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The Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (in partnership with CPLEA’s own Charity Central, KPMG, the City of Edmonton, and professional accountants with non-profit sector experience) is once again presenting the Financial Management Series for Non-profit Organizations.

Be sure to check out this 6 workshop series if your non-profit or charitable organization has fewer than ten staff, multiple funding sources, or minimal in house financial expertise.

Workshops topics include:

• Financial Policies and Procedures
• Financial Roles and Responsibilities
• Developing and Tracking Budgets
• Preparing and Understanding Financial Statements
• Audits Preparation
• Compliance and Reporting

The workshops are designed to be participatory, engaging, and full of handouts to continue your learning experience at home.

The sessions begin October 9^th in Edmonton. For further details, visit the event page.

REGISTER HERE by October 1 for early bird pricing. Participate in all six workshops and enjoy a great saving or follow the links to register for individual workshops.

Is your organization thinking of becoming a registered charity with status under the Income Tax Act?

Charity Central has information and learning resources for you! Aptly titled, “ Thinking of Becoming a Registered Charity: Tools to Help”, the handbook contains information on who is eligible to register, the importance of an organization’s purpose or objects, and links to application forms. See also additional resources links on Charity Central at  http://www.charitycentral.ca/node/686 .

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) also has a whole web section on applying to become a registered charity. Recently, they updated the application review process page to reflect the new procedures followed when an applicant does not respond to a request for clarification or more information. Be sure to check out this page to avoid delays in your registration process.

To keep up with any future changes happening with the Canada Revenue Agency, subscribe to the Charities and Giving – What’s new RSS feed.

People across Canada are talking about the Federal 2012 Budget introduced on March 29, 2012. If you’re a board member of a registered charity, there are important changes you need to know. How about snuggling up on the couch tonight and immersing yourself in the 498 page document? No? Ok then, we’ll tell you some of the things you need to know.

New for charities in the Federal 2012 Budget:

-          rules and sanctions regarding political activities by registered charities;

-          rules about gifts to foreign charitable organizations;

-          GST rebate for literary organizations in the acquisition of books for free distribution;

-          promoter penalties related to charitable donation tax shelters.

For further details on all of these items, check out the Budget Brief.

The Canada Revenue Agency has released a series of FAQs on changes proposed by the Federal Budget to gifts to foreign charitable organizations and transparency and accountability.

And in an interesting twist, Budget 2012 included an announcement about phasing out of the penny. Following the example of other countries, donations of “old coins” are being suggested. Although the details of this are not yet clear, it is something that your charity should keep an eye out for. For more information about this, check out this backgrounder.

Stay tuned to Charity Central’s newsletter, blog posts, and Twitter feed for more information on the impact of the Federal 2012 Budget.

We recently blogged about our Financial Information Kit and have more news to share! We’ve added a new ‘additional resources’ section to the kit.

The first of these new resources is an article from LawNow Magazine called “We’re Calling to Set up a Time to do an Audit”.

Most people have the same reaction to audits as they do to getting a tooth pulled or getting their legs waxed: they cringe as a feeling of extreme anxiety sweeps over them.

But, at least in the case of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audits, it’s often an unnecessary reaction.  Most audits completed by a representative of CRA confirm that a charity is in compliance with the Income Tax Act and if not, it’s usually a case of correcting minor records transgressions. This article reviews what is covered in a CRA audit, why they occur, and what is required from a charity when an audit is done.  It also covers how an audit may be concluded.

We hope that with this information your organization will not live in fear of audits but embrace them; think of them as an opportunity to show how transparent your charity is.

(Ok, maybe embrace is a strong word, but you will know what to expect and will survive!)

If you’re like me, you’ve owned, borrowed, or discreetly flipped through some version of the “for Dummies” book series. I own Wine Tasting for Dummies, borrowed Excel for Dummies from the library and listened to Spanish for Dummies on CD. I am willing to acknowledge that, occasionally, I don’t know everything. I need basic information presented in an easy format that actually helps me learn! I want something that answers my questions and I like to be able to flip back as needed to remind myself what I’ve learned.

