If you're an Ontario nonprofit organization and haven't heard about Bill 168 — the amendments to the Health and Safety Act regarding workplace violence and harassment — chances are you aren't in compliance with it yet. The deadline for compliance...
Is it legal and ethical to take over a dormant Canadian charity? This article considers the questions: "Is it legal and ethical to take over a dormant Canadian charity in order to avoid the long bureaucratic process of application? And...
Late last year, Liberal MP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, Albina Guarnieri, drafted a private member's bill into parliament titled C-470. It passed first reading in October and last month went through its second reading in the House of Commons. While the...
Charities in Canada are not allowed to bestow undue benefit, a situation where an individual, corporation, or other entity receives a tangible benefit from their involvement with a particular charity. This is a very important issue for charities to understand...
The federal government recently released their 2010 budget, which contained some big changes for Canadian charities. What will likely affect charities the most is the removal of the 80/20 disbursement quota and changes to the capital disbursement quota. In this...
Late last year, the C.D. Howe Institute published a white paper written by Adam Aptowitzer where he argued that because the federal government does not have the necessary jurisdiction to regulate charities, it is forced to use the registration system,...
A tax receipt. It sounds simple enough. Your charity receives a valued donation, you issue a tax receipt, and the donor receives a tax credit. The ability to provide official tax receipts is an important advantage for charities seeking to...
Have you filed your charity information return (T3010B)? Although charities don't have to file income tax returns, filing their information return is one of the most important responsibilities that a charity has. A failure to file results in the Canada...
Are you thinking of starting or joining an umbrella group that oversees other organizations? If so, it's vital that you understand all the legal ramifications, including charitable status, following provincial and federal regulations, disbursement quotas, and basic terminology. Umbrella groups...
I’m the sole fundraiser in a mid-sized organization. I’ve read the CRA Fundraising Guidance, their supporting document, Mark Blumberg’s materials, and attended the AFP webinar with Terry Carter and I’m still confused...can you help? First and foremost, you are doing...
