Readout: Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector – January 29, 2021

The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) met by videoconference on January 29, 2021. Meetings continue to be hosted virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Geoff Trueman, Assistant Commissioner, opened the meeting by welcoming the committee members. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to reviewing all recommendations, and thanked the sector members for their work.

Committee Co-chairs Bruce MacDonald and Hilary Pearson also thanked sector members for the effort and time they volunteer to the committee, and expressed their appreciation to the Secretariat, the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) staff who helped prepare the report for publication, and government colleagues for their continued support and engagement.

The sector members are proud of the Report #1, and look forward to presenting it to the Minister of National Revenue and the Commissioner of the CRA, and then sharing it with the charitable sector and the public in the coming weeks. The report is addressed to the Minister and the Commissioner of the CRA from the sector members. They noted there will be more reports to come, since the ACCS is a permanent advisory committee.

The meeting’s facilitator, Kimberly Fuller, led a brainstorming session with committee members on how to communicate the publication of Report #1 to the charitable sector and the public. The sector members have a strong network and channels through which they can share updates as ACCS representatives. Members will explore opportunities to communicate the publication of Report #1 and the work they have done, to promote transparency and public discourse.

Each of the five ACCS working groups also provided an update on their progress. Some working groups have wrapped up their consultation process, and have started reviewing their findings and are developing their recommendations for Report #2. Other working groups are continuing to explore issues and conduct further consultations. Report #2 is expected in spring 2021.

The next ACCS meeting will take place virtually on March 11, 2021, to review the draft recommendations for Report #2.