Update on the Trottier Family Foundation Application Portal

As of October 3, 2025, the Trottier Family Foundation has temporarily paused new submissions through our online application portal. 

This decision reflects our commitment to improving the way we work with our partners. Over the next few months, we will be updating our application portal and refining our grantmaking process to create a system that is clearer, more accessible, and better aligned with the realities of the communities and organizations we support. 

In the meantime, our commitment to advancing impact in the areas of Science, Education, Health, Community, and Climate remains unchanged. We will continue supporting projects in these areas through invitation-only proactive partnerships or calls for proposals that build on the work we are already funding.

What does this mean?  

• Our application portal is temporarily closed and will no longer receive funding applications as of October 3, 2025.  

• Applications received before October 3 will be reviewed over the coming months. Organizations will be contacted about their application by the end of 2025. 

• Active funding agreements are not affected and will continue as planned. 

• The portal will reopen by March 31, 2026. We will provide updates with updates to be announced in early 2026.  

Since our launch in 2000, we have had the privilege of supporting thousands of organizations that drive positive change in Canada and beyond. As we mark 25 years of learning and collaboration, we are deeply grateful for the partnerships that have helped us advance progress and catalyze transformative innovations across our funding areas. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to foster scientific inquiry, promote education, improve health, protect the environment, and address the urgent challenge of climate change. 

FAQs 

1. Why is the portal closing? What improvements can we expect? 

We’ve temporarily closed our application portal to upgrade both the system and our grantmaking process. These updates will make applying simpler and more user-friendly, while ensuring our approach better reflects the realities of applicants. More details about these changes will be shared in 2026. 

2. What happens to applications already submitted? 

All applications submitted before the portal closed will be reviewed by our program staff. Applicants can expect to hear from us by the end of 2025. 

3. I was invited to submit a full application but now the portal is closed. What should I do? 

If you were invited to submit a full application before the portal closed, please reach out to info@trottierfoundation.com for further instructions.  

4. Will funding for new projects continue while the portal is closed? 

Yes. The Foundation will continue to support projects through proactive partnerships and invitation-only initiatives during this period. This means that our program team will seek out organizations and partners through an invite-only process to strategically develop or support projects that are in line with our programmatic objectives. Please note that while the portal is closed, we are not able to accept new proposals by email. Only projects invited or identified by our program staff will be reviewed during this period. 

5. Can new organizations still connect with the Foundation? 

Opportunities to connect with the Foundation will be more limited while the portal is closed. New groups may still be considered through invitation-only initiatives until the portal reopens. We apologize for the inconvenience and invite you to check back in March 2026, when the portal will reopen for funding applications.  

6. Who can I contact with questions? 

If you have questions not answered here, please reach us at info@trottierfoundation.com. Please note that in the interest of fairness, we cannot provide guidance on the likelihood of future funding for individual project proposals or ideas.  

Call for Proposals: Improving Access to Primary Care for Vulnerable Communities in Quebec

Note: This call for proposals is now closed

The Trottier Family Foundation is launching a new call for proposals as part of its Community Health Program.

With a budget of $1,000,000 in 2025, this call aims to support between 10 and 12 organizations working to improve access to primary medical care for populations made vulnerable by structural inequalities and systemic barriers due to their racial identity, indigenous status, immigration status, housing insecurity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or other factors related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Three types of projects will be supported: 

1) Accompaniment and/or administrative support (up to $50,000/year for 1–2 years) 

Support for organizations offering accompaniment or navigation services to help individuals manage: 

• The administrative burden associated with a lack of insurance or navigating specific insurance programs (e.g. Interim Federal Health Program, Non-Insured Health Benefits, etc.) 

• Attending appointments and navigating the healthcare system. 

2) Delivery of medical primary care services (up to $100,000/year for 1–2 years) 

Support for clinics or organizations offering specialized primary care services in community settings, with a focus on reducing barriers for communities often excluded from the healthcare system. 

