Over $2 million in funding granted

OTTAWA - The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food), is pleased to announce contribution funding for eight new projects under the Charities Partnership and Outreach Program as well as the program's recent one-year extension.

"The Charities Partnership and Outreach Program demonstrates the CRA's commitment to helping the charitable sector comply more easily and effectively with its regulatory obligations under the Income Tax Act," explained Minister Blackburn. "The Government of Canada is proud to deliver concrete support to Canadian charities, which provide valuable services in communities across our country."

The CRA will provide $2,016,903 in contribution funding for innovative education and training projects that will be carried out before March 31, 2010. These projects were chosen in response to a call for proposals for projects that would:

- explain the requirements and obligations of charitable registration to
organizations that are considering registration;

- teach registered charities how to avoid making gifts to non-qualified donees;

- research best practices for charities to safeguard against terrorism; or

- provide small and rural charities with access to resources.

The following organizations submitted successful proposals:

- Actions interculturelles de developpement et d'education (AIDE) Inc. (Sherbrooke, Quebec)

- CentrePoint Non-Profit Management (Calgary, Alberta)

- Educaloi (Montreal, Quebec)

- Imagine Canada (Toronto, Ontario)

- Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

- Ontario Community Support Association (Toronto, Ontario)

- The Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan)

- Universite du Quebec a Montreal (Montreal, Quebec)

Due to the ongoing interest of the charitable sector in ensuring that the objectives of the program are achieved, the program has been extended for an additional year (until March 31, 2011). A new call for proposals will be announced shortly.

The Government of Canada supports a regulatory environment where Canadians can donate in confidence, knowing that their donations are going to registered charities that meet their regulatory responsibilities.

For more information about the selected organizations and their projects, as well as about other projects previously funded under the Charities Outreach and Partnership Program, go to www.cra.gc.ca/charities.