In October 2021, Centraide of Greater Montreal secured funding from the Quebec Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity (MTESS) to launch the DATAide program. Spanning three years (October 2021 to October 2024), DATAide is a skills and leadership development program designed to help community organizations in Quebec succeed in their digital transformation efforts as a means to foster greater social equity.
Open North was commissioned by Centraide to lead the program’s training components. Together, we worked closely with community organizations and other partners to co-design and deliver three training courses that reflect community values and address the real needs of participating organizations.
Over the past three years, DATAide has strengthened the digital transformation capabilities of more than 1,000 community organizations. Alongside this capacity-building effort, a grant program totalling $3.9 million, administered by Centraide, has supported the planning and implementation of over 500 digital transformation projects. These initiatives have accelerated the adoption of digital technologies within the sector, improved organizational efficiency, and increased resilience in the face of today’s challenges.
The collaboration between Open North, Centraide, and many stakeholders highlights the power of co-creation in developing digital transformation strategies that truly reflect the values, needs, and realities of community organizations. This report shares the program’s key achievements, its impacts, best practices, and lessons learned.
The pursuit of the common good is a core value of Open North, alongside experiential learning. Open North asserts that, beyond short-term considerations and individual or organizational interests, we must foster healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities characterized by robust democratic processes.