If you are looking for information on keeping financial records for registered charities in Canada, you likely want the same things – easy-to-read basic information, quick reference sheets, and answers to your questions!

Charity Central has created a Financial Information Kit to fill this need.

The kit contains a series of frequently asked questions on financial reporting and registered charities. This includes answers to questions like:

• Once we’re a registered charity, do we need a professional accountant?
• What should we look for in choosing a professional accountant, whether volunteer or paid?
• How should the accounting records be set up so we can easily complete the Registered Charity Information Return (T3010)?
• Is it a good practice to have our financial statements audited by a professional accountant?
• What are the different types of services that a professional accountant can provide?

The kit also contains six tipsheets:

• Choosing a Professional Accountant
• Setting Up a Chart of Accounts for a Small Organization
• Setting Up Financial Books and Records
• Financial and Other Information Needed to Complete the Registered Charity Information Return (T3010)
• Getting Ready for an External Audit – What Can You Prepare?
• Other Tips on Working with your Auditor – Common Issues During an Audit

This kit is available for free download at www.charitycentral.ca/docs/financialkit-en.pdf.

The New Year always brings a lot of resolutions. One great resolution is to spend more time learning in 2012. If you work or volunteer for a charity, we have the perfect event to start the year off right. Charity Central is partnering with the Information and Volunteer Centre of Strathcona County to present:

The W’s of Accountability for your organization

Who are you accountable to federally and provincially?
What are you accountable for?
Where can you get an experts knowledge on accountability?
Why do you need to keep impeccable records?

Saturday, January 28, 2012
9:30 – 3:30
$10.00

100 Ordze Avenue Sherwood Park
Chamber of Commerce Boardroom
Lunch and refreshments are included!

What is the board of a charity accountable for and to whom? This workshop will discuss the accountability and transparency issues of registered charities. It will emphasize both federal and provincial legal accountability. Areas of legal accountability include reporting, maintaining books and records, issuing donation receipts, fundraising and other requirements.

During the workshop, the participants will have a chance to use resource materials developed by Charity Central to self-assess their accountability and transparency practices and to look at how these tools may enhance their practices. The resource materials include a self-diagnostic pack, a handbook, administrative calendar, tip sheets and Office in a Box.

Comments from workshop participants about the materials:

“Office in a Box…. has been the most beneficial tool…. to making sure that we are up to date, have everything organized in a user-friendly manner. It is perfect for charities to become organized or on the right track.”

“Different sections (of the Road to Accountability Self-Diagnostics Pack) wil be put on the agenda of each board meeting to determine any weaknesses in oru governance and what action is required to improve our governance model.”

This is a great opportunity to learn about accountability and how to use Charity Central’s resources for only $10 including lunch! To register or for more information, visit: http://www.ivcstrathcona.org/accountability-workshop/.

We hope to see you there!

Seasons’ Greetings!

Here at the Legal Resource Centre, we love public legal education (PLE) and we love the holiday season. Some of us even love to sing. Although none of us here are professionals in that area, we like to think that we make up with enthusiasm what we lack in expertise.

In that vein, for your viewing and listening pleasure, we present to you… the LRC’s 12 days of PLE Christmas. Everybody sing along!

12 days of PLE Christmas

On the 12^th day of Christmas, the LRC gave to me:

12  writers writing

11  tenants renting

10  lawyers leaping

9    teachers teaching

8    searchers searching

7    charities giving

6    bloggers blogging

5    webinars

4    elders calling

3    French questions

2    podcasts

and an Enduring Power of Attorney

By the way…at this time of year, families and loved ones get together and let each other know how much everyone means to the other(s). It is a great time for having some family discussions that might otherwise be difficult to have (including those of the legal planning variety). We hope our little musical endeavour helps to inspire you!

December 5th is International Volunteer Day.