3) Networks and Advocacy (up to $150,000/year for 1–2 years) 

Support for coalitions and networks working to improve access to primary care through collective action on shared issues such as expanding insurance coverage or reducing barriers to care. 

Overview of the Application Process 

The selection process will take place in two phases: 

1. Eligibility and project summary (August 18 – September 21, 2025) 

Eligible organizations are invited to complete a short eligibility questionnaire and submit a project summary. The deadline to apply is September 21, 2025. 

2. Oral Interview (by invitation only) 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a virtual oral interview with a member of the Foundation team. A full written application will not be required. These interviews will explore the project’s objectives and needs in more depth and will take place between September 29 and October 17, 2025. 

Final decisions will be announced in December 2025. 

Information Sessions 

Two online information sessions were offered to present the details of the call for projects and answer questions.

A recording of the video is available below for those who wish to view it.

The slides, along with answers to the most frequently asked questions, are available for download.

For more information: info@trottierfoundation.com 

Karel Mayrand appointed CEO of the Trottier Family Foundation

MONTREAL, July 8, 2025 – The board of directors of the Trottier Family Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Karel Mayrand as Chief Executive Officer, effective August 18, 2025.

Mayrand brings 25 years of leadership in the philanthropic and environmental sectors in Montreal, Canada and internationally. A recognized leader within the Montreal community, he is distinguished by his strong commitment to the environment, social justice, and public service. His appointment marks a strategic step forward as the Trottier Family Foundation enters an important new phase of growth and impact in the areas of climate action, health, science, and education.

Karel Mayrand. Credit: Florian Leroy (2022)

Mayrand joins the Trottier Family Foundation from the Foundation of Greater Montreal, where he served as President and CEO since 2020. During his tenure, Mayrand led a significant strategic transformation of the organization, increasing its public profile and impact. He positioned the FMG as one of Canada’s most dynamic community foundations by embedding the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion across its operations—earning recognition as the 11th most equitable foundation in the country, according to Future of Good. Under his leadership, the Foundation also shifted toward responsible and impact investing and cut the carbon footprint of its $500 million in assets by 50% over three years.

From 2008 to 2020, Mayrand served as Director General for Quebec and Atlantic Canada at the David Suzuki Foundation, where he led the organization’s expansion into Quebec and its engagement with francophone audiences. He also chaired the Climate Reality Project Canada and provided strategic counsel on sustainable development to governments and United Nations agencies from 1997 to 2008. Currently, he serves as President of the Board of Directors for Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau and is a committee director with Le Partenariat Climat Montréal. He is the author of several books and a respected commentator on environmental and social issues.

"Karel is well-positioned to lead the Foundation’s next chapter," said Lorne Trottier, Board Chair of the Trottier Family Foundation. "His collaborative leadership style, strategic mindset, and public voice will help elevate the Foundation’s role as a catalyst for change in Canada. Karel's extensive experience and proven track record in fostering collaboration, shaping public policy and driving innovation align perfectly with our Foundation’s commitment to advancing science, education, health, and the environment. We are excited to welcome him and look forward to the leadership and fresh perspectives he will bring to our ongoing mission.”

“I am honoured to join the Trottier Family Foundation—one of Canada’s most impactful philanthropic organizations—and to help advance its mission and vision of transformative philanthropy rooted in science, collaboration, and innovation,” said Mayrand. "The Foundation’s vision resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to collaborating with its brilliant team, as well as with our partners to further enhance the Foundation’s impact."

Established in 2000, the Trottier Family Foundation is dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry, promoting education, fostering better health, protecting the environment, and mitigating climate change. Its distinctive approach blends proactive project development with reactive grantmaking, and working closely with community, national, and international partners to drive systemic change.

–

Media Contact:
Carrie Croft
Senior Director, Temple Scott Associates
ccroft@tsa.ca

Trottier Family Foundation Statement on Eric St. Pierre’s Federal Candidacy

The Trottier Family Foundation acknowledges that Eric St. Pierre, formerly Executive Director of the Foundation, has been nominated as a candidate in the upcoming federal election. We recognize and appreciate the dedication of Eric and others who choose to pursue public service.

