Blumbergs’ Charity Law Boot Camp: A one-day boot camp on structure, compliance and standards issues for Canadian charities [REGISTER HERE]
This one-day workshop will deal with questions that all charities (or potential charities) should consider: What are we trying to accomplish? Should we incorporate? Should we be a registered charity? What is the difference between for-profit, non-profit and registered charity?
The session will cover matters that are significant for any operating charity surrounding revenue generation rules, receipting, transparency, and protecting your charity against risks. Topical issues such as collaboration, foreign activities, political activities and the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (CNCA) and Ontario Non-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) will be touched upon as well.
Cost: $295.00 (includes materials, registration fees and taxes) (there is an early bird discount for a limited period of time)
| INTRODUCTION – Should We Incorporate, Should We Be a Registered Charity? | ||
| 8:30 am | Online registration | |
| 8:45 am | Introduction | Logistics
Importance of the charity sector Why legal and ethical issues are important |
| 9:10 am
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What are you trying to accomplish? | There are many ways to make this world a better place, not just being a charity. |
| What is the difference between for-profit, non-profit and registered charity? | Advantages and disadvantages of using each form
What is a charity? |
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| Should we incorporate?
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There are advantages and disadvantages of incorporation. What are the costs of incorporation – and what information do you need to know? If we incorporate, it is very important to organize the corporation and especially to determine the correct membership approach. | |
| 10:00 am | Should we apply for registered charity status? | The good and bad of being a registered charity and some of the problems and roadblocks with applications. What information do we require to apply for charitable status? |
| 10:45 am | Break | |
| OPERATING A CHARITY | ||
| 11:00 am | Bringing in the money – fundraising, government funds and earned income/business income | Rules on fundraising include CRA’s guidance on fundraising, issues with government funds, and restrictions on businesses that charities can carry out. With a greater emphasis on “social enterprise,” there is increasing pressure on charities to consider various revenue generation possibilities, but charities need to be aware of the restrictions. |
| 12:00 pm | Break | |
| 12:45 pm | Q&A on morning session, etc. | |
| 1:00 pm | Receipting | One of the most important advantages of being a registered charity is the ability to issue receipts. According to CRA, most charities, when audited, were found to be not receipting correctly. We will discuss the rules around receipting and common mistakes. |
| 2:00 pm | Break | |
| 2:10 pm | T3010 and Transparency
Books and Records Internal Controls Insurance
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The T3010 Registered Charity Information Return needs to be filed by registered charities every year, or they risk deregistration. As well, CRA can suspend a charity’s receipting privileges if the charity has not properly completed the T3010. Charities also need to keep adequate books and records. Charities should also have appropriate internal controls to protect property and funds. There is a dizzy array of insurance out there – what is really needed? |
| ADVANCED – Collaboration, Foreign Activities, Political Activities, New Corporate Acts | ||
| 3:00 pm | Collaboration between charities, Funding and Dealing with groups who are not registered charities in Canada or abroad | There are various options for dealing with other organizations, depending on whether they are registered charities or not. If you want to work with a good non-profit in Toronto that is not a registered charity or a foreign entity, you need to understand the CRA rules on dealing with intermediaries and foreign activities. US concepts such as ‘fiscal sponsorship’ are not allowed in Canada. If you want to transfer funds to a group that is not a charity, you need structured arrangements with ‘direction and control’ or to use the new grant to grantee rules. |
| 3:30 pm | Break | |
| 3:40 pm | Political Activities | Charities that want impact often find that being engaged in the political process is important. There are new rules from 2019 that give registered charities expanded options in terms of political activities. |
| 4:00 pm | Governance and the New Corporate Acts | Federal non-profit corporations under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (CNCA) need to ensure they are doing their proper filings, and Ontario non-profit corporations under the new Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (“ONCA”) will want to bring their corporate documents into alignment with the new ONCA. |
| 4:30 pm | Discussion, Q&A and Conclusion | |
Timing and content are subject to change.
Tickets are fully refundable until March 15, 2025, but not thereafter. If you register and are unable to attend, you are welcome to substitute someone else from your organization at any time. Date may be subject to change should circumstances arise. All efforts will be made to notify you as soon as possible in this event.
For lawyers, this event qualifies for 6.5 hours of Law Society of Ontario (LSO) Substantive Hours but does not qualify for Professionalism Hours. It may also qualify for 6.5 hours of continuing education for some other professional advisors.
If you have questions, please call Lindsay Hazell at 416-361-1982 ext. 253 or e-mail lindsay@blumbergs.ca.
To find out more about legal services that Blumbergs provides to Canadian charities and non-profits please visit www.CanadianCharityLaw.ca or www.CharityData.ca.