This course, “Should Our Non-Profit Become a Canadian Registered Charity and if so, how?” discuss when it may be advantageous or not for a Canadian non-profit that has already been established to apply for registered charity status with the Canada Revenue Agency.
The Canadian registered charity sector is a large and important part of our country. It also has revenue of over $300 billion per year. Because of the tax and reputational advantages of being a registered charity, CRA has a significant and comprehensive process for groups wishing to become a registered charity. This is not a simple process like applying for GST/HST number. Most charity applications are not successful and many are surprised at the complexity of the process. Failure to achieve charity status does not mean that your non-profit organization is not a good organization but there are many technical requirements that need to be met for CRA to accept an organization as a registered charity. You cannot be 98% charity – you need to be 100% charity.
If you are contemplating establishing a charity from scratch, then this course is not for you, and we have another course that covers that topic. This is for groups who already are established and contemplating a charity application.
In this course, we will discuss the following:
- Should your organization apply for registered charity status?
- Advantages and Disadvantages of becoming a registered charity
- What type of entity are you?
- Are you properly “organized”? Who are your members?
- Applying for Charitable Registration
- Guidances helpful for charity registration
- How to Apply for Registered Charity Status in Canada
- CRA’s Application review process
- Timelines and Costs of a charity application and how to retain our law firm to assist if you wish
- Why do Charity Applications Fail, according to the Charities Directorate?
- Myths About Charity Registration
- Tips and Tricks for a Successful Charity Application
This course will be of interest to those working in non-profits (staff, volunteers). It will also be helpful to professional advisors such as lawyers, accountants and governance consultants who advise non-profit entities and will deal with the topic of whether the entity should become a registered charity.