Credit: Simon Prelle

Phase 1

Discover the CIP’s phase 1  

Credit: Simon Prelle

Understanding the context

The Collective Impact Project (CIP) was implemented in a very specific context, the most important of which are outlined below:  

  • Quebec was facing austerity policies, with many networks mobilizing against budget cuts and their impact on social inequalities;

  • Philanthropic foundations were seeking to redefine their own role; 

  • Community development work at neighbourhood level was well established in Montreal, and organized around territorial roundtables, the Tables de quartier; 

  • Numerous factors and contextual elements have influenced the way in which the CIP has unfolded, such as practices already underway in the community, the pandemic and the trend towardstrust-based philanthropy hat gained momentum during Phase 1. 

In its initial phase, from 2015 to 2023, the Collective Impact Project brought together nine philanthropic partners, three "strategic" partners (the Montréal Coalition of Neighborhood Roundtables, The Regional Public Health Department and the City of Montréal) and Centraide of Greater Montreal as project operator. The nine foundations involved in the project contributed $23 millions to a common fund to support collective initiatives in 17 Montreal neighbourhoods. 

"The CIP is designed to tackle a specific issue: the various funding sources available for integrated community development initiatives are severely limited, standardized and fragmented, with each funding source having its own guidelines and parameters. Neighborhoods that depend on these existing funding sources are challenged to coordinate and arrange the various funding elements in a way that respects the coherence and integrity of their neighborhood action plan." (Traduction de l’équipe du PIC)."
- (Pole and Bérubé, 2020) 

Lessons learned from the first phase of the CIP (2015-2023)  

Phase 1 report summary sheet

To close out Phase 1, we felt that it was vital to take stock of the experience as a whole. In addition to reports by the leaders of neighbourhood initiatives along with research and evaluations, the CIP Learning and Knowledge Coordinator held 23 individual and group interviews with 35 people involved in the project. To get the perspective of the CIP community, the preliminary results of the evaluation were presented and validated by about fifty partners on June 1, 2023.  

Finally, in collaboration with the Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES) of the Université du Québec à Montréal, the report "Innovating and learning to better support the fight against poverty in Montreal neighbourhoods - assessment of the Projet impact collectif Phase 1" (only in french) is published in the fall of 2023. The report is divided into three sections to cover all aspects of the project: Communities, Partnership and Systems Change. 

    • Strengthening collective action in social development;

    • The flexible, multi-year format gives neighborhoods considerable leeway in choosing the priority issues and strategies to be unfolded as part of their initiative;

    • The CIP has contributed to the strengthening of several collaborative practices and increased recognition of the Neighborhood Roundtables, in addition to generating tangible benefits in terms of poverty and social exclusion;

    • In terms of regional partnerships, there has been a strong rapprochement between partners, greater mutual understanding and collaboration both within and outside the CIP, and an evolution in practices and attitudes;

    • However, the CIP faces a number of challenges, such as territorial inequity, the lack of stability of resources and the untapped potential for collaboration between neighborhood initiatives, and between the local and regional levels.

Phase 1 review event :

  • Webinar "Collectively supporting the fight against poverty at neighbourhood level - spin-offs, limits and learning from Projet impact collectif (Montréal)" (January 24, 2024). For more details, click here.

Phase 1 neighborhoods

Here are the various initiatives undertaken by 17 neighborhoods during the first phase of the CIP. This will enable you to see which neighborhoods participated in this first experimental phase and what issues were at the heart of their initiatives. You can also find out more about each neighborhood below.  

  • Initiative: Citizenship School

    Desired change: "In 5 years, we will have developed a neighborhood-wide environment conducive to citizen participation, practices and initiatives for joint action between community organizations, autonomous citizen initiatives likely to have an impact on the community organizations, as well as autonomous citizen initiatives likely to influence local decisions in the fight against poverty. These practices and initiatives will demonstrate a sense of collective responsibility for the living conditions of individuals and families in our neighbourhood." 

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Citizens' space at the Maison de quartier de Bordeaux-Cartierville.

