Blumbergs' Canadian Charity Law Boot Camp 2025

Blumbergs’ Charity Law Boot Camp 2025

A one-day boot camp on compliance and standards issues for Canadian registered charities

This one-day online workshop on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, will cover the differences between for-profits, non-profits and registered charities and why in some cases, you may wish to have one or more of each to have maximum flexibility and impact. It will focus on 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, the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (CNCA) and Ontario Non-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) will be touched upon as well.

Blumbergs' Canadian Charity Law Boot Camp will be of interest to staff at non-profits and charities responsible for compliance issues, professional advisors such as lawyers and accountants who advise charities and non-profits, and board members of Canadian charities as well as philanthropists interested in potentially establishing a private foundation. We have been delivering the Boot Camp for 16 years. Those who sign up will be provided with the recording after the event and it will be available to them for a period of one year.

The session will be led by charity lawyers Mark Blumberg and Maddy Sawyer of Blumbergs Professional Corporation.

Cost: $275.00 (includes materials, registration fees, taxes, and access to the recording of the program for a period of one year).

INTRODUCTION – Should We Incorporate, Should We Be a Registered Charity?

8:30 am Registration

8:45 am Introduction

- Importance of charity sector

- The relevance of legal and ethical issues

9:10 am

- There are many ways to make this world a better place, not just being a charity

- What is the difference between a for-profit, non-profit, and registered charity?

- Advantages and disadvantages of using each form and why it might be a good idea in some cases to have more than one entity

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 including CRA’s guidance on fundraising, issues with government funds and restrictions on businesses that charities can carry out. With 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 receipting incorrectly. 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

The T3010 Registered Charity Information Return needs to be filed by registered charities every year or they risk deregistration. CRA can suspend 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, one needs to understand CRA's 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’.

3:30 pm Break

3:40 pm Political Activities

Charities who want to make an impact often find that being engaged in the political process is important. There have been significant changes in the rules relating to Canadian charities and political activities.

4:00 pm Governance and the New Corporate Acts

The new Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act provides a great platform for operating a non-profit or charity and we will discuss rules around operating a Federal non-profit corporation. As well Ontario non-profit corporations will need to bring their corporate documents into alignment with the new ONCA at some point before October 19, 2024.

4:30 pm Discussion, Q&A and Conclusion

If you have questions, please call Daniela Campos at 416-361-1982 ext. 252 or e-mail [email protected].

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.

Timing and content is 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.

To find out more about legal services that Blumbergs provides to Canadian charities and non-profits please visit , or

Event Venue

Online