Registering A Charity In Canada

The number of charitable organizations registered with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is close to 90,000. This includes large public organizations in the health and arts field, local service groups and private or family foundations. In order to be registered as a charity, an organization, which may be a corporation, trust or unincorporated association, must have as its exclusive purpose one or more of the relief of poverty, the advancement of religion, the advancement of education or some other purpose which has been recognized by the courts as being charitable in nature. The organization must satisfy CRA that, not only are its purposes entirely charitable, but the activities in which it will engage in order to further its purposes are in themselves charitable.