Charity registrations revoked

Summary#

The Canada Revenue Agency published a notice in the Canada Gazette on October 7, 2023 saying it will revoke the registered charity status of a long list of organizations. The notice says the revocations follow requests from the charities themselves and are effective on the date of publication under the Income Tax Act.

What it does#

• Announces that the registration of many charities will be revoked effective October 7, 2023.
• Says these revocations follow requests from the charities named in the notice.
• Lists individual charities by their business number and name (examples include FONDATION CARDIO-MONTÉRÉGIENNE (F. O. C. A. M.), BUCKHORN NURSERY SCHOOL, and many local churches, foundations and community groups).
• The notice covers numerous small, local organizations and dozens of Jehovah’s Witness circuits and congregations (several of those circuit names appear in the list).

Who's affected#

• The charities named in the Gazette list. A sample of names is shown above; the full list is in the Canada Gazette notice.
• People and groups who donate to, receive services from, or work with those charities — for example local community members, volunteers, and staff.
• Donors who rely on official charitable donation receipts may be affected because those receipts are tied to registered charity status. The notice itself does not explain the practical steps donors or users must take now.

Why it matters#

• Registered charity status matters for tax purposes and for issuing official donation receipts. Losing that status changes the tax treatment of donations and can affect fundraising.
• Because the revocations here were made at the charities’ request, this is likely an administrative change by the charities (for example, they may be closing, merging, or changing legal status), but the notice does not say why each one asked for revocation.
• If you gave significant donations to one of the listed organizations, worked there, or relied on its services, you may want to check the full Canada Gazette list or contact the organization for details.