Event Description
The PhiLab Fall School 2025 is a unique opportunity to mobilize and disseminate knowledge about major transformations in the philanthropic sector. Held in Montreal in October 2025, this fourth edition will adopt a hybrid format with an emphasis on in-person participation.
Designed as a series of four weekly thematic workshops, the first 4 Thursdays of October, the Fall School is aimed at a wide audience: researchers, students, practitioners, representatives of community organizations, foundations, and public institutions. It aims to disseminate the results of research already conducted, stimulate cross-sector exchanges, and strengthen collective capacities for analysis and action around a central theme: Philanthropic Renewal: Exploring the Future of Social Engagement.
In a context marked by growing inequalities, environmental upheavals, ideological polarization, and the questioning of democratic institutions, this theme invites reflection on the role of philanthropy in building a more just, inclusive, and resilient society. The four workshops will focus on the following issues:
- The transfer of philanthropic capital, with an analysis of endowment mechanisms, generational transfer strategies, and emerging models of participatory or community financing.
- The inclusion of marginalized populations in philanthropic governance, with a particular focus on issues for people with disabilities.
- The planned end of life of foundations, a trend that is leading some institutions to maximize their impact within a deliberately limited time frame.
- The position of foundations in the face of social mouvements, examining how they support progressive movements, defend fundamental rights, and combat misinformation.
The Fall School is based on a participatory teaching approach, combining lectures, panels, student presentations, group discussions, and opportunities for experimentation. It promotes the knowledge produced through PhiLab research projects, while giving students an active role in presenting their work or contributing to scientific activities.
This project aims to mobilize knowledge derived from research, facilitate its dissemination to a variety of audiences, and encourage cross-sector collaboration around contemporary social challenges. The 2025 Fall School thus contributes to the development of a more daring, inclusive, and reflective philanthropy, rooted in the social dynamics of our time.
Schedule
Week 1 : Philanthropy and Capital Transfer (Octobre 2 from 9h30 to 13h30)
Discover the panelists
Rotem Ayalon
Rotem is Director of the Collective Impact Project at United Way of Greater Montreal, a collaborative initiative bringing together philanthropic, institutional, and community partners that supports collective efforts to reduce poverty and social exclusion in Montreal neighborhoods. With a master’s degree in urban planning and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering, she is passionate about food and social issues in urban areas and firmly believes in the potential for transformation at the neighborhood level. Among her commitments, she contributed to the founding of Quebec’s first food policy council, the Montreal Food System Council (Conseil SAM).
David Longtin
David holds a PhD in political science from the University of Ottawa. He is a lecturer in sociology and a research officer at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), where he has worked on numerous research projects since 2008.
Chris Lee
Chris Lee serves as the Director of Programming at Inspirit Foundation, which focuses on advancing social, racial, and economic justice to build a pluralistic Canada. He leads Inspirit’s grant programs, evaluation and learning strategies, and social impact initiatives across multiple sectors. Chris holds a B.A. (Hons) from the University of King’s College and an M.Ed. from the University of British Columbia and in 2022-23, he was a Just Economy Institute Fellow. He volunteers with numerous community organizations in Toronto and the U.S.
Jean-Marc Fontan
Jean-Marc is a emeritus professor in the Department of Sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). He specializes in economic sociology, and works on the themes of the social economy, collective action to reduce poverty, socio-territorial revitalization, organized philanthropy and partnership research.
Émilie Lamoureux
Émilie has been working in philanthropy for nine years. She is the assistant director of the Graduate Services and Philanthropy Department at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), where she oversees structural projects to support fundraising efforts and leads her department’s digital transformation. President of AFP Québec since January 2025, she contributes to the promotion of the profession and the development of the next generation of philanthropists. Administrator since 2021, she has served on several key committees—governance, communications, and organization of National Philanthropy Day—and now focuses her efforts on the association’s governance.
Week 2 : Vulnerabilities (October 9 from 9h30 to 13h30)
Discover the panelists
Lise Roche
Lise is Program Director at the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation. It is following a career in associations of organizations for the elderly or disabled people that Lise made the choice to work in a foundation.
Rina Marchand
Rina is a veteran professional in entrepreneurial development and strategic communications, with over 30 years of experience in digital businesses and the social economy. A graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, she has led and co-authored the Quebec Entrepreneurial Index and contributed to several major initiatives at Réseau Mentorat, including collaborations with HEC Montréal, Léger, and MIT. She currently serves as Director of Philanthropic Partnerships and Communications at Groupe TAQ, where she leads a community bond campaign and philanthropic projects for the socio-professional inclusion of people living with functional limitations.
