News Corporate Social Responsibility
Laurentian Bank launches new corporate philanthropy program, announces $400,000 in donations

Laurentian Bank of Canada has launched a new corporate philanthropy program — Giving Beyond Numbers.

As part of this new program, the bank recently made donations totaling $400,000 to seven organizations dedicated to advancing equity in economic inclusion. These donations are part of the over $750,000 that the Bank donated to non-profits and charities in the 2022 fiscal year, it said.

Focus on diversity and inclusion

Through its new focused approach, the bank aims to support local organizations across the country that are working towards the economic inclusion of newcomers and refugees, as well as those whose mission is to combat economic inequities impacting underrepresented groups such as racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Indigenous peoples, and people living with disabilities.

“Our new Giving Beyond Numbers program represents an important milestone in our three-year strategic plan as part of our commitment to Make the Better Choice and integrate ESG principles in all the bank’s operations and activities,” said Rania Llewellyn, president and CEO of Laurentian Bank. “We are extremely proud to provide financial support to these deserving organizations that are dedicated to creating more inclusive, fair and united communities”

List of supported organizations

• United for Literacy (formerly Frontier College) is a national literacy charity. It works with volunteers and community partners to give people the skills and confidence they need to reach their full potential. Laurentian Bank’s donation of $100,000 will support the infrastructure needed to develop adult literacy programs.
• NIB Trust Fund is an organization that helps First Nations and Métis people, organizations, and communities address the long-lasting impacts of the Indian Residential School system and supports education programs aimed at healing and reconciliation. Funds raised will be distributed through a competitive application process to individuals or groups who wish to pursue their studies or have a project aligned with the mission of the organization. NIB Trust Fund received a $50,000 donation from the Bank.
• Action LGBTQ+ avec les immigrantEs et les réfugiéEs (AGIR) is an organization by-and-for LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees in Montreal. AGIR’s mission is to protect and defend the legal, social and economic rights of LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees through individual support services and community building initiatives. The bank’s $50,000 donation will help support AGIR’s daily operations.
• The 519 is Canada’s most prominent multiservice agency dedicated to the health, happiness and full participation of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The bank’s donation of $50,000 will be used to support the “Settling In” initiative, which helps more than 1,500 LGBTQ+ refugees and newcomers to resettle in Canada each year.
• The Multi-Ethnic Association for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities is a Montreal-based organization that works towards the integration and inclusion of people living at the intersection of all types of disabilities and migration status. Laurentian Bank’s donation of $50,000 will support help support their daily operations.
• The Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto is the largest multidisciplinary centre offering French language services in seven locations in the Greater Toronto Area. The organization provides a wide range of services and programs covering health care, mental health, resettlement and integration support for newcomers, employment and entrepreneurship support, legal aid, early childhood and youth development, and access to housing. The Bank’s $50,000 donation will be used to support the Access to Housing and Housing Support program which aims to provide affordable housing to Francophones in need in the Greater Toronto Area.
• Petites-Mains is a Montreal-based social integration organization. It supports women in need, mainly immigrants, single mothers, and those receiving social assistance or without income, to break out of social isolation, to learn a trade and to integrate the workforce, in order to live in dignity. Laurentian Bank’s $50,000 donation will support Petites-Mains’ daily operations.