What Programs are Deemed "Charitable" Under Canadian Law?

When registering a charity in Canada, one of the most critical steps is ensuring that the organization's purposes align with those recognized under Canadian law. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sets specific guidelines for what constitutes a "charitable purpose." Understanding these categories is crucial for those looking to establish a charity in cities across Canada, including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. This guide will help you navigate the accepted charity purposes, provide examples, and explain how to write them correctly in a CRA-accepted format.

What Are Charitable Purposes?

Under Canadian law, charitable purposes must fall into one or more of four broad categories, originally defined by the English Pemsel case and adopted into Canadian legal standards. These categories are:

1. Relief of Poverty
2. Advancement of Education
3. Advancement of Religion
4. Other Purposes Beneficial to the Community

Each category has specific criteria, and organizations must demonstrate that their activities align with these purposes to gain charitable status.

1. Relief of Poverty

The relief of poverty includes activities that directly support individuals or families struggling to meet basic needs.
Example Purposes:

• To operate a food bank providing groceries to low-income families in Toronto.
• To provide shelter and support for homeless individuals in Calgary, including job placement services.
• To supply winter clothing to underprivileged children in Winnipeg through community drives.

How to Write It:

The purpose of relieving poverty should be specific and action-oriented. For example:

• “To relieve poverty by providing food and other basic necessities of life to individuals or families in need.”

2. Advancement of Education

Charitable organizations under this category focus on sharing knowledge and skills. However, the CRA stipulates that the activities must be educational in nature, not just informative.
Example Purposes:

• To establish a scholarship program for students from low-income families in Vancouver.
• To operate an after-school tutoring program for high school students in Edmonton, focusing on STEM subjects.
• To offer workshops in Halifax teaching financial literacy to recent immigrants.

How to Write It:

Educational purposes must emphasize learning and knowledge transfer. For example:

• “To advance education by providing publicly available scholarships, bursaries, and other forms of financial assistance to students in need.”
• “To advance education by offering classes, courses, and workshops on financial literacy.”

‍3. Advancement of Religion

This purpose encompasses activities related to the promotion of faith and religious beliefs.
Example Purposes:

• To build and maintain a place of worship in Ottawa for community religious services.
• To host interfaith dialogue sessions in Vancouver to promote understanding and tolerance among various religious groups.
• To train clergy and religious educators to serve rural communities in Alberta.

How to Write It:

‍Religious purposes must explicitly connect to promoting faith. For example:

• “To advance religion by establishing and maintaining places of worship and conducting regular religious services.”
• “To advance religion by providing education and training for clergy.”

‍4. Other Purposes Beneficial to the Community

This category is the broadest and includes activities that benefit the public in unique ways.

Example Purposes:

• To run a mobile health clinic providing free medical services in underserved neighborhoods in Toronto.
• To organize tree-planting initiatives to combat deforestation in British Columbia.
• To provide legal aid services for individuals facing human rights violations in Calgary.
• To support local arts programs in Edmonton by offering grants to young artists.

How to Write It:

‍The purpose should specify the activity and its intended benefit to the public. For example:

• “To benefit the community by providing health care and support services to underserved populations.”
• “To protect the environment by engaging in public education and tree-planting programs.”

‍General Guidelines for Writing Charitable Purposes

The CRA has strict requirements for how charitable purposes should be written. Here are key guidelines:

1. Be Specific and Action-Oriented:

Use clear, precise language that explains what your organization will do. Avoid vague terms like "support" or "help" without defining specific actions.

2. Align with Charitable Categories:

Clearly identify which of the four categories your purpose falls under and ensure that your wording reflects it.

3. Use CRA-Approved Language:

The CRA prefers standardized wording for common charitable purposes. Using their templates or examples can improve your application’s chances of success.

4. Focus on Public Benefit:

State how your purpose will benefit the public, not private individuals or groups.

5. Avoid Mixed Purposes:

Ensure that each purpose falls under one specific category. Combining multiple purposes within a single statement can lead to rejection.

6. Keep It Exclusively Charitable:

Avoid including activities that may be commercial or private in nature.

‍How to Submit Charitable Purposes to the CRA

‍When submitting your charitable purposes to the CRA, include them in your organization’s governing documents, such as its articles of incorporation. The CRA requires the following:

1. Clear Governing Documents:

Your purposes must be clearly outlined in the governing documents (e.g., articles of incorporation or bylaws).

2. Detailed Activities Description:

Along with purposes, describe how your organization plans to achieve them. For instance, if your purpose is to relieve poverty, explain whether this will be done through food banks, shelters, or financial aid.

3. Evidence of Public Benefit:

Provide supporting documents, such as needs assessments or community feedback, demonstrating the need for your charitable activities.

4. Consistent Language:

Ensure that your governing documents use the same terminology as your CRA application to avoid confusion or discrepancies.‍

Establishing a charity in Canada requires a strong understanding of the CRA’s accepted purposes and guidelines for drafting them.

Conclusion

Whether your organization aims to relieve poverty, advance education, promote religion, or address community needs, the language and structure of your purposes must meet specific legal standards.

By tailoring your purposes to align with CRA expectations and providing detailed, actionable descriptions, you can increase your chances of successfully registering your charity.

If you’re unsure how to proceed, consulting a Canadian charity lawyer can help ensure that your submission is accurate and compliant.

Whether you're in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, or anywhere in Canada, following these steps will set your charity on the right path.

Frequently Asked Questions

These answers help explain what programs qualify as charitable under Canadian law and how the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) classifies different types of charities.

What is considered a charity in Canada?

A charity in Canada is an organization whose purposes fall into one of four broad categories set by Canadian law. The organization must gain charitable status from the CRA and provide public benefit, not private benefit.

What are the four charitable purposes?

The four charitable purposes are relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion, and other purposes beneficial to the community. Your charity must clearly fit into at least one category to qualify for charitable status.

What is the meaning of charitable program?

A charitable program is a specific activity that directly supports one of the four charitable purposes. For example, operating a food bank relieves poverty, while running literacy classes advances education. The program must benefit the public and follow CRA guidelines.

What is considered charitable?

Charitable activities must fit within the four accepted categories and provide genuine public benefit. They include educational programs, poverty relief, religious promotion, or community benefits. Commercial activities or those helping mainly private individuals are not considered charitable.

What are the classifications of charities?

Canadian charities have four classifications: relief of poverty (helping people meet basic needs), advancement of education (sharing knowledge and skills), advancement of religion (promoting faith), and other community benefits (activities that help the public in unique ways).