Protect faith charities' status
Petitioners ask Canada to reject Recommendations 429 and 430, exclude them from budget or laws, and keep charitable status for faith groups. The government responds it is not proposing to remove advancement of religion.
Why we would sign this petition
- It preserves charitable tax status that lets faith-based groups fund services the petition cites: food banks, seniors’ care, newcomer support, youth and mental-health programs.
- It defends freedom of religion by keeping organizations whose activities flow from sincerely held beliefs eligible for registration.
- It maintains pluralism in the charitable sector so diverse faith-based actors can contribute to social cohesion and public benefit.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- The petition would block targeted proposals (for example Recommendation 429) aimed at removing status from organizations whose activities some consider incompatible with charitable purposes.
- Broad protections could make it harder to address cases where a charity’s activities conflict with equality or other public-policy objectives.
- A more focused approach—clarifying registration rules or reviewing organizations case-by-case—might better balance religious freedom with public-interest concerns.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw attention of the Government of Canada to the following: Whereas: Recommendation 430 of the House of Commons Finance Committee's pre-budget report proposes removing the "advancement of religion" as a recognized charitable purpose under the Income Tax Act; Recommendation 429 proposes revoking charitable status from anti-abortion organizations; Religious charities in Canada provide vital services to society, including food banks, care for seniors, newcomer support, youth programs, and mental health outreach - all rooted in their faith traditions; These communities promote hope, belonging, social cohesion, and compassion, benefiting both their members and the broader public; Freedom of religion and belief are fundamental rights in Canada, protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; and Singling out or excluding faith-based charities from the charitable sector based on religious belief undermines the diversity and pluralism foundational to Canadian society. We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Reject Recommendations 429 and 430 of the House of Commons Finance Committee's pre-budget report; 2. Refrain from including these recommendations in the federal budget or any related legislation; and 3. Affirm the charitable status of faith-based organizations whose work flows from sincerely held beliefs and whose contributions serve the common good in Canada.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue Signed by The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne The Government of Canada recognizes the vital role that charities, including religious charities, play in delivering essential services to some of the most vulnerable in Canadian society. To support their important work, registered charities are granted significant tax benefits and privileges, including the ability to issue official donation receipts for the gifts they receive. Under the Income Tax Act, an organization may only qualify for charitable registration where it is established exclusively for charitable purposes and devotes all its resources to achieving those purposes. The legal interpretation of “charitable purposes” has developed over time to include the relief of poverty, the advancement of religion, the advancement of education, and other purposes recognized as charitable, such as the promotion of health or the protection of the environment. Today, Canada is home to over 85,000 registered charities, representing a wide variety of causes, beliefs, and interests. Registration as a charity does not indicate government endorsement of an organization’s specific goals or views. Instead, it confirms that the organization meets certain conditions, including that it is constituted and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. These benefits are extended to a broad range of organizations providing socially beneficial activities to the public, from educational institutions to religious organizations, as long as they meet the legal requirements for registration. The Government of Canada is not considering amending the Income Tax Act to remove the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose, nor is it actively developing policy on this issue.