All registered charities in Canada have a “disbursement quota.” This is a term defined in the Income Tax Act, that generally refers to the minimum amount that registered charities are required to spend on their charitable activities on an annual basis. Effective for taxation years that begin on or after January 1, 2023, the disbursement quota amount was increased from 3.5% to 5% on the portion of property exceeding $1 million.

Now that we are returning to a more normal way of operating, it may be a good time for Alberta nonprofits to think through the best way to plan for their Annual General Meetings. Should you hold a virtual or an in-person meeting? Are you allowed to hold a virtual meeting? What about hybrid meetings where some people are in the room and some people are attending virtually? How should voting happen?

If it is passed in its current form by the Canadian House of Commons and becomes law, Bill S-216 would amend stringent provisions of the Income Tax Act that deal with the permitted use of resources of a registered charity.

A new Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for Alberta takes effect on Dec. 1, 2021. Although the definition of worker will still include “a person who performs or supplies services for no monetary compensation for an organization,”  i.e. a volunteer . . .

Earlier this year, when the COVID-19 crisis began, the Government of Alberta responded with a Government order that included a suspension of deadlines for nonprofits governed by Alberta law to hold their annual general meetings and allowed for holding of meetings through remote means. However, it is important for Alberta nonprofits to be aware that this Government order has now lapsed.

As organizations move from the initial response to the crisis to begin to visualize and plan strategically for the future, some may decide that they want to seek out other organizations to “get together with” to maximize impact on the communities they serve and the resources that are available.

“I am the Executive Director of a nonprofit in Red Deer that provides programs and services for immigrant families. I know that there were some recent changes to the Alberta OHS Act. What are the changes and how do they affect my organization?”