Our volunteer prepared this presentation about options for incorporating our organization back in the early days. It includes requirements, legal and financial considerations, and a bit more info. ***We are not experts, this is our experience only, please do not consider this professional advice and please don't sue us if it's inaccurate and/or when you use it things don't turn out well!

1. Incorporating a Non-Profit or
Charity in Canada/Ontario
• This presentation was put together by a volunteer at
CSCI to approach our issue of if we should
incorporate, in what format, what major
considerations, costs, laws, etc. would be.
• This is based on our experiences and is not to be considered
business or legal advice. Please seek out other advice and don’t
sue us!

2. Attribution
• This work is mainly from Gov’t websites unless
otherwise stated. It is available via the Creative
Commons Attribution Licence – it may be used for
your proposes, provided we are cited in some way and
you remember that we’re not experts so please don’t
sue us (see previous slide.) It can be used for-profit
endevours, though if you are making lots of cash from
it we’d love a donation to help keep us running,
donation page at: www.careerskillsincubator.com.
Thanks!

3. Benefits to Incorporating
• Separate Legal Entity
• Limited Liability
• Lower Corporate Tax Rates
• Greater Access to Capital
• Continuous Existence (goes beyond founders)

4. Registered Charity vs. Not-For-
Profit Organization
Primary differences:
• Extra registration is required for charities
• The added benefit of issuing income tax receipts for
charitable donations (qualified donees)
• “[charities] must spend a minimum amount on its own
charitable activities or gifts to qualified donees”
• More grants are available
• Increased status and recognition as a charity, as well as
a charitable registration number for identification
• NPO’s may be taxable on property income or capital
gains
• Much higher financial due diligence and paperwork for
charities
Source: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/chrts/pplyng/rgstrtn/rght-eng.html

5. Requirements for Registering a
Charity
Two fundamental requirements:
1) The organization's purposes must be
exclusively and legally charitable.
2) It must be established for the benefit of the
public or a sufficient segment of the public.

6. 1) The organization's purposes must be exclusively and
legally charitable.
• purposes for the relief of poverty;
• purposes for the advancement of
education;*
• purposes for the advancement of religion; and
• other purposes beneficial to the community
in a way the law regards as charitable.*
Requirements for Registering a
Charity (cont’d)

7. Soliciting vs. Non-Soliciting
Corporations
Definition as per Industry Canada (2013):
“A corporation is a soliciting corporation if it receives more
than $10 000 in money or property from the public sources in
a single year.”
• One a corporation becomes a “soliciting corporation”, it remains
that way for 3 years
• Both soliciting and non-soliciting corporations must provide “in its
articles, for the distribution of property to a ‘qualified donee’, as
defined in the Income Tax Act, for any property remaining on
liquidation of the corporation.”

8. Soliciting Corporations
A soliciting corporation must meet 5 requirements
1) have a minimum of three (3) directors, at least two (2) of whom
are not officers or employees of the corporation or its affiliates;
2) comply with specific requirements for public accountants and
financial review;
3) send financial statements and the report of the public accountant,
if any, to the Director at least 21 days before each annual meeting
of the corporation;
4) provide, in its articles, for the distribution of property to a "qualified
donee", as defined in the Income Tax Act, for any property
remaining on liquidation of the corporation; and
5) not have a unanimous member agreement (UMA)
Source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/cs05019.html
NOTE: THIS MEANS IF YOU GOT GOV’T GRANTS OF MORE THAN
$10K TOTAL IN A YEAR YOU MAY HAVE TO GET AN AUDIT
OR REVIEW OF YOUR FINANCES (SEE NEXT SLIDE FOR
DETAILS)

9. Comparison

10. Documents/Requirements to
Create a Not-For-Profit Corporation
For Federal Incorporation:
• Form 4001 – Articles of Incorporation
• Form 4002 – Initial Registered Office
• NUANS Name Search Report
• Filing Fee
– Ranges from ~$350 to ~$725 if done through
Business Development Canada
– $200 done yourself online at the Online Filing Centre,
$250 for mail/fax/email

11. Shares
Section 2.3.3
• “An Incorporated business must issue at
least one class of shares”
• I.e. Common shares or preferred shares
Source:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/vwapj/Guide_2011-En.pdf/$FILE/Guide_2011-E

12. Director
• Must elect one director, unless other
conditions are added (i.e Soliciting
corporation)

13. Address of Registered Office
Section 2.4.2
• Must register a physical location/address

14. By-Laws
• set the date of a corporation’s financial year-end;
• make banking arrangements;
• address the appointments, qualifications and duties of
• officers;
• delegate the responsibility for setting the salaries of
• directors and officers;
• establish the salaries or other remuneration of directors
• and officers;
• set down the procedures for calling and conducting
• directors’ and shareholders’ meetings;
• establish the minimum number of people required at
• directors’ and shareholders’ meetings to establish
• quorum; and
• make rules limiting the modifications that can be made
• to the powers given to corporate directors under
• the CBCA (e.g., the by-laws could make all share
• issuances subject to shareholder approval).
There is a great free federal by-law builder online that meets
these requirements. Link here

15. Appoint Officers
• Volunteers, employees, etc

16. Additional Certificates
Section 5.4
• Certificate of Compliance
• has not been dissolved;
• has sent to the Director the Annual Returns required
• under the CBCA; and
• has paid all required fees.
• Certificate of Existence
• has not been dissolved or discontinued; and
• has not changed its structure in such a way as to
• cause a change to its corporate number (e.g., through an
amalgamation).

