New ACCS Members Announced

New members of the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) have been announced.

Earlier this year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) invited the public to apply for the open positions. New applicants and 2021 applicants were considered, along with applications from existing ACCS members. Three new members were appointed, along with reappointments and a transitional co-chair arrangement set up. CCCC congratulates the successful applicants!

ACCS Members

The new members are:

• Althea Arsenault – Manager Resource Development, Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, Government of New Brunswick
• Elisabeth Baugh – former CEO, Ovarian Cancer Canada
• Minnie Karanja – Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, Network for the Advancement of Black Communities

One reappointed member is:

• Kevin McCort – President & CEO, Vancouver Foundation (second term)

And the arrangement for chair positions is as follows:

• Sheherazade Hirji, former Resident Representative, Aga Khan Development Network, Afghanistan – Co-Chair for a two-year term
• Bruce MacDonald, President & CEO, Imagine Canada – Transitional Co-Chair for a one-year term
• Hilary Pearson, former President, Philanthropic Foundations Canada – Past Co-Chair for a one-year term

You can read more about each new member in the Sector members section of the ACCS page. The incoming members begin their term on November 1, 2022.

Maybe you’re wondering ‘”what is the ACCS?”

The ACCS is…

“a consultative forum for the Government of Canada to engage in meaningful dialogue with the charitable sector, to advance emerging issues relating to charities, and to ensure the regulatory environment supports the important work that charities do.”

“What we do” Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector

It has three areas of focus:

1. Evolving the institutional framework
2. Ensuring financial sustainability
3. Establishing modern governance

It has five working groups:

1. Regulatory Framework – this group looks broadly at the regulatory and administrative policy environment of charities
2. Vulnerable Populations – this group looks at the challenges particular to charities serving vulnerable populations
3. Indigenous Peoples – this group looks at the relationship and interactions between Indigenous Peoples and organizations and the regulatory framework for charities
4. Purposes and Activities – this group looks at how charities function under the Income Tax Act, how they work with non-qualified donees, and revenue-earning activities
5. Charitable Sector Data – this group looks at enhancing and organizing data, identifying gaps in data, and understanding data infrastructure needs

As the ACCS gets up and running again, we’ll be sure to update you when new reports are released. In the meantime, you can get up to speed on the three reports it released in 2021. You can either read the full reports (January 2021, April 2021, July 2021), or you can check out our summary of the key issues and recommendations from Reports #1 and #2 and Report #3 in our Knowledge Base.

Did you know?

CCCC was invited to be a member of CRA’s Technical Issues Working Group for the 2022-23 term. This Working Group “provides a forum to discuss trends and technical issues in the charitable sector, to explore workable solutions, and expand the directorate’s understanding of this sector.”