Québec’s financial community creates the Inclusion fund

In the wake of the tragic events that recently took place in Québec City, Québec’s financial community is now joining forces to establish Inclusion, a philanthropic fund of more than $3.5 million to promote values in which it deeply believes: openness, inclusiveness and equality.

The 21 financial firms that support this initiative are convinced that education is the best defense against intolerance, discrimination and harassment.

Over the next five years, the new fund will support in particular awareness and education programs in schools. The purpose of these programs is to build inclusive living environments and promote greater openness in young people to diversity in all its forms.

First, the Inclusion fund will finance ENSEMBLE, Equitas, and Institut Pacifique. These organizations work with young people to build an environment free of discrimination or harassment. The allocated funds will allow them, among other things, to broaden the scope of their existing programs. Over the years, other organizations could be selected to be part of the Inclusion fund.

Québec’s Centraide network will provide its support by ensuring sound governance of these funds.

The financial firms that spontaneously joined this initiative are:

• BMO Financial Group
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
• Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
• CIBC
• Desjardins
• Fondaction CSN
• Fonds de solidarité FTQ
• Great-West Life
• iA Financial Group
• Investors Group
• Intact Financial Corporation
• La Capitale Financial Group
• Manulife
• Mackenzie Investments
• National Bank
• National Bank
• Power Financial Corporation
• Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
• Scotiabank
• SSQ Financial Group
• Sun Life Financial
• TD Bank Group