Founded in 1892, Welcome Hall Mission / Mission Bon Accueil (WHM) works to support those experiencing homelessness and poverty in Montreal. The charity runs specific programs to improve the lives of young mothers, low-income families, and at-risk youth.

Welcome Hall Mission offers three types of services: Support and Care, Food, and Family.

Support and Care programs address the housing and health needs of people who struggle to support themselves. Welcome Hall Mission provides an emergency shelter that serves around 250 homeless clients each night. In total, WHM estimates that 1,545 different people accessed its emergency shelter services in F2019. WHM also offers longer-term housing and housing with mental health support for clients working to overcome addiction or mental illness. Welcome Hall Mission clients can access free on-site dental care and health services during their stay. In F2019, the charity states that 1,722 clients used its dental clinic.

Food programs provide nutritious meals to clients using the charity’s other services. Welcome Hall Mission operates Marché Bon Accueil, a food bank designed to resemble a grocery store shopping experience. WHM clients can select their own groceries and receive an amount for free based on their household income and size. The charity estimates that around 3,400 families benefit from Marché Bon Accueil each week. Welcome Hall Mission also provides prepared meal services at its 200-seat shelter cafeteria.

Family services aim to address the specific needs of low-income families in Montreal. For parents, WHM operates clinics to navigate personal tax returns and legal procedures. It also offers classes to help clients gain employable skills and rejoin the workforce. In F2019, 72 people took part in employment programs. For children, WHM provides academic support, free school supplies, and Christmas toy giveaways. More than 3,000 children received school supplies, clothing, or Christmas gifts in F2019.

Welcome Hall Mission is a Large charity with donations of $6.4m in F2019. The charity received $10.4m in food and clothing donations in-kind, representing 47% of total revenues. It also received $3.3m in government funding, or 15% of total revenues. Administrative costs are 4% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 28% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 32%. For every dollar donated to the charity, 68 cents go to the cause. This falls within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Welcome Hall Mission’s $6.4m in interest-bearing debts exceed its $3.1m in liquid assets, resulting in a negative cost coverage ratio. These debts mainly represent mortgages and capital lease obligations needed to support WHM’s shelters. Excluding interest-bearing debts, the charity could cover between four and five months of program costs with its existing reserves. If donated goods in-kind are included, WHM could cover two months of programming using its reserves.

WHM received $1.2m in proceeds on the sale of property in F2019, resulting in a negative capital spending figure. It sold its Kass Day Centre on Beaudry Street, a clinic designed for young clients to receive housing and develop life plans. WHM now runs its Kass Day Centre on Acorn Street, Montreal.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Welcome Hall Mission for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 14, 2020 by Eric Zhao.