. Members of the Foundation meet annually in a general assembly governed by its general by-laws.
Transparency, ethics and donor stewardship
The organization adheres to sector best practices inspired by Imagine Canada. It maintains a code of ethics, standards of good practice in fundraising, and complaint procedures regarding financial information. The Foundation provides detailed reporting on commitments, disbursements to faculties and services, and the capitalized funds’ distribution by purpose. It also runs recognition programs and events (e.g., Les Cent-Associés, Pérennia, community campaigns) to acknowledge major and planned gifts and to cultivate a long-term philanthropic culture within the ULaval community.