This is the first of an ongoing “Solutions Journalism” series. Its goal is to provide practical, informative, and expert resources and tools in concise, approachable articles, in response to feedback from readers and our editorial advisory committee about what they feel is relevant and timely. *** When the 162-year-old Yarmouth YMCA closed its doors for…
An advisory committee on the charitable sector has presented the federal government with three core reforms that could fundamentally change the way charities serve Canadians. The proposed changes, released last week, would make the sector more efficient, update laws defining the role of charities, and provide them with a much-needed champion inside the federal civil…
Debates in Charity Law, ed. John Picton and Jennifer Sigafoos. Hart Publishing, Oxford, England, 2020, pp 288. ISBN 978-1-50992-683-1 Over the summer of 2020, concerns surfaced in the media and in public debate about the relationship between the WE Charity and the federal government. These concerns refuelled ongoing discussion about the value of charities…
When Annabelle White received a large inheritance 12 years ago, she knew she wanted to give money to environmental causes. Having previously sat on the board of her grandmother’s foundation, she was wary of the complexity and attention that running her own foundation would involve. “When you start a foundation, you get pitched a lot,…
Il y a 12 ans, quand Annabelle White a reçu un important héritage, elle voulait donner cet argent à des causes environnementales. Ayant déjà siégé au CA de la fondation de sa grand-mère, elle craignait la complexité et l’attention qui seraient associées à la direction de sa propre fondation. « Lorsqu’on crée une fondation, dit-elle, on reçoit…
Dave Blundell was trying to fund a maternity clinic in rural Eziama, in southeast Nigeria, to prevent mothers dying in childbirth and children being sent to orphanages. A casual project meeting with local officials was abruptly halted with instructions for Blundell and his team to return the next day. When he did, he found a…
Dave Blundell essayait de financer une clinique de maternité de la région rurale d’Eziama, dans le sud-est du Nigéria, afin d’empêcher que les mères meurent en mettant leur enfant au monde et que des enfants soient envoyés dans des orphelinats. Une rencontre décontractée avec des agents locaux, en vue de discuter du projet, a été…
The Status of Religion and the Public Benefit in Charity Law, ed. Barry W. Bussey. Anthem Press, London, 2020; 240 pp: ISBN 978-1-78527-266-0 In the preface to this book, the editor, Barry Bussey, describes it as “an apologetic for maintaining the presumption of public benefit for the charitable category of the advancement of religion.” Bussey,…
For more than a decade, the owners of Canadian news organizations have seen a steady stream of the advertising revenues they need to keep their heads above water disappear, with most of it flowing instead to Google, Facebook, and other social media platforms. The depth of the economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is…
The recently released Report of the Special Senate Committee on the Charitable Sector, “Catalyst for Change: A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector,” puts broad charity law reform in sight. The Report – which is available online – provides a series of thoughtful recommendations touching on almost all the major difficulties with the existing federal…