The RONA Foundation Will Award One Million Dollars to Seven Canadian Non-Profit Organizations

The RONA Foundation, which oversees the philanthropic activities of RONA Inc., a leader in the home improvement sector in Canada operating and serving some 425 corporate and affiliated stores, will donate a total of $1,000,000 to seven non-profit organizations (NPOs) as part of the second edition of its Building with Heart program, launched in May 2023.

“At the RONA Foundation, we are driven by the desire to make a difference in people’s lives every day. At a time when access to housing is a challenge, making Canadians even more vulnerable, we want to help communities,” said Catherine Laporte, Chair of the Board of Directors of the RONA Foundation and Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Customer Experience at RONA.

Building with Heart aims to support NPOs in carrying out construction or renovation projects aimed at revitalizing living environments or facilitating access to housing. The program specifically seeks to help victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families and people with special needs or mental health issues. Following a call for applications process, a selection committee selected, from among approximately one hundred applications received, the projects of seven NPOs in the provinces where RONA has stores.

The funds donated under this program were raised through various initiatives, including:

• A fundraising campaign held in all RONA corporate stores and some affiliated stores last May.
• The sale of hats bearing the Foundation’s image.
• The RONA Foundation’s annual golf day, held at the La Vallée du Richelieu Golf Club on July 15, 2024, and attended by many RONA suppliers.

“The golf day was an incredible demonstration of solidarity. We are working hand in hand with our supplier partners to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable people with the funds raised,” said Josée Lafitte, Director of the RONA Foundation. “I would also like to express my deep gratitude to all the customers who generously contributed to the campaign last May. Thank you, your donations make a difference!”

List of organizations supported by the Building with Heart program in 2024

Province	Name of the organization	Amount remitted
Alberta	Homes for Heroes Foundation	$100,000
British Columbia	Habitat for Humanity Okanagan Society	$150,000
Manitoba	Rainbow Resource Centre	$50,000
New Brunswick	Hestia House Inc.	$50,000
Ontario	Cornerstone Housing for Women Foundation	$300,000
Quebec	Interlude Foundation	$300,000
Saskatchewan	Lloydminster Interval Home Society	$50,000

The funds from the Foundation’s golf day were distributed proportionally to the number of RONA stores in each province, while donations collected in stores were redistributed directly in the province where they were collected.

To learn more about the projects of the organizations that will receive funding under the Building with Heart program, visit https://www.ronainc.ca/en/corporate-responsibility/communities/our-campaigns . To share this news on social media, please use @RONAFR (Facebook ), @RONA (LinkedIn) and @RONA inc (Twitter).

About the RONA Foundation

The RONA Foundation is a charitable organization created in 1998. On the occasion of its 25th ^anniversary  in 2023, the RONA Foundation redefined its mission: to help improve the quality of life of Canadians in need by revitalizing their living environments or facilitating access to housing. It seeks in particular to help victims of domestic violence and their children, low-income families, people with special needs or people living with mental health issues. To learn more about the RONA Foundation, visit the website https://www.ronainc.ca .

About RONA Inc.

RONA Inc. is a leader in the Canadian home improvement sector , headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec. The RONA Inc. network operates or services some 425 corporate and affiliated stores under the RONA+, RONA, Réno-Dépôt and Dick’s Lumber banners. With a long and rich history, RONA Inc. has been supporting Canadians in their renovation and construction projects since 1939. To achieve this, the company relies on a team of 21,000 employees, to whom it strives to provide an inclusive workplace where everyone is invited to make a contribution. RONA Inc. has been listed as one of the top employers in the Montreal region since 2021. In addition, thanks to its ongoing efforts in sustainable development, the company is recognized as one of the greenest employers in Canada. To learn more about the company, visit the website www.ronainc.ca .

Source: Rona Inc.