17. Provincial Registration
• In our case, Ontario (for now)

18. Business Number
Section 3.2
• The Business Number (BN) is part of a unique
federal government numbering system that
identifies your business and the accounts you
maintain with the Canada Revenue Agency
(CRA).
• Used for:
– Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax
(GST/HST);
– payroll deductions;
– corporate income tax; and
– import/export duties and taxes.

19. Annual Meetings
• make by-laws (these by-laws will have to be approved
• by shareholders at the first annual meeting);
• adopt the forms of security certificates (shares) and
• corporate records the corporation will use;
• authorize the issuance of shares and other types of
• securities;
• appoint officers;
• appoint an interim auditor to hold office until the first
• meeting of shareholders;
• make banking arrangements; and
• transact any other business.

20. Laws Governing/Regulating
Corporations
• Income Tax Act
• Companies Act
• Not-for-profit Corporations Act S.C. 2009
• Canadian Corporations Act
• Corporate Informations Act

21. Ontario Provincial Incorporation
Applicable Legislation
• Business Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.16
• Business Names Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. B.17
• Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.38
• Corporations Information Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.39
• Extra-Provincial Corporations Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.
• Limited Partnerships Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.16

22. Ontario Business Name Search,
Registration, and Renewal
• https://www.appmybizaccount.gov.on.ca/wps/portal/m
ba_pub/!
ut/p/c4/PY5BD4IwDIV_CweuG2dvQjyYqBCCEbyYjjSz
cXTLNvTvOzCYpofX9-
W9yrtMw_AmDZEsg5G9HBxoNMSvnQ1KOOsjGOFm
ZWgUbFn8cGVQROtolLclwwBrOSCvm3RzLU_H6lHV
l-
7Qd3LIi0kBsjYUnnlhGYOd_Yh5sWaEvAgRUpGaAyU
v6RY1hYieWEP5v3YLvVm1b5HxM6Skjag5PY7STVN
z3mfZFy8JQnA!/

23. CRA Income Tax Guide to the
Non-Profit Organization (NPO)
• http://www.cra-
arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/t4117/t4117-10e.pdf

24. Charity, Non-Profit, Business
As per Imagine Canada:
Source: http://charitytax.imaginecanada.ca/topics/-be-charity-or-not/alternatives-
becoming-charity/alternatives-establishing-charit

25. Incorporate Provincially or
Federally?
Federal Incorporation:
• must register the Corporation for
provinces it wishes to operate under
• requires extra paperwork each year (both
provincial and federal levels)
• Is done through Industry Canada

26. Incorporate Provincially or
Federally?
Provincial Incorporation
• Lower incorporation costs ($155)
• Contrasted with (approx $280 federally)
https://www.appmybizaccount.gov.on.ca/wps/wcm/connect/6ab012804db39
8d5a39aebacb9510e0e/stel02_168010E.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

27. Record Keeping
• a copy of the Letters Patent, any Supplementary Letters Patent
and all by-laws of the corporation;
• the names of all persons who are or have been members;
• the address and occupation of each such person while he/she is a
member, as far as can be ascertained;
• the names, addresses and occupations of all persons who are or
have been directors, and the dates upon which each became or
ceased to be a director; and
• minutes of all members' and directors' meetings.
Source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/cs02167.html
The corporation is to keep the following records in the custody
of the secretary or another officer specially charged with that
duty (sections 109 and 112 of the CCA):

28. Suggested Actions:
• Incorporate provincially as the current operations will not
extend out of Ontario, (and a change to incorporate
federally can be done later)
• Incorporating as a Not-For-Profit should alleviate income
taxation for the future, good brand recognition, reserve
rights to CSCI as name
• As well, being registered under the government should
facilitate processes with Corporations Canada, and align
with banking procedures (some lenders require articles
of incorporation/evidence prior to loans, such as applying
for a company vehicle)

29. Additional Considerations
• Added necessity for paperwork and filing
means added workload and costs (i.e
Annual returns, Annual meetings, revision
of all relevant legislation, Filing of patents,
drafting of corporate by-laws, assigning
directors and members, added accounting
needs)

30. Additional Considerations:
• You will require
• A Lawyer (or someone who can drafting legal
documents, as well as aggregate all relevant Acts)
• An accountant (to prepare financial statements, file
annual returns)
• At least $300 in filing costs
• A location for head office
• Determine Incorporator (signing authority),
officers, board of directors (if applicable)

31. Questions to Ask:
• For-Profit Corporation, Not-For-Profit
Corporation, Charity?
• Soliciting or Not-Soliciting? Will the
donations/grants received require these
provisions?
• What is the corporate structure? Officers?
Directors?
• What are the grounds for registering