Founded in Montréal in 1994 by senior managers of the Moisson Montréal food bank, Renaissance is an economically social entreprise centered around sustainable development.
“To become Quebec’s social economy leader by developing an innovative network of partnerships for job-training programs and economic activities based on values of solidarity and sustainable development.”
Renaissance is a Quebec non-profit organization that promotes the social and occupational integration of people facing barriers to labour market entry, while encouraging everyone to take concrete action for the environment.
Renaissance serves the community through three missions: social, environmental and economic. Working at, donating to and shopping at Renaissance helps change the lives of thousands of people each year and protects the environment by diverting millions of kilograms of clothing and household items from landfills.
Social Mission
Helping people enter the workforce is central to Renaissance’s mission and activities. Through personalized job-training programs, we intervene before the cycle of poverty begins, giving disadvantaged people the tools they need to develop their skills, find a job and become self-sufficient.
Environmental Mission
Renaissance works to preserve the environment by recovering used goods. The items donated to Renaissance are given a second life instead of ending up in landfill. Every year, over a million donors give to Renaissance, supporting both the community and the environment.
Economic Mission
After they are received, donations are sorted, labeled and put on sale in Renaissance's network of stores. Donations enable Renaissance to be a major employer and to offer clothing and household goods at low prices and tax-free.
Renaissance has a 10-year strategic plan with 4 strategic priorities:
Renaissance relies on the help of local organizations to understand and respond to market needs by developing long-term employability programs.
To fulfill its social mission, Renaissance needs skilled human resources and is committed to being an employer of choice. It therefore focuses on employee training and development, and fills management positions through internal promotion whenever possible.
To pursue our mission on a larger scale, we need to grow our self-generated revenues. This will mean opening larger stores and more donation centres. We also want to expand geographically, which will involve decentralizing operations to local communities.
Renaissance’s environmental mission revolves around the reuse of goods donated by the community. Our target is to triple the volume of goods diverted from landfill. We therefore need to explore opportunities for recycling materials, including textiles. Other initiatives under development include electrifying our truck fleet and making our buildings more energy efficient.
1 300
permanent employees
138
volunteers
19
thrift stores
27
donation centres
11
bookstores
5
boutiques
1
liquidation centre
1
distribution centre