CCVO’s Submission Regarding the Charitable Fund-raising Act

By Kirsten Boda, CCVO Research Manager

Thank you to Loran Scholar and former CCVO Policy & Research Intern, Esha Mahmood, for her contribution to the background research for this post.

CCVO recently made a submission to Tanya Fir, Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction, asking that the Charitable Fund-raising Act be amended to exempt charities and nonprofits from being required to register.  

 Legislation regulating charitable fundraising varies across Canada from one province to the next. Currently, Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only provinces with legislation that regulates how charities solicit fundraising. In Alberta, the Charitable Fund-raising Act is meant “to protect potential donors from false and misleading requests for donations… [and] ensure the public has sufficient information to make an informed decision when making contributions”.i 

According to CCVO’s analysis, registered charities in Alberta are already operating under strict obligations through the Canada Revenue Agency that set out clear guidelines and expectations of acceptable fundraising practices, while nonprofits in Alberta are regulated under various pieces of legislation. As such, the current lack of exemption for charities and nonprofits in Alberta creates red tape and confusion, potentially limiting the goal of nonprofits and charities to benefit communities. 

“Requiring nonprofits to register under the Charitable Fund-raising Act may limit their fundraising efforts out of fear of the consequences, or the additional burden required to register. As a result, they have less resources to provide services to communities and may lean more heavily on government funding.” – Excerpt from CCVO’s submission  

With approximately 900 organizations currently registered under the Charitable Fund-raising Act, creating this exemption could significantly reduce the administrative burden on nonprofits, charities, and public servants alike. CCVO looks forward to working with the government as they address this issue and unleash the power of civil society across Alberta.