Since 1980

The history of the Foundation is young, but it is neverthless eventful. Here is an excerpt from the 2004 annual report, where M. Gilles Trahan, vice-president and executive director of the Foundation, presents a summary of the history of the Foundation, "Return on the past" :

"1980 marks the effective beginning of the activities of the Foundation. During these years, she distributed 62 529 661 $ in investment in more than 80 countries of the Third World and made possible the realisation of more than 6 165 projects, which value is more than 200 millions of dollars. I do not know if the capituli of the chapter of the Sisters of the Providence of 1974 had been able to imagine that the decision to transfer 10 millions of dollars to a distinct foundation of their corporate body, that had for mission to help the poor ones like mother Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin did, would have such a impact in the future.

"Legal and fiscal difficulties nevertheless delayed the transfer of the funds of the Congregation to the Foundation, and these were poured only at the end of 1979. This delay had a happy ending, for the interests accumulated on the origin capital and, at the moment of the transfer, the amount had attained 14 325 000 $. This donation specified that the capital had to be preserved and that only income could be distributed.

"The fall of 1979 was devoted to set up the administrative instances of the Foundation: partial remaniement of the board of directors presided by the regretted judge Gilles Filion, creation of the executive committee, assistance committee and committee of placements. The council nominated M. Jean-Claude Leclerc to be the general manager, function that he occupied up to 1990, year where I took over from him. I would like underline the work of M. Leclerc, who, with modest means, organized the functioning of the office and follow-up on the projects with an untiring devotedness. I would also like to underline the work of sister Marie-Paule Levaque, s.p., who watched with a constant and severe vigilance to the activities of Foundation. Sister Levaque was once a member of the board of directors and treasurer since the early beginning of the Foundation and, despite his advanced youth, she is still a member of the assistance committee. I feel privileged to have had the happiness to participate, with sister Levaque and M. Filion, to the setup of the Foundation.

"In 1985, a financial agreement was signed with the Canadian International Development Agency (CADI). Its participation, project by project, represented in average 400 000 $ each year.

"During that same year, the Sisters of Saint-Joseph of Saint-Hyacinthe did a noticeable donation to the capital of the Foundation, followed by a second donation in 1991 and of a third one in 1993. The following year, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Diocese of London also did a similar donation, spread out on four years. A little later, the generosity of three other communities, which are the Sisters of Saint-Joseph of Saint-Vallier, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Hamilton and the Sisters of Saint Martha of Antigonish, also distinguished themselves by donations to the capital of the Foundation, carrying it to more than 17,9 millions of dollars.

"In 1991, following demands from CADI that were incompatible with our mission statement, we decided to put an end to our relation after mutual agreement.

"In order to support our action, we have first decided to call upon the religious congregations to finance our projects, by a project-by-project approach, or by a global approach to our projects and to non-governmental organizations (NGO) benefitting from the assistance of the CADI. Their response surpassed all our hopes. As for today, more than sixty congregations replied to our call and, from 1992 to 2004, they gave a total of 17 405 000 $, while the non-governmental organizations contributed an amount of 2 429 000 $.

"Although the Sisters of Providence contributed to the biggest part of the capital of the Foundation, they also contributed a substantial amount to the financing of our projects year after year.

"In 1994, following the resignation of M. Filion, M. Jean-L. Renaud is nominated president, function that he will occupy for nine years. He will resign, to his turn, in 2003, and M. Jean Meloche will take over since then.

"In 2001, a surprise awaited us. At the opening of Mrs. Suzanne Martineau's will, deceased in an automobile accident, we learned that we were beneficiary of her succession for an amount of 160 000 $, which was put to our capital. That donation was really unexpected since nobody among us knew this generous lady. I call that a gift of Providence!

"What await us in the future? I would very much like to be able to answer to this question. Nevertheless, because of the decrease of our clean income, we will have to count more and more on our partners (...)."

sources : Roncalli International Foundation, 25th annual report (2004), p. 8-12.