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BMO announces $15 million in support of Kids Help Phone

March 2, 2023 | Giving and sponsorships

This morning, CEO Darryl White will be speaking as the Campaign Co-Chair at the Kids Help Phone press conference kicking off their “Feel Out Loud” campaign. 

The campaign, the largest movement for youth mental health of its kind, aims to raise $300 million to advance three major focus areas: 

  • delivering clinical service in every community in Canada; 
  • advancing equity for all youth in Canada; and 
  • transforming the landscape of e-mental health. 

BMO is proud to support the campaign with a commitment of $15 million to help expand mental health support for youth across the country.  


“Young people are acutely affected by mental health challenges but are often the least prepared to deal with them – by supporting Kids Help Phone to address the mental-health crisis facing today’s youth, we’re investing in our collective future. BMO’s purpose to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life is focused on driving progress for an inclusive society and ‘Feel Out Loud’ is committed to reshaping and strengthening Canada’s youth mental health ecosystem by actively removing barriers to inclusion. We’ve stood alongside Kids Help Phone since the very beginning, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure Kids Help Phone will be there 24/7 for generations of children to come.”  

– Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer


Growing the Good 
​​​​​​​As a founding partner, we helped establish Kids Help Phone in 1989. Our corporate involvement and the incredible commitment of Team BMO has helped them grow into a leading Canadian and world-renowned frontline youth counselling service, and supports their goals of: 

  • expanding service to 100+ languages by 2025; 
  • building a gateway for E-mental health services at kidshelpphone.ca; 
  • breaking down barriers to mental health equity by establishing an Indigenous Advisory Council and Black Advisory Council; and 
  • utilizing machine learning and AI to transform the data hub and online services and building a system change incubator.

Darryl White will be appearing BNN later this afternoon to discuss announcement, as well as our continuing support of Kids Help Phone and mental wellness for all. 

The Feel Out Loud anthem, “What I Wouldn’t Do (North Star Calling)”, performed by a collective of more than 50 artists from across Canada is available March 2 at 12 p.m. ET on Kids Help Phone’s YouTube channel, and will have its broadcast premiere on March 4, 2023 on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app at 8 p.m. ET. 

BMO’s Walk So Kids Can Talk: May 7, 2023 
Mark your calendars! BMO will once again be tying up our laces for Kids Help Phone’s largest annual fundraising event.  

Stay tuned to BMO Central for registration and fundraising information coming soon! 

BMO and mental health 
BMO is dedicated to supporting and growing access to mental health resources. Since 2013, BMO and our employees have raised more than $40 million for Kids Help Phone. BMO’s also given to many organizations supporting access to mental health resources in Canada, including CAMH, CMHA, Thresholds and Jack.org. 

For our employees, BMO hosts regular wellness sessions, we’ve partnered with Headspace to help employees and their families build healthy habits around mindfulness and meditation, and provided access to LifeWorks to employees, their families and retirees – a 24/7 wealth of resources and confidential services to help with a variety of aspects in your life. 

Kids Help Phone 
Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 national, e-mental health service offering free, confidential, multilingual support to young people. As the country’s virtual care expert, they give millions of youth a safe, trusted space to talk over phone, through text or in self-directed support in any moment of crisis or need. Through their digital transformation, they envision a future where every person in Canada is able to feel out loud and get the support they need, when they need it most. Learn more at KidsHelpPhone.ca

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