    Desired change: "Citizens want access to neutral, free, inclusive spaces, open year-round, seven days a week, where they can meet, talk, relax and have coffee, without having to take part in planned, structured activities. What's more, there's a clear commitment to volunteer involvement, including in the governance of these spaces."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative 1:Major projects support committee

    Desired change 1: "Over the next few years, the southeast part of the Ville-Marie borough will undergo major transformations and redevelopment (Radio-Canada, Molson, Porte Ste-Marie, Pont Jacques Cartier, Pôle Fullum). The project aims to bring out innovative solutions and partnership opportunities by opening up dialogue and collaboration between development players (private, institutional and community) who are active in the area."

    Initiative 2: Community of practice for stakeholders

    Desired change 2: "The places and spaces available in the neighborhood are occupied by residents and organizations. The activities developed there, based on the interests and issues expressed by the population, increase the sense of belonging and provoke greater participation by residents."

    Initiative 3: Laboratoire populaire d’intelligence collective (LPIC)

    Desired change 3: "We want to encourage innovation and the development of the neighborhood's collective intelligence by promoting the exchange of ideas between players from all walks of life. We want the community's projects, ideas and inspirations to be realized and integrated into the overall vision of the Centre-Sud neighborhood."

    Initiative 4 : Mouvement courtepointe

    Desired Change 4: "Break social isolation by enabling citizens to play a meaningful role while democratizing public space; Bring forward the multiple words of the neighborhood's diverse populations via unlikely encounters; Keep track of the people, places and events that have made and are making the neighborhood today."

    Initiative 5: Notre Quartier Nourricier

    Desired change 5: "We want to federate a food network within which we can find all the services we need to have access to a permanent, quality food supply, as part of a global system that includes production, distribution and marketing, processing, marketing and education, while fostering citizen involvement and a sense of pride. We want a food system based on democratic values of inclusion, accessibility, solidarity, proximity and ecology. We want a food offer that is visible and known to all, that ensures a diversity of products enabling a complete and accessible supply to the entire population of Centre-Sud."

    in a global system that includes production, processing, marketing and education, and fosters citizen involvement and a sense of pride. We want a food system based on democratic values of inclusion, accessibility, solidarity, proximity and ecology. We want a food offer that is visible and known to all, that ensures a diversity of products enabling a complete and accessible supply to the entire population of Centre-Sud."

    Initiative 6: Evaluation

    Desired change 6: "Evaluating progress, results, impact and learning from them is one of the five conditions for collective impact. Evaluation enables the district to document the progress of players and projects through the targeted changes, and to adjust the plan if necessary."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative 1: Escouade salubrité and Info-action familles

    Desired Change 1: "All Côte-des-Neiges residents live in safe and healthy housing conditions" and "Reach out to and mobilize Côte-des-Neiges residents, especially families, in collaboration with the organizations that serve them, to encourage their involvement in improving their housing conditions."

    Initiative 2: Job placement service

    Desired Change 2: "1) Access to quality employment: The concerted efforts of the community and the leadership of Côte-des-Neiges community organizations make it easier for people of immigrant background to find jobs that match their skills; 2) Encourage large employers to hire immigrants."

    Initiative 3: Affordable housing

    Desired change 3: "That Côte-des-Neiges residents have easy access to social and affordable housing (30% of income) in the neighborhood."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Lachine’s Food System

    Desired change: "That Lachine citizens have better economic and physical access to healthy food. They have improved their eating skills and habits. They have a better understanding of Lachine's sustainable food system and are involved in it."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Carrefour alimentaire de Lasalle

    Desired change: "The impact we want to have on our community in 4 years' time is to establish a network of mutual aid and collective action in food security that brings together concerted action, partners and the population."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: A network of connections to break isolation

    Desired change: "Break the isolation of Mercier-Est citizens; Within 5 years, Mercier-Est will have structured a network of connections enabling citizens to break their isolation."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: A strong local food system in Mercier-Ouest

    Desired change: "Our goal is to develop our living environments as gathering places for the neighborhood's population and community partners, and to encourage citizen participation in neighborhood life."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Learning to work together by developing structuring projects

    Desired change: "Support current collective efforts aimed at learning collective skills, improving our collective efficiency and implementing concerted action."

    "By the end of Year 5, we will have :

    - Developed a concerted action plan detailing the next steps in our collaborative strategies;

    - Continued to implement our 3rd collective experimentation laboratory;

    - Developed a concerted action plan to combat poverty for the West Island as a whole;

    - Organized a major event to celebrate our collective successes;

    - Developed important collective skills in evaluation, documentation of practices and facilitation of collective processes."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Set up the Table de quartier, and create conditions for structuring development. Develop projects arising from the concerted action plan to transform the lives of residents.

