MARCH 14, 2017

TELUS to give $2.5 million to 100 Montreal youth-focused community organizations in 2017

TELUS and La Ruche support social entrepreneurs in Montreal with the TELUS 375th Grants.
Montreal, Quebec — To celebrate Montreal’s 375th anniversary, TELUS and La Ruche are announcing a brand-new partnership to stimulate funding for innovative projects that benefit Montrealers. With the TELUS 375th Grants, TELUS will donate $50,000 to support projects led by charitable and non-profit organizations that wish to launch crowdfunding campaigns through La Ruche. This digital platform combines technology with the power of local communities to provide social entrepreneurs with an innovative way to generate project funding.
The announcement was made at the TELUS Montreal Celebration of Giving, an annual event that showcases the outstanding work of local charities. TELUS, its team members and retirees plan on contributing $2.5 million to Montreal charities and community organizations in 2017, with a particular emphasis on those that support technological and social projects that help youth.
“La Ruche shares our strong entrepreneurial spirit and desire to contribute to local development through social and technological innovation,” says François Gratton, Executive Vice-President, TELUS and Partner Solutions, and President, Business Solutions East and TELUS Québec. “Our city’s 375th anniversary is the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on the creative ways that Montrealers help one another. Our partnership with La Ruche Montreal is bound to be impactful, as it both encourages social entrepreneurs and contributes to the well-being of our community.”
The TELUS 375th Grants will support a dozen social projects through additional contributions of up to $5,000 each. Projects can be submitted in any La Ruche category and must meet four criteria to qualify. In short, a project must:• Belong to a non-profit organization;• Clearly demonstrate how it contributes to the well-being of Montrealers;• Target young people 30 and under;• Have met or exceeded its funding goal.
“Montreal is brimming with talent,” adds Sophie Reis, Director and Co-Founder of La Ruche Montreal. “We are excited for the TELUS 375th Grants initiative, as it will support numerous social projects that will positively impact the quality of life of Montrealers. The additional donations will certainly motivate charities in Greater Montreal to take their initiatives to the next level, and young people will benefit significantly.”
After launching in Quebec City and then in Lower St. Lawrence and Mauricie, the La Ruche crowdfunding platform debuted in Montreal in June 2016. This not-for-profit organization has made it possible for 20 projects to come to life in the Greater Montreal area to date, in addition to 11 projects currently in the platform’s pipeline.
$2.5 million for a hundred local charitable organizations
During the TELUS Montreal Celebration of Giving, TELUS also announced plans to contribute $2.5 million to support some 100 charities and community organizations in Greater Montreal. This commitment is made possible through donations from the TELUS Montreal Community Board and active and retired team members in the area, as well as corporate donations and sponsorships.
In addition to donating $50,000 to the projects supported by La Ruche Montreal, the TELUS Montreal Community Board has supported several important youth-focused charities and projects so far this year:• Anorexia and Bulimia Quebec, for an online help project for youth with eating disorders;• Equitas, to help bring together and spark discussions between young refugees and non-refugees to create more welcoming communities;• Alloprof, for a text-messaging homework help project that puts youth directly in touch with teachers;• The Société d'éducation pour le cyclisme à Montréal, to support a solidarity and environmental awareness project through a used bicycle drive and an online educational kit.
About La Ruche
La Ruche is a non-profit organization, and its mission is to encourage the emergence of projects stimulating the influence and vitality of a given area. Through its proximity crowdfunding platform, La Ruche actively contributes to the development of new projects in Quebec. The way La Ruche innovates is through its structure, the personalized guidance it provides, and its concept of ambassadors and regional proximity. Since it was launched in 2013, 12,391 contributors have raised $1,373,734 and helped bring 143 new projects to life. La Ruche is pleased to be able to count on the support of premier partners that share its mission and entrepreneurial vision, notably the City of Montréal, the Quebec government, the City of Québec and Desjardins Group.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada’s fastest-growing national telecommunications company, with $12.8 billion of annual revenue and 12.7 million subscriber connections, including 8.6 million wireless subscribers, 1.7 million high-speed Internet subscribers, 1.4 million residential network access lines and more than a million TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video. TELUS is Canada’s largest health care IT provider, and TELUS International delivers business process solutions around the globe.
In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and our retirees have contributed more than $482 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered the equivalent of more than a million days of service to local communities since 2000. TELUS’ twelve Canadian community boards and five International boards have led the company’s support of grassroots charities and have contributed more than $60 million in support of 5,595 local charitable projects, enriching the lives of more than 2 million children and youth annually.
TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition. As reflected in our Corporate Social Responsibility Report, our commitment to sustainability is inspired by nature and aims to create a healthier future for all.
For more information about TELUS, please visit
telus.com
.
For more information:
Jacinthe Beaulieu
TELUS Media Relations
(418) 318-6102
[email protected]