Take a moment today to acknowledge the many volunteers that make your organization amazing.

When we were attending the Canada Revenue Agency Information Sessions, I talked to many people who were so thankful for the information they were getting, the fact that the sessions were free, and for the resources we were able to provide them. So many of them were volunteers – one woman even told me that she had used a vacation day to be there! I don’t know about you, but sitting through information on charity law isn’t really my idea of a holiday.

Much of what happens in the non-profit world could not happen without dedicated volunteers such as these, so we say thanks!

The LRC is looking for five bright and talented interns. The internships are part of SCIP (Servicing Communities Internship Program). What that means is that current university or college students can gain valuable experience and Alberta Advanced Education and Technology will provide them with a $1000 bursary for completion of their internship. Here’s the positions we are looking to fill…

1. Children’s Literature Expert

We are looking for a student to join our team of teachers, librarians, technology specialists, and lawyers to create law related and curriculum matched resources for Alberta classrooms. The internship would involve creating a learning resource (lesson plan, handouts, and multimedia) that can be used in Alberta classrooms. This resource should explore themes connected with our organization’s mission such as, justice, equality, and rights. An Education student or English major would be a perfect fit.

2. Illustrator or Graphic Design Artist

The purpose of this internship is to make our learning materials more accessible. We need someone that can effectively collaborate with staff and volunteers to produce images and logos for our learning resources. The student must have a strong understanding of the power of visuals to communicate. We are open to students from all types of programs for this position. During the interview we will be asking to view a portfolio of the student’s best work.

3. Animated Video Producer
Any aspiring film makers out there? This intern will be responsible for creating a two to five minute animated video on a specific topic related to landlord and tenant law in Alberta. This is open to students from all programs. During the interview we would like to see a sample of the student’s work.

4. Digital Magazine Marketer

This internship is an amazing opportunity for experience in a very competitive industry. The Digital Magazine Marketer will plan, prepare and implement a comprehensive promotional campaign for Law Now Magazine. Students with a background in marketing, communications, or business should definitely apply.

5. Web Designer

This intern’s skills would be used to create and maintain our websites and ensure that people can find the information they are looking for. Specifically, the intern will assist in the launch of a Women and the Law website. This will involve translating a large PDF document into a stand-alone website with the help of our technology specialist and researchers. Experience in building websites required.

To apply and read the specifics (time requirement, project goals, etc) please visit http://www.joinscip.ca

When telling one of my friends about Office in a Box, he commented that it was a tool that created excitement in doing a task that is not always exciting. Many people enjoy feeling organized and everyone should feel excited about accountability, but sometimes the details of getting there are a little tedious.

On that note, here are two tidbits in Canadian charity law news that, although slightly lackluster and technical, are very important.

1. Canadian Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA)

On October 17, 2011 the Canadian Not-for-profit Corporations Act came into effect.

All federally incorporated non-profit corporations will need to transition under the new Act by October 17, 2014. Failure to transition will result in the dissolution of the corporation.

For further information check out:

• This post by Mark Blumberg. For more updates, check out the section of his blog dedicated to the CNCA.
• This newsletter article from Miller Thomson.

Remember that Revenue Canada requires that you submit bylaw changes! See your reporting obligations under the CNCA.

Make a plan! Don’t leave it to the last minute. Put it on your board’s administrative agenda.

2. Hiring Credit for Small Business (HCSB)

The Hiring Credit for Small Business will provide a one-time rebate of up to $1000 for small businesses who, through new hires or salary increases, see their EI premiums increase over 2010.

Registered charities are eligible for the credit as long as

• your 2010 employer EI premiums for all payroll deductions (RP) under that business number (BN) were not more than $10,000; and
• you paid more employer EI premiums in 2011 than you paid in 2010.

For more information check out:

• The HCSB page on CRA’s website, specifically the section on Registered Charities.
• FAQs on the HCSB from Budget 2011

Look into this to see if it will work for your charity!