Anne Delorme
With over 20 years of experience, Anne has held a variety of positions managing complex development programs and teams in Canadian and international non-governmental organizations, including the United Nations Development Program. Formerly Director of the “Act Together for Inclusion” Fund, co-managed by Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education and the Dignity Canada Network, she was also the coordinator of the Comité québécois femmes et développement at the Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale. Since 2015, Anne has been offering her expertise as a senior consultant in international development for organizations: Développement international Desjardins, the Assemblée des parlementaires de la Francophonie, and Médecins du Monde.
Diane Alalouf-Hall
Diane has been a researcher at PhiLab since 2016. She was coordinator of the PhiLab Network and then of PhiLab Quebec for five years. Since 2023, Diane has held the position of Director of PhiLab Québec, until the closure of the regional hub. Since 2025, she has been responsible for implementing and coordinating research and knowledge transfer activities in the Quebec unit.
Elisabeth Robinot
Élisabeth Robinot is a Associate Professor in the Marketing Department at ESG UQAM in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 2018, she co-founded the Observatoire de la philanthropie with Professor Léo Trespeuch (EGUQTR). Since June 2024, she has co-directed the PhiLab alongside Adam Saifer (UBC). Her work focuses on giving practices and their new formats, as well as the transformational dynamics of partnerships between foundations and companies. She is particularly interested in contemporary social and environmental issues, convinced that grant-making foundations have an essential role to play in today’s ecological transition.
Week 3 : Sunsetting Foundations (October 16 from 9h30 to 13h30)
Discover the panelists
Niamh Leonard
Niamh Leonard is a lawyer and director of the Euphrosine Foundation, a time-limited philanthropic foundation that aims to strengthen spaces for democratic deliberation and accountability. She is also president of Collectif Bienvenue, an organization that supports refugee claimants in Montreal.
David Grant-Poitras
David is a PhD candidate in sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal. His thesis focuses on the roles and impacts of Quebec grantmaking foundations in the social and ecological transition. He has been working for several years as a research agent at PhiLab. There, he conducts various research activities focusing on the initiatives and innovations deployed by philanthropic players to reduce social inequalities and combat climate change.
Sacha-Emmanuel Mossu
Sacha-Emmanuel is a Master’s student in Philosophy at Université Laval. His research focuses on the role of philanthropy in democratic societies. More specifically, he is interested in the pluralist and associative dimensions of philanthropic activities, the redistribution of wealth and public goods by philanthropic organizations, as well as the arguments that attempt to justify or overturn the fiscal benefits offered to donors.
Jean-Marc Fontan
Jean-Marc is an emeritus professor in the Department of Sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). He specializes in economic sociology, and works on the themes of the social economy, collective action to reduce poverty, socio-territorial revitalization, organized philanthropy and partnership research.
Week 4 : Social Movements and Philanthropy (October 23 from 9h30 to 13h30)
Discover the panelists
Myriam Thériault
Mères au front is a citizen movement rooted in the strength of mothers and grandmothers, science, art, and activism, which aims to protect the environment in order to protect children. Myriam Thériault, with her extensive experience in social development, feminism, and politics, is the co-executive director. She joined the organization after numerous mandates with non-profit organizations and as a consultant supporting organizational funding, citizen participation, and collective work.
Ana Sofia Hibon
Ana Sofia is a program manager at the Inspirit Foundation, which supports arts and media initiatives to advance a more inclusive and pluralistic Canada. She has collaborated with a wide range of nonprofit, cultural, and journalism organizations over the years, spearheading strategy development and grantmaking initiatives, among other efforts. Ana Sofia leads Inspirit’s journalism program, and works to support stronger collaborations between the philanthropic, community, and journalism sectors.
Fahad Ahmad
Fahad is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University. Prior to joining Toronto Metropolitan University, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies at the University of Toronto. He obtained his PhD at the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University. His doctoral research, supported by SSHRC and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, comparatively examined the securitization of Muslim civil society organizations under national security regimes in Canada and the U.K. He is currently preparing a book manuscript based on his dissertation.
Elisabeth Robinot
Élisabeth Robinot is a Associate Professor in the Marketing Department at ESG UQAM in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 2018, she co-founded the Observatoire de la philanthropie with Professor Léo Trespeuch (EGUQTR). Since June 2024, she has co-directed the PhiLab alongside Adam Saifer (UBC). Her work focuses on giving practices and their new formats, as well as the transformational dynamics of partnerships between foundations and companies. She is particularly interested in contemporary social and environmental issues, convinced that grant-making foundations have an essential role to play in today’s ecological transition.
Saouré Kouamé
Saouré is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the Telfer School of Management. He was Associate Professor of Strategy at HEC Montreal and Visiting Scholar at INSEAD France and Singapore. He holds a PhD in management (Strategy & Organization) from HEC Montréal, where he was awarded the best PhD dissertation (all disciplines included). Born and raised in Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), he has developed a deep interest in the development of the African continent, especially impact strategies of local and international actors.