As a private Canadian charitable foundation, the Trottier Family Foundation remains strictly non-partisan and does not engage in political endorsements or support individual candidates. We will continue to collaborate with all those who share our commitment to advancing scientific inquiry, promoting education, fostering better health, protecting the environment, and mitigating climate change.

We are grateful for Eric’s leadership and contributions to the Foundation’s mission over the last decade. The Board of Directors is ensuring a smooth transition so that we can continue driving innovation, building partnerships, and creating meaningful impact for the communities we serve.

For media inquiries, please reach out to: 
Adrienne Hiles,  
Communications Director 
adriennehiles@trottierfoundation.com 

Leadership transition at the Foundation

Today, we share important news about a significant leadership transition at the Trottier Family Foundation. It is with deep gratitude that we announce that Eric St-Pierre will be stepping down as Executive Director after nearly a decade of remarkable leadership.   

Eric joined the Trottier Family Foundation in 2016, becoming the Foundation’s first staff member and its first Executive Director since its establishment in 2000. During his tenure, he guided the foundation’s key granting programs (science, education, health, community, and climate), while also advancing the foundation’s ESG, impact investing, and shareholder engagement priorities. The Trottier Family Foundation quickly grew to become a trailblazing funder in many areas, particularly in climate.   

Under his leadership, the Trottier Family Foundation launched new initiatives such as: mobilizing $405 million towards climate philanthropy; establishing Canada’s first funder-led health and climate program; engaging on many federal, provincial and municipal climate policies through the support of diverse partners; helping launch the Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3) initiative and the Montreal Climate Partnership; building dozens of new initiatives and organizations, and so much more. 

Eric’s energy, vision, ambition, and management have been pivotal in forming significant partnerships with other funders, investors, government stakeholders, charitable partners, academia, industry, and civil society. Even as Eric moves on, we remain committed to fulfilling the Foundation’s mission and vision, and our funding priorities and commitments remain intact.   

Internally, Eric has been a strong leader in mobilizing a team of nine talented professionals and fostering an amazing work culture that inspires. The team has been empowered to lead impressive work all while being supported during challenging times, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.    

“As we embark on this transition, we really want to honour this moment,” said Lorne Trottier, President of the Trottier Family Foundation and Board of Directors. “We will take the time to celebrate Eric’s impressive achievements and contributions and the profound impact he has made on the Foundation and the greater community, while also looking forward to new opportunities ahead.” 

Reflecting on his tenure, Eric shared:

“The Trottier Family Foundation is a remarkable philanthropic funder. It has stood out as being one of Canada’s leading climate funders and has had a tremendous impact in numerous ways. I am proud of having contributed nearly a decade as the Foundation’s founding Executive Director. As we approach the Trottier Foundation’s 25th anniversary, now is the time to reflect on new leadership and take the foundation to an exciting new level. I feel incredibly fortunate to have contributed to the Trottier Family Foundation’s journey and believe this next chapter is best served by new leadership.”

To facilitate this transition, the Board of Directors has engaged Philippe Bourbonnais of GXB Leadership to assist in the search for a new Executive Director. While it is not the Board’s desire for Eric to move on, they fully support him in this decision and know that his next role will be equally exciting and impactful. We are excited for what lies ahead for the Trottier Family Foundation and grateful for the work that Eric has built.  

For media inquiries, please reach out to: 
Adrienne Hiles,  
Communications Director 
adriennehiles@trottierfoundation.com 

CANADIAN ASSET OWNER STATEMENT ON NET ZERO-ALIGNED FINANCE PARTNERSHIPS

As a community of Canadian asset owners, including family offices, foundations, endowments, universities and pension plans, representing approximately CAD $53 billion in assets, we are deeply concerned about the ecological, societal and economic impacts of climate change. These preventable impacts are already here in the form of devastating floods, hurricanes, droughts and wildfires. The Insurance Bureau of Canada reports 2024 as the most expensive year on record, paying out CAD$ 8.55 billion due to severe weather events, including the devastating Jasper wildfires. The total economic losses of the Los Angeles wildfires are estimated at USD$ 250 billion. Scientists are clear that global warming beyond 1.5°C risks cascading tipping points, making the worst effects of climate change irreversible for us and future generations.  