    Desired change: "The five desired changes :

    1) More quality housing that is affordable and accessible to all vulnerable tenants;

    2) Diversity of integrated food security actions for vulnerable populations ;

    3) Diverse types of support for the development of children and young people aged 0-25 ;

    4) More citizens on the path to socio-professional integration for the 18+ age group;

    5) Citizens who know about and use the services they need, especially vulnerable, isolated people with little network presence."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Mon Peter-McGill

    Desired change: "The aim of the initiative is to revitalize and mobilize these shared civic assets, through advocacy and concerted coalition activities, as well as through citizen mobilization actions aimed at families, young people and seniors. This population expects better urban planning services from its environment."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Milieux de vie dévitalisés/Montréal-Est

    Desired change: "Support the mobilization of stakeholders around issues of social exclusion and poverty in the housing cooperative sector;

    • Strengthen our ability to work together in an integrated approach;

    • Document ROI-Séguin's "working together" through evaluative research;

    • Identify and document the conditions that foster "working together".

      To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: "Aller vers": Breaking the isolation of vulnerable people

    Desired change: "We want to strengthen the community's ability to reach out to vulnerable people. We want stakeholders to be better equipped to help these citizens take charge of their lives individually and collectively (empowerment). We want them to be more aware of existing resources, so they can better direct these citizens to them. We want vulnerable citizens to be better supported, better equipped and better referred. Finally, we want to break the isolation of vulnerable people!”

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative 1: Social housing promotion committee

    Desired change 1: "Promote the development of social and community housing in Saint-Léonard, aiming to improve and maintain the current rental housing stock, as well as the development of local services in a perspective of integrated urban development."

    Initiative 2: School-Family-Community

    Desired change 2: "The EFC agents' project aims to facilitate the integration of immigrant families into Quebec society by structuring actions for the best possible collaboration between the school environment, the community and families, in line with the desired changes set out in the Neighborhood Plan."

    Initiative 3: Citizen participation

    Desired change 3: "Publicize and make use of existing mechanisms for citizen participation; increase citizens' intercultural knowledge and skills; create self-help networks for citizens with community organizations; include citizens more in concertations and collective projects; better disseminate activities and have a space for citizen gathering."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative 1: Les jardins des patriotes at École Louis-Joseph-Papineau

    Desired Change 1: "Promote educational success and increase pre-employability via the food pathway" and "Mutualization of infrastructures (municipal/school/community); Intensification of school/community ties."

    Initiative 2: Housing, public spaces and sanitation

    Desired change 2: "Improve the condition of multi-family housing. Develop public spaces. Promote the creation of social housing with a view to citizen mobilization and empowerment."

    Initiative 3: Community House

    Desired change 3: "Meet the space needs of organizations. Stimulate economic and community development in the neighborhood. Pool resources and infrastructures.”

    Initiative 4: Requalification of the Francon quarry

    Desired change 4: "Increase the number of uses for the Francon quarry site, thereby promoting mobility for the people of Michelonne. Develop a development project for the site. Promote educational success by reducing travel time and facilitating access to active transportation."

    Initiative 5: Saint-Michel's Food System

    Desired change 5: "Ideation of an educational project linked to urban agriculture and pooling of infrastructures; supply, processing and distribution network for fresh fruit and vegetables; optimize food processing spaces and create new collective kitchens; workshops in food processing and urban agriculture; Offer training, internships and summer jobs."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative 1: A roof, a table for all

    Desired change: "In 5 years, the community has developed conditions favorable to maintaining the population in the neighborhood, especially the most vulnerable populations." and "That the social housing offer be adapted to the needs of the neighborhood; That various complementary strategies be developed in terms of access to food, in order to respond to the variety of needs and situations."

    Initiative 2: Towards a neighborhood food court

    Desired change 2: "At the end of the 5-year project: [...] The community responds better to the diversity of needs in access to food; Creation of new resources and initiatives; Reinforcement of existing services or initiatives and linkage."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !

  • Initiative: Local food system

    Desired change: "The impact we want to have on our community in 4 years' time is to establish a network of mutual aid and collective action in food security that brings together concerted action, partners and the population."

    To consult the neighborhood fact sheet, click here !