Canadian charities have significant earned income activities, and the revenue from earned income is actually greater than all fundraising combined. Some charities may find that fundraising and government funding opportunities are limited and that earned income activities can both catalyze change and bring in new resources for a registered charity.
In this course, we will discuss:
• What is a business activity, and which charities can conduct business activities?
• Why are charities interested in conducting business activities?
• Why are some charities not well equipped to conduct business activities and other options?
• Why the Federal government and the Income Tax Act restrict the business activities of charities?
• Various structures for carrying on business activities
• Types of allowable business activities
• How can a business activity be “connected and subordinate”?
• What are program-related investments, and how can they help a charity achieve its mission?
• How does the new Community Economic Development guidance from CRA increase the flexibility of charities?
This course is specifically for Canadian registered charities that wish to conduct or are conducting business activities and does not cover the regulation of business activities by non-profits that are not registered charities. We will have a different course to cover that topic.
This course will be of interest to staff at registered charities responsible for compliance issues relating to governance and business activities, professional advisors such as lawyers and accountants who advise charities and non-profits, and board members and other volunteers of Canadian registered charities.