The situation in the US under the new Trump administration has become very problematic. For tens of thousands of non-profit organizations in the US dealing with issues such as human rights, immigration, LGBTQI rights, international grantmaking, there is a concern that the Trump administration will deprive them of their non-profit status or freeze their bank accounts and assets. It may make sense that they have an affiliate in Canada, or it may make sense that the headquarters be based in Canada.
The big question is when does one start to prepare for a potentially dramatically increased hostile environment? Does one wait till funding is cut? Does one wait for when your organization’s bank account is frozen because the bank is trying hard to avoid upsetting this administration and you have a ‘woke’ agenda?
Every group will have a different mission and appetite for risk. Every group is going to be affected differently by the uncertain and problematic climate in the US. There is nothing wrong with hoping that the next 4 years will not be as bad as one thinks it could be. But as they say, hope is not a plan.
This webinar will discuss:
- the Canadian regulatory environment for non-profit organizations and how it is different from the US;
- the advantages and disadvantages of a US non-profit organization establishing a presence in Canada, whether it is just an affiliate or an international headquarters;
- different entities in Canada that would be more appropriate for an international non-profit;
- the differences between non-profits and registered charities in Canada;
- the process for establishing Canadian non-profits and the process for some of obtaining registered charity status;
- cross border issues and transfers of funds;
- the importance of membership and maintaining control of the non-profit;
- costs and timelines for establishing different types of non-profit entities and backlogs with certain types of filings;
- how some groups may want a staged approach; and
- the ongoing regulatory requirements for non-profits and charities in Canada.
This webinar is presented by Amanda Werger and Caitlin Lee, who are both lawyers at the law firm Blumbergs Professional Corporation in Toronto. Amanda and Caitlin work almost exclusively with Canadian non-profits and registered charities on compliance issues.
Please note: This free webinar is live and will not be available as a recording.