Motion Introduced in Senate to Improve Data Collection about Diversity of Boards of Charities and NFPs

In this Carters Charity & NFP law update, charity lawyer Esther S.J. Oh comments on Senator Omidvar’s motion calling on the Government of Canada to include diversity questions on the T3010 and T1044 tax forms. Read an excerpt of the law update below: 

On February 8, 2022, the Honourable Senator Ratna Omidvar introduced a motion before the Senate to adopt one of the recommendations emanating from the report of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector (the “Report”) which was adopted by the Senate on November 3, 2020. Recommendation 8, in its entirety, recommends:

That the Government of Canada, through the CRA, include questions on both the T3010 (for registered charities) and the T1044 (for federally incorporated not-for-profit corporations) on diversity representation on boards of directors based on existing Employment Equity guidelines.

In her presentation before the Senate, Senator Omidvar called the recommendation “a rather straightforward, practical and eminently doable proposal” in the context of discussions regarding anti-racism and inclusion at the Senate. She pointed out that the proposed change would impact the charitable and not-for-profit sector which is “an incredibly important sector, that helps Canadians get through ordinary and extraordinary times”, that “…. covers all aspects of life in Canada, from religion, to health, to culture, to poverty and to the environment”. She noted while the sector employs close to 2.5 million people and contributes 8.2% to Canada’s GDP, it also suffers from a lack of consistent data collection essential for making decisions, including policy decisions.

Click here to read the full update.