Positionality / About / Positionality Recognizing where we speak from is an essential act. We operate on land marked by colonization, where power dynamics still shape our realities. We are also a foundation, established through an anonymous donation, conscious of the tensions between philanthropy and social justice. Finally, we must recognize our own limitations: deeply transforming systems is a collective effort that exceeds our sole action. This triple recognition – of the land, of our positionality, and of our limitations – guides our commitments and remains faithful to the wishes of our first donor: that her donation be not an act of charity, but an act of justice. Land Acknowledgement As a foundation that funds groups throughout the territory called Quebec, we recognize the diversity of Indigenous nations who inhabit and protect these lands, including, but not limited to, the Anishinabeg (Algonquin), Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok (Attikamek), Eeyou and Eenou (Cree), Wendat, Ilnu (Innu), Inuit, Kanien’kehà: ka (Mohawk), Mi’gmaq, Naskapi, Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk (Maliseet) and W8banakiak (Abenaki). The Béati Foundation’s offices, located in Longueuil and in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal since 2024, are on the unceded ancestral territory of the Kanien’kehà:ka (Mohawk). Tiohtià:ke/Montréal has been a place of gathering and exchange for various Indigenous nations since time immemorial. We recognize Indigenous peoples as guardians of the lands and waters and respect their past, present, and future connections to these territories. We affirm our intention to work towards respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples, thereby contributing to reconciliation and decolonization. The Béati Foundation fights against social inequality and systemic exclusion, and recognizes the right to self-determination of Indigenous peoples. We are committed to supporting initiatives that promote the rights, autonomy, and prosperity of Indigenous communities. As a foundation in complicity and in solidarity with Indigenous struggles, we recognize our role in ensuring that the philanthropy of today and tomorrow ensures a redistribution of the wealth accumulated through centuries of colonialism and slavery, with a view to reparation and reconciliation. This statement is intended to evolve and is meant as a first step towards weaving deep and lasting ties with Indigenous communities. Above all, this statement is not an end in itself; we know there is much deeper work to be done, and we are committed to honoring it. Why This Exercise? Positionality Statement A positionality statement is an exercise in transparency and accountability. It allows us to name the historical and structural dynamics that have influenced our trajectory, and to identify the unrecognized weaknesses that may have influenced our strategic choices. This exercise aims both to recognize these realities and to engage the Béati Foundation in a process of continuous improvement, with a commitment to transformation rooted in social and environmental justice. Origins Transformation Movement Our History and Our Commitment The Béati Foundation was created in 1990 thanks to an initial contribution from an anonymous donor whose generosity laid the foundations for a lasting philanthropic commitment. Although her identity remains confidential, we know that she was acutely aware of systemic inequalities and the mechanisms of wealth concentration. In line with her convictions, she made the radical choice to renounce an inheritance that she considered to be an instrument for perpetuating inequality. Her gesture was therefore not only an act of generosity, but also an explicit desire to break with certain traditional patterns of wealth transfer. While her anonymity limits our ability to precisely trace the dynamics that led to the creation of the initial fund, we draw inspiration from her critical commitment to constantly question how our actions contribute – or not – to the transformation of systemic inequalities. For a long time, our governance has been primarily driven by individuals with relatively homogeneous professional backgrounds, socio-demographic identities, and social experiences, particularly in terms of social constructs related to race, gender, and ability. While some forms of diversity were present, particularly on the Board of Directors, we recognize that strategic decisions have long been influenced by a vision that originated primarily from a single sociocultural framework. This reality, which reflects broader trends in the philanthropic sector, had an impact on our funding choices, our working methods, and our relationships with our partners. Conscious that power structures often reproduce themselves in subtle ways, we have initiated a profound transformation to ensure greater openness to perspectives that have historically been underrepresented in our organization. Towards a Committed Transformation We have taken concrete steps to ensure more inclusive governance and decision-making that is better grounded in the realities of concerned communities: Diversification of the Board of Directors, in order to integrate a range of perspectives and expertise. Independent Selection Committee