Affirm faith-based charities' status
Petitioners ask the government to reject finance committee recommendations 429 and 430 and omit them from the 2025 budget, affirming faith-based charities' charitable status. The government responds it will not remove 'advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose.
Why we would sign this petition
- Keeps faith-based charities eligible for charitable status and tax benefits so they can continue providing the services named in the petition, such as food banks, senior care and newcomer support.
- Prevents singling out charities for their beliefs, supporting religious freedom and the pluralistic role of faith groups invoked by the petition.
- Reinforces the government's stated position that 'advancement of religion' will remain a qualifying charitable purpose, reducing legal uncertainty for faith-based organizations.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- May obstruct reforms to clarify or enforce the Income Tax Act requirement that charities be established and operated exclusively for charitable purposes, risking weaker accountability.
- Could allow organizations to retain charitable status despite activities some may view as outside charitable purposes, raising concerns about misuse of tax-exempt benefits.
- Seeks wholesale rejection of committee recommendations, which could short-circuit parliamentary review and prevent consideration of necessary trade-offs or safeguards.
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 WHEREAS Religious charities in Canada provide vital services to society, including food banks, care for seniors, and newcomer support. Freedom of religion and belief are fundamental rights in Canada, protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Singling out or excluding faith-based charities from the charitable sector based on religious belief undermines the diversity and pluralistic foundation of Canadian society. THEREFORE We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to reject recommendations 429 and 430 of the House of Commons finance committee's December 2024 report, Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2025 Budget, refrain from including these recommendations in the federal budget or any related legislation and affirm the charitable status of faith-based organizations, whose members' work flows from sincerely held beliefs and whose contributions serve the common good of 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 or to revoke the status of faith-based charities that express their sincerely held religious views or that carry out activities consistent with their religious beliefs.