Practice Area
Non-Profits and Charities
Governance and regulatory counsel for charities and non-profit organizations.
We help charity and non-profit boards get the structural and compliance work right, so leadership can spend its time running the organization, not worrying about it.
Where We Help
Structure, status and compliance, handled properly
01
Formation & Governance
- Incorporation and structuring for non-profits and charities
- Membership structures, classes of members, and voting rights
- Director and officer duties and liability protection
- Bylaws, board policies, and governance structures
02
Charity-Specific Compliance (Registered Charities)
- Applying for and maintaining registered charitable status with the CRA
- Charitable purposes analysis
- Donation receipting, gift acceptance, and endowment policies
- Related-business and unrelated-business-income issues
- CRA audits, sanctions, and risk of revocation
03
Non-Profits That Aren't Registered Charities
- Advising on and structuring organizations to qualify for tax-exempt status under the Income Tax Act (associations, clubs, and similar non-profits that aren't registered charities)
- Advising on which activities put that tax-exempt status at risk, since it's lost if the organization distributes profits, operates for personal benefit, or drifts outside its stated purpose
- Guidance on annual filing obligations, including the T2 corporate return and, where thresholds are met, the T1044 Non-Profit Organization Information Return
- Drafting membership dues structures, fee arrangements, and member agreements for associations and clubs
- Dissolution and wind-up, including asset distribution, which follows different rules than a registered charity's
Also Available Here
Everything else your organization needs
Sound governance and the right compliance now prevent expensive problems later, and free your board to focus on your mission instead of your risk exposure.
- Mergers, restructuring, and dissolution
- Contracts and commercial agreements
- Litigation and dispute resolution
- Lease agreements and facility use policies
- Governance training for boards
- Employment law for non-profit and charity staff, including hiring, policies, discipline, and terminations
- Privacy compliance, including handling of donor, member, and client information
- Vulnerable persons policies and screening protocols for staff and volunteers
Related Services
Beyond the legal work
Communications
Communications Consulting
Strategic communications support helps leaders navigate public scrutiny with clarity and confidence: crisis communications, media response, and public-facing messaging when your organization is under a spotlight. It’s practical support for the moments when what you say, and how you say it, matters as much as the legal position behind it.
Training
Board Governance Training
Governance training helps your board catch problems before they become expensive ones: tailored sessions on legal responsibilities, accountability, and compliance, backed by practical templates your board can actually use. It’s built for non-profit and charity boards of every kind, freeing directors to focus on the mission rather than on risk exposure.
Get in touch
Let's talk about your organization.
Book an appointment with our team, or call the office to talk through your matter. New clients can start with our intake information.