Many of our organizations have committed to help solve the climate crisis through philanthropic endeavors, collaboration, and investing in climate solutions. Others recognize the importance of climate change because of the risks an unstable climate poses to the ability to deliver long-term sustainable returns, consistent with fiduciary duty to beneficiaries. 

Climate risks are systemic financial risks. Financial institutions play a vital role in safeguarding their clients’ long-term savings and investments, including by managing climate risk and capitalizing on the real-economy transition to net zero. We are concerned that recent high-profile withdrawals by banks and asset managers from global climate finance alliances jeopardizes our collective ability to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at a time when more leadership is crucial.  

As such, we call on our Canadian financial institutions to remain firmly committed to their net zero goals in accordance with global, science-aligned standards and best practices, and to translate these goals into robust action plans.   

Participation in initiatives such as the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) and the Net Zero Asset Manager initiative (NZAM) signals to asset owners a baseline-level of accountability on net zero-aligned climate ambition and risk management, maintains industry momentum, sets and enhances industry standards and fosters peer learning and collaboration. As asset owners we value consistent reporting through these frameworks, which provides transparency and comparability, measures progress and helps to combat greenwashing concerns.  

While we are disappointed by recent exits from NZBA and by NZAM pausing, we ask that our financial partners continue to demonstrate adherence to the inherent principles of these frameworks. In particular, we expect: 

1. Commitments  
   Banks to continue to commit to transition all operational and attributable GHG emissions from lending and investment portfolios to align with pathways to net zero by 2050 or sooner. Asset managers to work in partnership with asset owner clients to commit to net zero emissions across all assets under management (‘AUM’) by 2050 or sooner and implement engagement, voting and policy advocacy strategies and escalation policies accordingly; 

2. Science-based target-setting  
   Banks to continue robust, science-based target-setting for 2030, prioritizing the most GHG-intensive sectors and sectors key to the transition to a net zero real economy. Asset managers to continue setting interim AUM-based net zero targets and update at least every five years until 100% of AUM is included; 

3. Annual standardized reporting on progress  
   Banks to continue annual reporting on progress against absolute and/or emission intensity targets with increased coverage and confidence, and progress made against a board-level reviewed transition strategy with proposed actions and climate-related sectoral policies. Asset managers to continue increasing AUM coverage and report on engagement efforts and results.

We believe Paris-aligned financial net zero transition plans are imperative regardless of country-level targets. As such, we need Canadian financial partners to demonstrate ambition beyond meeting regulatory requirements and commit to climate action that drives real-economy impact, in alignment with fiduciary duties and the long-term investment horizons and goals our organizations pursue. The time for courageous leadership is now.  

Signatories:

 Advantage Capital Strategies Group 

Atkinson Foundation 

Bâtirente 

British Columbia Teachers' Federation 

Canada Post Pension Plan 

Catherine Donnelly Foundation 

Clearskies Investment Management 

CMA Impact Inc. 

Coast Funds 

Definity Foundation 

Echo Foundation 

Eclipx Family Office 

Fondation du Grand Montréal 

Fonds Climat du Grand Montréal 

Gosling Foundation 

HLB Family Office 

Houssian Foundation 

Inspirit Foundation 

Johansen Larsen Foundation 

Laidlaw Foundation 

Lester Asset Management – Lynx Global Biodiversity Fund 

McConnell Foundation 

Ottawa Climate Action Fund 

Rally Assets 

RE Royalties 

Sisters of Mercy Newfoundland 

Sitka Foundation 

Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission 

The Atmospheric Fund 

The Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact (HCi3) Fund 

Trottier Family Foundation 

United Church of Canada 

University of Toronto Asset Management 

University of Victoria