How Nicholas Morel and Maxime Boissonneault turned fundraising into a game

Why is it important for Moov AI to give back and how does this relate to your company culture? 

It may sound a little cheezy, but giving back is in our DNA. In our past lives in other companies, but also in our personal journeys, we have had the philanthropic bug if there is one. Maxime has organized several activities to give young people at the Sainte-Justine Hospital the chance to live out their dreams and has been involved in several ONBL boards. So when I was approached to be part of Techaide’s board, it was a no-brainer.

Sharing is one of the four values that guide our day-to-day work at Moov AI. We established them from the very first discussions we had. 

Sharing is one of the four values that guide our day-to-day work at Moov AI. We established them from the very first discussions we had. So you can understand that the discussion was more about “how” we could get involved in the community than “if”…

We are aware of how lucky we are to be in a fast-growing industry, we are doing well. For us, it is 100% normal to give back to those who are not as fortunate.

Participating in the Techaide campaign couldn’t be more in line with our culture.

Tell us about your recent and impressive fundraising. What do you think are the key ingredients to creating a successful campaign?  

The idea of turning fundraising into a “game” with other colleagues came up during a discussion with my colleague Simon Shaienks. We wanted to get away from the usual payroll deductions or monthly donations. It just didn’t fit our culture.

We came to the conclusion that the involvement of colleagues would be key to the success of the campaign. To do this, we asked our social club for help. We wanted to sprinkle paid activities on top of the activities already organized during the year.

Two great examples of this success were the activities of the Geoguessr tournament and the “Moov tes fesses” month. For these 2 activities, we asked for a registration fee and offered different bouquets that colleagues could buy in addition. That’s how our co-president, Dominic, ended up running a 5km race dressed as a clown on the last day of “Moov your butt” month.

These activities were the cornerstone of our campaign for Techaide, and in addition, the bonds were strengthened between colleagues.

All proceeds were doubled by Moov AI and donated to Techaide. Even though we are only 35 people in the team, we have set a goal of raising at least $15,000 for our very first campaign (2021).

If you were to talk to someone else about giving to Techaide, what would you tell them? What would you want everyone to know about this cause?

The technology industry in Montreal has been booming for a long time and many of these organizations have a strong commitment to giving back to the community. Some organizations are wondering where to start and how to invite their team members to participate in a campaign. 

Techaide is a great vehicle for the Montreal tech community to come together to give back to people in need through the Centraide of Greater Montreal. 

Some numbers? Centraide of Greater Montreal supports nearly 1 in 5 people in our region through financial support to over 350 agencies and projects! 

Fighting poverty requires action on several fronts. People need to eat and have a roof over their heads, young people need to develop fully, vulnerable and marginalized people need to come out of isolation, and local communities need to get the support they need to deal with all these issues.

Now in my second year with Techaide, I can attest to the organization’s rigorous management and relevance.