Preserve charitable status
Petitioners ask the government to reject Recommendations 429 and 430 and preserve charitable status for faith based and pro life organizations. The government responds it will not remove 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose.
Why we would sign this petition
- Keeps faith based and pro life charities eligible so existing community services listed by petitioners—food banks, shelters, healthcare and education—can continue serving people who rely on them.
- Avoids the disruption and replacement cost petitioners cite (estimated at $16.5 billion) and preserves local economic benefits from congregational spending.
- Prevents singling out organizations for moral stances and maintains neutral treatment of religious charities under current tax rules.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A different view holds that updating eligibility could address cases where charities promote views that conflict with public policy or rights and ensure charitable status reflects current public interest.
- Tighter rules may help ensure public tax advantages fund activities aligned with charitable purposes rather than political advocacy, protecting taxpayer interests.
- Maintaining status without review might allow organizations to claim benefits while engaging in activities some consider inconsistent with inclusive public services, arguing for clearer criteria.
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 Scott Reid, Member of Parliament for Lanark-Frontenac We, the undersigned, urgently call for the rejection of all proposed legislative changes to the eligibility criteria for charitable status as recommended by the Standing Committee on Finance in its pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2025 budget. Recommendations 429 and 430 would have severe and far-reaching consequences for faith-based and pro-life organizations that provide essential community services. Whereas, Recommendation 429 singles out a specific subgroup within the charitable sector, appearing to penalize organizations based on moral stance that may differ from those of the incumbent government rather than legal stances; and Recommendation 429 would unjustly prejudice organizations that operate based on legitimate moral convictions and provide legitimate pregnancy health and social support services. Recommendation 430 imperils the Catholic charitable sector in Canada, which is integral to Canada's social fabric, encompassing a wide range of community services and ministries, including food banks, soup kitchens, refugee resettlement programs, climate and social justice initiatives, daycares, schools, hospitals, long-term care homes and palliative care centres. A recent study estimated that replacing the services provided by faith congregations in Canada would cost $16.5 billion. For every dollar a congregation spends, the local community receives an average of $3.39 in economic benefit. We respectfully ask all members of parliament not to support legislation as found in Recommendations 429 and 430 and to protect the charitable status of faith-based and pro-life organizations. In doing so, the government will help ensure that these vital institutions can continue to serve millions of Canadians, regardless of religious affiliation. Please sign this petition to support the preservation of charitable status for faith-based and pro-life organizations across 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.