Links to additional resources on becoming a registered charity and maintaining and operating your registered charity.
The projects listed below were initiatives funded by the Canada Revenue Agency – Charities Directorate
Canadian Association for the Deaf
| Project Title | Compliance in the Disability Charity Sector |
| Project Description | The Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD) is leading a new initiative designed to help disability-sector organizations meet tax requirements more effectively. Their project, called Compliance in the Disability Charity Sector, operated from December 1, 2007 to March 31, 2010. The goal of the project was to contact more than one hundred existing or aspiring charities across Canada and provide them with tools and presentations to help them work through tax and compliance issues. The project was created to serve charities that serve the needs of persons with disabilities. |
| Educational Focus | Fundraising, receipting, and maintaining books and records |
| Reach | National (French) |
| Resources | Short audio/visual presentations (includes simultaneous sign language presentation) on accounting practices, directors and officers, gifts and donations, board governance, and risk management |
| Website | http://cad.ca/projects-and-programs/compliance-in-the-disability-charity-sector/ |
The Charities File
Community Sector Council Newfoundland and Labrador
Atlantic Charities Learning Exchange (ACLE)
| Project Description | The Atlantic Charities Learning Exchange was the lead for the project, partnering with Community Links, NS, Centre de Benevolat de la Peninsule Acadienne Inc., NB, volunteer Centre of Southeastern New Brunswick, and Voluntary Resource Centre, PEI. ACLE established a learning community to exchange resources and support mentoring for small and rural charities in the four Atlantic provinces. Compliance needs of small and rural charities were assessed and reflected in telelearning sessions. An inventory of mentors was developed and promoted. |
| Educational Focus | Compliance for small and rural charities |
| Status | Completed March 2010 |
| Resources | http://communitysector.nl.ca/atlantic-charities-learning-exchange/resources |
| Website | http://communitysector.nl.ca/atlantic-charities-learning-exchange |
Éducaloi
| Project Description | The project developed legal information capsules and a toolbox to help organizations to improve their level of knowledge of the requirements and obligations related to this special status, as well as alternatives to registration, before they make an application to register as a charity. |
| Educational Focus | Requirements and obligations of charitable registration and alternatives to registration |
| Reach | National (French) |
| Status | Completed March 2010 |
| Resources | Checklists; info sheets on becoming a registered charity, fundraising, donations and receipts, rules;quizes; and a glossary |
| Website | https://www.educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/introduction-registered-charities |
| Project Description | To develop an online project which will provide access to products which will include videos, webinars and information capsules related to accountability and transparency for registered charities |
| Educational Focus | Accountability and transparency in the charitable sector |
| Reach | National (English and French) |
| Resources | Resources in development include – videos; webinars; and information sheets |
| Website | https://www.educaloi.qc.ca/en/search/node/charities |
Imagine Canada
| Project Title | Charity Tax Tools |
| Project Description | Charity Tax Tools is a free comprehensive information website with easy-to-understand content developed by Imagine Canada. |
| Educational Focus | Fundraising, receipting, and maintaining books and records |
| Reach | National (English and French) |
| Status | Completion March 2010 |
| Resources | The website provides Canadian charities with timely information and tools to ensure they have the resources to meet Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requirements. The website is most advantageous for small and medium-sized charities, as well as the many legal and accounting advisers/practitioners who do not specialize in the sector, but nevertheless support charities. The overall goal of the Charity Tax Tools website is to provide support to Canadian charities in the areas of receipting fundraising activities, maintaining books and records and reporting to the CRA. |
| Website | http://charitytax.imaginecanada.ca/ |
| Project Title | To be a charity or not? |
| Project Description | The purpose of this project was to educate potential charitable registrants, through a variety of delivery channels, on the obligations of charitable status and the alternatives to charitable registration. |
| Educational Focus | Requirements and obligations of charitable registration and alternatives to registration |
| Reach | National (English and French) |
| Status | Completion March 2010 |
| Resources | website |
| Website | http://sectorsource.ca/managing-organization/charity-tax-tools/starting-organization |
Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS)
| Project Title | The Form T3010, Registered Charity Return: “Everything you always wanted to know, but were afraid to ask” |
| Project Description | The Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS) introduced an annotated version of the CRA’s Information Return (T3010A-05 and associated forms) for Registered Charities in Canada. This annotated return was developed to aid organizations in successfully fulfilling its obligation under the Income Tax Act to file an information return each year, no later than six month after the end of your fiscal period. |
| Educational Focus | Compliance for small and rural charities |
| Reach | National (English and French) |
| Status | Completed March 2009 |
| Resources | Annotated T3010 |
| Website | https://www.legalinfo.org/non-profit-charitable-organizations/non-profit-guide |
| Project Title | To Be or Not to Be a Charity: The Decision Tree |
| Project Description | The purpose of this project was to create a decision tree for organizations considering charitable registration to allow them to determine:
|
| Educational Focus | Requirements and obligations of charitable registration and alternatives to registration |
| Reach | National (English and French) |
| Resources | Online Interactive decsion tree; |
| Website | https://www.charitydecisiontree.legalinfo.org/ |
Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (Charity Central)
| Project Title | Enhancing Voluntary Compliance: Fundraising, Receipting and Books and Records |
| Project Description | The goal of this project was to enhance the voluntary compliance of registered charities in meeting the requirements of fundraising, issuing receipts for donations, and maintaining books and records |
| Educational Focus | Fundraising, receipting, and maintaining books and records |
| Reach | National |
| Resources | Annotated bibliography, website, tipsheets, fast facts, podcasts, articles, learning modules, FAQs |
| Status | Completed March 2010 |
| Website | www.charitycentral.ca |
| Project Title | Road to Accountability |
| Project Description | The goal of this project is to assist small and mid-sized charities to assess and improve their state of transparency and accountability. |
| Educational Focus | Accountability and transparency in the charitable sector |
| Reach | National (English and French) |
| Status | Under development. Completion March 2011 |
| Resources | Online annotated bibliography; plain language resource kit on accountability and transparency with self-diagnostic pack; Road to Accountability Handbook; tipsheets and online learning module |
| Website | www.charitycentral.ca |
Ontario Community Support Association
Capacity Builders / Charity Law Information Program (CLIP)
| Project Description | The project’s goal was to help Canadian charities become more aware of their legal obligations under the Income Tax Act and to increase compliance with those requirements. CLIP provides plain-language resources, tools and practical training so a registered charity can quickly get the information it needs to ensure it is meeting legal obligations. Special emphasis will be placed on supporting small and rural charities. |
| Educational Focus | Compliance for small and rural charities |
| Reach | National (French and English) |
| Resources | |
| Website | http://www.capacitybuilders.ca/clip—charity-law-information-program.html |
Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS-NS)
| Project Title | Welcome Aboard – Resources for Board Members, Staff and Volunteers in the Charities Sector |
| Project Description | PLEIS-NB has developed a number of bilingual resources to help individuals better understand the roles and responsibilities of board members, executive directors and volunteers. The resources contain information on:
|
| Educational Focus | Compliance for small and rural charities |
| Reach | Online (English and French) |
| Status | Completed March 2010 |
| Resources | Bilingual pamphlets; video; information sheets; handbook |
| Website | www.legal-info-legale.nb.ca/en/charities |