For the past several years the custodians of accounting principles have been working to adapt their general rules to not-for-profit organizations. We have run a number of articles on that work, most recently in Volume XI, when the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants released its Exposure Draft of proposed principles of adaptation. CICA has now published a “Re-Exposure Draft”, taking into account comments on the earlier document. In this issue we have a description and a further comment on the new text. No doubt the last word is still to come.
Accounting for donations can be a problem for both donor and recipient. Corporate donors are increasingly interested in providing funds for charities through their advertising and marketing departments rather than from a special fund for donations at large. This trend has raised a number of concerns other than those of the auditors. Is it helpful? Is it fair? Is it ethical? These questions are examined at length in an article by a team from the Queen’s University School of Business.
Keeping all the paperwork straight is the task of the corporate secretary. How is he or she to go about it? Fred Burnard provides detailed advice on the job and how to do it. No, it appears you do not have to be a lawyer. Mr. Burnard’s text should help lawyers and others to keep their priorities straight.
Keeping The Philanthropist straight is the perennial task of our indexer, Claudia Willetts. Once again she has brought order to a volume of disparate articles, and once again we express our gratitude for her thorough and thoughtful efforts.
JOHN D. GREGORY
Editor
