Funding – glossary
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A
- Agency
-
This definition applies to agencies, boards and commissions.
This broad grouping encompasses a wide variety of public sector entities whose structures and functions are varied. Agencies, boards and commissions have been established to carry out administrative, quasi-judicial, regulatory and advisory functions within an established policy or legislative framework. The factor that all these diverse organizations share is that they are directly headed and controlled by an appointed official and/or appointed leadership body, rather than headed directly by a minister or other elected official (although most agencies, boards, commissions are ultimately required to report to an elected official or a group of elected officials to whom they are accountable).
Many agencies, boards, and commissions carry out multiple roles. The institutions pursue a range of activities. At the federal level, examples include protecting human rights, regulating particular economic sectors, providing grants, undertaking research, and giving advice.
- Ad hoc committee
- A temporary committee formed of two or more people for a specific task or objective and dissolved after the completion of the task or achievement of the objective.
- Applicant Organization
- The organization seeking funding from PCH programs and that will carry out the proposed activities.
B
- Board
- For the definition of a Board as a type of public sector organization, please see the definition of Agency.
- Business Number
- A 9-digit business identifier to which organizations can register program accounts with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
C
- Charitable organization
- An organization established as a corporation, a trust, or under a constitution and has exclusively charitable purposes. It primarily carries on its own charitable activities, but may also gift funds to other qualified donees, (e.g., registered charities). More than 50% of its governing officials must be at arm's length with each other generally receives its funding from a variety of arm's length donors. Its income cannot be used for the personal benefit of any of its members, shareholders, or governing officials.
- Charity registration number
- A 15-digit program account number assigned to a charity by the Canada Revenue Agency when it is registered.
- Commission
- Please see the definition of Agency.
- Continuance date
- The continuance is the transition of a federal not-for-profit corporation from the Canada Corporations Act (CCA) to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA) if incorporated before October 2011. The continuance date appears on the certificate of continuance issued by Corporations Canada.
- Cooperative
- A legally incorporated corporation that is owned by an association of persons seeking to satisfy common needs such as access to products or services, sale of their products or services, or employment.
- Corporation
- A form of legal structure authorized by federal, provincial, or territorial law to act as a separate legal entity. Its purpose and regulations are set out in its articles of incorporation.
- Crown corporation/Agency
- A government-owned corporation that operates at arm’s length and provides commercial services. Their goals include commercial as well as public policy concerns.
D
- Department
- A division of a government organization that is directly headed and controlled under a Minister at the federal or provincial/territorial level.
E
- Ethnocultural communities
-
A group of people whose members identify with each other through a common heritage. An ethnocultural community or group is defined by the shared characteristics unique to, and recognized by, that group. This includes characteristics such as cultural traditions, ancestry, language, national identity, and/or country of origin.
To the extent that religion is inextricably linked to the group's racial or cultural identity, it can also be recognized as a defining characteristic. In some cases, a group may view its common origin as pan-national, or it may be based on geographic region of origin.
Ethnocultural communities may or may not overlap with racialized communities (See definition of racialized communities).
F
- For-profit
- A business or other organization whose primary goal is making money.
G
- Gender diverse and non-binary people
- People whose gender identity does not align with a binary understanding of gender such as man or woman. A gender identity which may include man and woman, androgynous, fluid, multiple, no gender, or a different gender outside of the “woman—man” spectrum.
I
- Incorporation number
- A number assigned to a corporation by Corporations Canada or issued by a provincial/territorial registrar.
- Indigenous for-profit organization
- Majority Indigenous-owned/controlled for-profit organization.
- Indigenous government
- A First Nation, Inuit or Métis government or similar Indigenous governing bodies exempt from tax under paragraph 149(1)(c).
- Indigenous-led institution
- An Indigenous-governed body devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program such as education or health.
- Indigenous not-for-profit organization
- Majority Indigenous-owned/controlled not-for-profit organization including committees and associations.
- Indigenous organization
- An organization that is majority Indigenous owned/controlled.
- Indigenous peoples
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
L
- Legal name
- The name found on the incorporation or legal registration documents and listed on financial documents such as cheques.
- Legal status
- The Applicant Organization is considered to have independent legal status if it has status separate from its Parent Organization as a charitable organization, an incorporated organization, or if it has been established as a distinct organization through legislation at the federal or provincial/territorial level.
M
- Municipality
- A local government entity created by the province or territory to provide governance over services managed at the local level (includes cities, towns and villages, and rural [county] or metropolitan municipalities).
N
- Non-profit organization
- An association, committee, club, or society that is not a charity and is organized and operated exclusively for social welfare, civic improvement, pleasure, recreation, or any other purpose except profit.
- Not-for-profit
- A charity or a non-profit organization (including unincorporated associations, ad-hoc committees, or trusts).
O
- Operating name
- The name you use in your day-to-day activities. The operating name and the legal name must refer to the same organization.
P
- Parent Organization
The organization that owns and/or controls the Applicant Organization. The Parent Organization has legal status. The Applicant Organization may or may not have legal status independent from the Parent Organization.
Example one: A museum that is part of a university is seeking funding for a project. In this case, the museum is the Applicant Organization, and the university is the Parent Organization.
Example two: A community centre owned and run by a municipality is seeking funding for a project. In this case, the community centre is the Applicant Organization, and the municipality is the Parent Organization.
- Partnership
- An informal business structure created by the cooperation of two or more persons. Partnerships are usually based on some type of contractual agreement that governs, in percentage terms, the sharing of revenues, expenses and tasks.
- Primary Contact
- A person who can be contacted by the Department for general inquiries related to your applicant profile.
- Private foundation
- A corporation or a trust that has only charitable purposes, carries on its own charitable activities and/or it funds other qualified donees, usually other registered charities. Fifty percent or more of its directors, trustees, or like officials do not deal with each other at arm's length, and/or more than 50% of its funding comes from a person or group of persons that control the charity in any way or make up more than 50% of the directors, trustees, or like officials of the charity.
- Public foundation
- A corporation or a trust that has only charitable purposes and generally gives more than 50% of its income annually to other qualified donees, usually other registered charities, but it may carry out some of its own charitable activities. More than 50% of its directors, trustees, or like officials deal with each other at arm's length. It generally receives its funding from a variety of arm's length donors.
- Public Institution
- A publicly funded institution that delivers services to communities such as schools, hospitals, colleges and universities.
R
- Racialized communities
- Communities of shared heritage who have been historically disadvantaged as a group and may experience discrimination based on colour, culture and/or race.
- Regional Government
- A structure created by the provinces, in particular Ontario, Québec and British Columbia, by which municipalities are grouped under a regional political and administrative structure.
- Registered charity
- A charitable organization, public foundation, or private foundation registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. It is issued a Registration Number once approved. It is exempt from paying income tax and can issue tax receipts for donations it receives. It must be established and resident in Canada, operate for charitable purposes, and devote its resources to charitable activities.
S
- Sole proprietorship
- An unincorporated business entirely owned by one person.
T
- Trust
- A non-legal entity set up to manage assets.
U
- Unincorporated association
- An organization of two or more persons, who are the members of the association. The membership may change from time to time. The members agree, usually in a written constitution, to co-operate in furthering a common purpose.