Register your Non-profit corporation today

CorpCentre has over 20 years’ expertise in forming complex non-profit corporations to ensure its done right. We can assist in ensuring it has eligibility to obtain charitable status to issue tax deductible receipts from the Canada Revenue Agency.

From $249 + filing fees

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Non-profit corporations explained

Non-profits are formed to pursue a common goal and are often dedicated to advocating for a specific group or furthering a specific social cause operating for the benefit of others.

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A non-profit corporation can be a church or church association, school, charity, activity clubs, volunteer services organization, professional association, research institute, museum, or in some cases a sports association.

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Its objective is not to make money for its members. A non-profit organization uses its surplus revenues to further achieve its purpose or mission, rather than distributing its surplus income to the organization's members as profit.

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It’s important to note that a non-profit organization needs to apply with the Canada Revenue Agency to qualify as a charity to be able to issue tax deductible receipts.

benefits

Key Non-Profit Incorporation Benefits

A non-profit corporation is a powerful way to formalize your organization's mission. Whether you're focused on education, healthcare, arts, or community outreach, incorporating as a non-profit gives you the legal protection and recognition necessary to operate effectively.

Legal Protection and Limited Liability

Incorporation ensures that your members, directors, and officers are protected from personal liability. This means you and your team won't be held personally responsible for the organization's debts or legal actions.

Enhanced Credibility and Trust

Being a legally incorporated entity boosts your organization’s credibility in the eyes of potential donors, volunteers, and the community. This formal structure shows that your organization is committed to its mission and legally recognized.

Eligibility for Grants and Tax-Exemptions

Non-profit corporations are often eligible to apply for government grants and tax exemptions. These benefits can significantly enhance your ability to fund your projects, programs, and initiatives.

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Charitable Status for your Non-Profit Corporation

Forming a Non-profit corporation does not automatically enable you to issue tax deductible receipts. You must first apply to be recognized as a charity and obtain charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

CorpCentre can help make sure that the incorporation will facilitate your charitable status application.

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Non Profit Corporation

One of the most important factors for any non-profit corporation when deciding to incorporate is the cost of incorporation. The jurisdiction of incorporation will automatically become criteria for decision because government fees are not the same.

Below are the current government incorporation fees for non-profit corporations in Canadian jurisdictions:

Jurisdiction	Government Fee
Federal	$250
Alberta	$75
British Columbia	$100
Manitoba	$350
Newfoundland	$270
New Brunswick	$262
Nova Scotia	$200
Ontario	$155
Quebec	$389
Saskatchewan	$65
Yukon Territory	$50

Moreover, if you are incorporating a federal corporation, you must also register extra-provincially. Currently, the extra-provincial registration fees for a federal corporation which has its registered office in that province are (these are in addition to the federal incorporation fee of $250 indicated above):

Province	Extra-provincial Registration Fee
Alberta	$275
British Columbia	$351.50
Manitoba	$350
Newfoundland	$260
New Brunswick	$212
Nova Scotia	$274.10
Northwest Territories	$100
Ontario	$0
Prince Edward Island	$275
Quebec	$40
Saskatchewan	$65
Yukon Territory	$50

Non Profit Corporation

This depends on the jurisdiction of incorporation. Below are the current government incorporation approximate delays for non-profit corporations in Canadian jurisdictions:

Jurisdiction	Standard Processing	Expedited Processing (Additional fees apply)
Federal	30 days	N/A
Alberta	10 days	5 days
British Columbia	40 days	20 days
Manitoba	30 days	15 days
Newfoundland	30 days	N/A
New Brunswick	30 days	15 days
Nova Scotia	30 days	N/A
Ontario	60 days	15 days
Quebec	26 days	12 days
Saskatchewan	30 days	15 days

Non Profit Corporation

The courts have identified four general categories of charitable purposes. For an organization to be registered, its purposes have to fall within one or more of the following categories:

the relief of poverty;
the advancement of education;
the advancement of religion; or
certain other purposes that benefit the community in a way the courts have said are charitable.

