Readout: Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector – July 23, 2024

The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) met virtually on July 23, 2024.

Robert Delaney, Director from the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and Chair of the ACCS Secretariat, opened the meeting by welcoming all the Committee members and thanking them for attending. He took a moment to acknowledge his location in Ottawa, Ontario, is on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe People and asked that participants acknowledge the traditional territories from which they joined across Canada.

Robert Delaney then provided a brief overview of the key themes guiding the Charities Directorate’s vision for modernizing the regulatory framework for charities. The presentation focused on the overarching goals of modernization efforts and Committee members engaged in a meaningful discussion on which areas should be prioritized.

Next, Anne Charron, Manager from the Charities Directorate of the CRA, provided a presentation on the Form T3010, Registered Charity Information Return. The presentation focused on identifying areas for improvement and gathering input from Committee members on potential updates to the return, including its current structure; clarity and the language used; and what information should be added, changed, or deleted. The Committee provided feedback during the discussion, and the session concluded with a consensus on the importance of updating the return to better reflect the current needs and challenges of both the regulator and the sector.

The meeting concluded with a discussion from Blaine Langdon, Director of the Tax Policy Branch of the Department of Finance, on the Department’s review of reporting requirements for non-profit organizations (NPOs). The presentation aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of current requirements and solicit feedback on potential improvements. Committee members engaged in a robust discussion and offered a range of feedback on updating the reporting regime for NPOs, including the need to balance regulatory requirements with the operational realities of NPOs.

Robert Delaney and the sector co-chairs thanked all Committee members for their participation and feedback, noting that they look forward to the upcoming meetings in the fall, and closed the meeting.