The YWCA Montreal's 2023 Plan for the Future has reached a significant milestone - Major fundraising campaign a success thanks to a dedicated committee

MONTREAL, June 15, 2022 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the Women's Y Foundation held an event to recognize and honour the dedication of its (RE)Building for future generations campaign committee in its support of the YWCA Montreal's 2023 Plan for the Future. Campaign co-presidents Helen Antoniou, executive coach and author, and Laurent Ferreira, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank, are particularly proud of the campaign's resounding success. The event was also held to thank the major donors who showed their commitment to building a more inclusive, egalitarian and less violent future for Montreal's women and girls, and to celebrate the success of the first phase of this campaign.

"On behalf of the thousands of women and girls whom we support each year, we would like to thank the campaign committee and the donors, who helped raise more than 11 million dollars for the first phase of our fundraising campaign. Their generosity will allow us to expand the scope of our actions in our community and will have a ripple effect on the next phase of our campaign," stated Isabelle Lajeunesse, Executive Director of the Women's Y Foundation of Montreal, and Nadine Raymond, CEO of YWCA Montreal.

In light of the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women, girls and gender-diverse persons, the vast majority of donors agreed to immediately have 10% of their contributions put towards an emergency fund. "This is an incredible demonstration of trust and solidarity," emphasized the Chairs of the Boards of Directors of the YWCA Foundation and of the YWCA Montreal, Édith Cloutier and Louise Poirier, respectively.

"In our eyes, it is clear that the YWCA is a key stakeholder in the development of a Montreal that is more inclusive, more egalitarian and less violent towards women and girls. For the past 147 years, the organization has been playing a major role in building social cohesion in the city, and we fully subscribe to this vision. We are filled with pride and gratitude when we see how quickly we have accelerated the YWCA's social impact in the past two years. The pandemic heightened the urgency of needing to act quickly to build a better future for all women and girls. Never losing sight of this objective is what drove us over these past months," confirmed campaign co-presidents Helen Antoniou, executive coach and author, and Laurent Ferreira, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank.

Louise Poirier, Chair of the Board of Directors of the YWCA Montreal, extended her heartfelt gratitude to the campaign committee members, who showed much dedication and commitment towards reaching this first milestone:

• Helen Antoniou, Executive Coach and author
• Laurent Ferreira, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank
• Elaine Barsalou, Managing Director, Investment Banking, National Bank Financial Inc.
• Édith Cloutier, Chair of the Board of Directors of the YWCA Foundation, President of Rogers Communications for Quebec
• Karine Eid, Head, Business Banking, Eastern Canada at BMO Financial Group
• Patrick Hainault, Vice President, Services Bancaires Comerciaux, TD bank
• Maude Leblond, Head and Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Investment Banking at National Bank Financial
• Judith Ménard, Senior Vice President, National Bank Private Banking 1859

The (RE)Building for Future Generations campaign has been a huge success thanks to its campaign committee, even within the context of the pandemic. The money that has been raised will be used to support the YWCA's Plan for the future, which will generate positive benefits for thousands of women and girls by transforming their future, in addition to allowing them to benefit from and access programs and services that will effectively meet their needs, not just now, but in the decades to come.

About the YWCA Montreal
For 147 years, the YWCA Montreal has worked to foster long-lasting and positive change to prevent violence in the lives of women and girls, in addition to promoting equality and social and gender inclusion. The organization develops and offers innovative, relevant programs and services that respond to the evolution of social issues and to current needs. In this way, it contributes toward building a better future for women, girls and their families in a society that is egalitarian, inclusive, and non-violent.

SOURCE Montreal YWCA

Gwenevere Daigle-Lapointe, CASACOM, 819 664-3145, [email protected]