On Thursday, November 7, National Bank’s offices hosted the second edition of the Jeux de l’entraide, an initiative led by Centraide of Greater Montreal’s Emerging Philanthropists, a committee of young professionals who volunteer their time. Ten teams from the business and academic communities came together to take on challenges inspired by real situations experienced by the community sector.
Building meaningful bridges
Presented by National Bank, the Jeux de l’entraide aim to build a bridge between young professionals and community agencies. Through this friendly competition, participants are invited to put their talents to work for the common good by designing concrete, applicable solutions to the challenges faced in the field.
This approach allows Centraide of Greater Montreal to engage the next generation in its mission and encourage new thinking around solidarity, social innovation, and community leadership. The event illustrates how collaboration and creativity can become drivers of lasting change.
As part of the Jeux de l’entraide, each team was invited to take on one of three major challenges: Communications, Human Resources, or Operations Management. By focusing on a specific issue, participants were able to deepen their reflections and propose actionable ideas that could be directly applied within Centraide and community agencies.
To better understand the scope of these challenges:
2025 Winners
Three teams stood out for the quality and relevance of their proposals:
Communications Challenge: HEC Montréal (MBA)
Human Resources Challenge: Pratt & Whitney Canada
Operations Management Challenge: Hydro-Québec
In addition, the fundraising award was presented to Énergir, in recognition of its outstanding commitment.
A day of exchange and creativity
Beyond the competition, the day was also marked by fun and engaging moments. The now-traditional rock-paper-scissors tournament helped break the ice in a friendly atmosphere before the challenges began.
In the afternoon, artist Danica Olders led a collaborative art workshop, inviting participants to create a collective work symbolizing diversity and the strength of community — a creative gesture aligned with the spirit of the event.
A mobilization made possible thanks to a strong network of partners
Centraide of Greater Montreal extends its heartfelt thanks to the sponsors of this edition: National Bank, Le Chic Resto Pop, Lavery, Leonor, KIND, Danica Olders, Lionel Deguy (photographer), and Robert Alexis Traiteur.
Our partners — Signé Local and Valérie Paquette (photographer) — also contributed to making this day a success.
By bringing together dynamic and community-minded individuals around a shared goal, the Jeux de l’entraide presented by National Bank inspire a new generation of leaders to get involved in building an inclusive, poverty-free Greater Montreal.
A dedicated and engaged jury
Teams’ proposals were evaluated by a jury of professionals who generously offered their time and expertise to select the winning projects in each category. Their contribution enriched participants’ reflections and highlighted promising ideas for the community sector. We extend our sincere thanks to them.