with decision-making power over final choices, ensuring a more balanced and representative approach. Revision of our criteria and monitoring mechanisms, in order to better align our actions with the principles of equity, social justice, and collective responsibility for change. We are aware that these adjustments, while necessary, are only one step toward a lasting organizational and cultural transformation. The diversity of our decision-making bodies is not an end in itself, but a lever to avoid the reproduction of inequalities in other ways. We are committed to maintaining an approach of constant learning and dialogue with our partners and the communities with whom we work. Philanthropy In Transformation We see this evolution not as a destination, but as a living process, constantly adapting to the challenges, lessons learned, and realities of social and environmental struggles. Building on our history, our commitments, and our desire for continuous improvement, we aspire to build a more inclusive, fair, and truly transformative philanthropic model. We know that this transformation can only happen through ongoing dialogue with our partners and collaborators. By working alongside committed organizations and communities, we aim to co-create philanthropic practices that respond to the concrete realities of our world. Recognizing Our Limitations Where Contradictions Become Pathways Philanthropy carries within it an irreconcilable tension. It seeks to transform, but it arises from the very structures it hopes to overcome. It distributes, but it chooses to whom and how. It supports, but it can also constrain. This paradox is not an obstacle; it is an invitation to humility. We refuse easy answers. It would be simple to act without questioning, to believe that giving is enough. It would be just as simple to become paralyzed by the scale of the contradictions. But there is another way: that of movement, of fruitful doubt, of commitment that reinvents itself. Money: Between Being a Burden and a Force For Change Money can nourish or limit, emancipate or confine. It moves through systems larger than ourselves, and rarely accumulates without leaving a trace. Even our investments are never neutral. We do not seek the illusion of impossible purity, but rather transparency and consistency. We know that even the most coherent funding leaves a mark. Investing means guiding. Financing means influencing. A foundation, even one that is critical of its own logic, remains a powerful actor. This power shapes narratives, priorities, and frameworks for success. It is therefore our responsibility to reduce contradictions rather than ignore them, to direct our resources toward meaningful choices, and to constantly rethink our impact. But this vigilance cannot be a mere rhetorical exercise. It must be embodied in decisions: How are our investments managed? How are our funding criteria evolving? How can we prevent our requirements from becoming constraints for those who create outside established frameworks? We move forward without claiming perfection. But we know that money, used conscientiously and responsibly, can be a tool for solidarity, a breath of fresh air that nourishes without constraining, a lever that amplifies voices without diverting them from their own trajectory. Supporting Without Imposing We hope to do everything possible to avoid making decisions for others and to avoid occupying a space that is not ours. Too often, philanthropy has conditioned access to resources on top-down approaches and rigid formats that force initiatives to conform to its own expectations. We want something different. Fewer administrative requirements, more trust. Fewer rigid structures, more dialogue. We want philanthropy that listens before acting, that transforms itself alongside those on the frontlines rather than imposing a vision on them. But how can we ensure that this stance does not remain merely an intention? We need safeguards. This requires concrete mechanisms: reducing our normative frameworks, sharing decision-making power more widely, experimenting with forms of redistribution that loosen philanthropy’s grip on those it supports. Where Futures Are Born We do not claim to know better. But we can be there, providing support, in the margins and in the gaps, where new ideas emerge. We do not replace the State, we complement it. We take risks where others cannot. The world is built through the connections we weave, in fully embracing diversity, in justice that is not limited to humans but extends to all living things. We move forward without claiming to have found the answer, with the sole certainty that we will continue to search. But even this certainty is in tension. Stating our limitations does not free us from them. Naming shortcomings does not erase them. Any introspective approach carries its own silences, its own filters. What we believe we see today does not guarantee what we will see tomorrow. That is why vigilance is our true commitment. Never believing we have arrived. Never confusing lucidity with complacency. Remaining questioning, not out of excessive doubt, but because there is no such thing as fixed justice, only renewed attempts to approach it. The philanthropy we want is awake, in tension, and in constant transformation.