The relief of poverty

Organizations established for the relief of poverty include food banks, soup kitchens, as well as enterprises that supply low-cost rental housing, clothing, furniture, and appliances to the poor.

The advancement of education

The courts recognize a purpose or activity as advancing education in the charitable sense if it involves formal training of the mind or formal instruction, or if it prepares a person for a career, or if it improves a useful branch of human knowledge. Only providing information is not accepted by the courts as educational; training or instruction also have to be offered. The advancement of education includes:

establishing and operating schools, colleges, universities, and other similar institutions;
establishing academic chairs and lectureships;
providing scholarships, bursaries, and prizes for scholastic achievement;
undertaking research in a recognized field of knowledge (The research must be carried out for educational purposes and the results must be made available to the public.);
advancing science and scientific institutions, including maintaining learned societies (Professional associations or other societies that primarily provide benefits to members are not considered charitable.);
providing and maintaining museums and public art galleries.

The courts have ruled that an activity which advances education should involve a full and fair presentation of the facts so people can draw their own conclusions. If an organization intends to influence the opinion or actions of the public toward one side of a controversial issue, it is not advancing education in the charitable sense. For this reason, an advocacy group would not qualify as a charity.

The advancement of religion

This category refers to promoting the spiritual teachings of a religious body, and maintaining the doctrines and spiritual observances on which those teachings are based. There has to be an element of theistic worship, which means the worship of a deity or deities in the spiritual sense. To foster a belief in proper morals or ethics alone is not enough to qualify as a charity under this category. A religious body is considered charitable when its activities serve religious purposes for the public good. The beliefs and practices cannot be what the courts consider subversive or immoral.

Other activities that advance religion include:

organizing and providing religious instruction, and performing pastoral and missionary work; and
establishing and maintaining buildings for worship and other religious use.

Purposes beneficial to the community

This category includes various purposes that do not fall within the other categories, but which the courts have decided are charitable. However, not all purposes that benefit the public are charitable. For example, a property-owners' association or community association might not qualify. Organizations that normally qualify as charitable include those with the following purposes:

providing immediate relief to victims of natural disasters or sudden catastrophes (e.g., floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes);
relieving suffering or disability caused by old age, which includes providing facilities for the care, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the elderly;
preventing and relieving sickness and disability, both physical and mental (e.g., services performed by hospitals, clinics, nursing and convalescent homes, the provision of home care services and the establishment of workshops or other centres for disabled people);
providing rental housing and related facilities for people with special needs (e.g., homes for disabled people);
preserving the environment;
protecting the welfare of children (e.g., societies for the prevention of child abuse);
providing counselling services for people in distress;
rehabilitating victims of substance abuse and preventing substance abuse;
providing certain public amenities to benefit the community;
establishing safety rescue operations or a volunteer fire department; and
establishing humane societies, animal shelters, and similar institutions to prevent cruelty to animals.

Register your Non-profit corporation today

Why use CorpCentre to incorporate your professional corporation?

Get in done quickly

Do it right

Get help you need

Non-profit corporations explained

Key Non-Profit Incorporation Benefits

Legal Protection and Limited Liability

Enhanced Credibility and Trust

Eligibility for Grants and Tax-Exemptions

Start Your Non-Profit Corporation Today

Charitable Status for your Non-Profit Corporation

Ready to start your Non-profit corporation?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Non-Profit Corporation?

Why Incorporate a Non-Profit Corporation?

Where to Incorporate?

What are the Steps to Form a Non-Profit Corporation?

What Are the Fees to Incorporate a Non-Profit Corporation?

What Are the Delays when Incorporating a Non-Profit incorporation?

How Many People Are Needed to Incorporate a Non-Profit Corporation?

How Do I Select a Name?

How do I Apply to Obtain Charitable Status for my Non-Profit Corporation?

What Objects and Purposes are Acceptable for Charitable Status?

What are charitable purposes?

I am incorporated. Is there anything else I have to do?