Alberta Non-Profit Organization

A non-profit company is an independent legal entity that exists separately from its members or owners (shareholders). Non-profit companies are established to promote art, science, religion, charity, recreation or similar activities.

A religious society is the incorporation of an organization to serve the religious and spiritual needs of its members. It is established as a legal entity, which allows it to exist as a separate and distinct entity from its individual members.

Private non-profit company: Minimum 2 individuals are required to establish a private non-profit company. It has the following restrictions: cannot have more than 50 shareholders or members, cannot sell memberships or shares to the public, restricts transfer of shares or memberships. Public non-profit company: Minimum 3 individuals are required to establish a public non-profit company and it does not have any restrictions unlike a Private non-profit company

A society in Alberta is recognized as a separate legal entity, distinct from its members. This legal separation helps shield individual members from personal liability for the society's debts or legal issues. Societies are typically established for non-profit purposes, meaning they exist to serve a specific mission, benefit the community, or promote a particular cause, rather than generating profits for individuals.

Five or more individuals can form a society for purposes such as: social activities, recreation, culture, charity. You cannot establish a society to run a business.

"Articles of Incorporation" are like the birth certificate for a Non-Profit Organization. These documents contain important information about the Non-Profit Organization, like its name, purpose, structure, and the people in charge. Once these articles are filed and approved by the government, the Non-Profit Organization officially exists and can do its activities. Think of it as the Non-Profit Organization's first legal paperwork that makes it a real, recognized Organization.

The Certificate of Incorporation is a legal document issued by the government that officially recognizes and confirms the creation and existence of an Organization as a separate legal entity.

A NUANS Report is required to check the availability of a proposed organization's name. Before registering an organization in Alberta, it's crucial to ensure that the chosen name is unique and does not infringe on the trademarks or organization's names of existing entities. NUANS reports have an expiration date, so it's important to use the report and incorporate your organization within the specified time frame. If you don't, you may need to obtain a new NUANS report.

Bylaws are a set of rules and regulations that govern the internal operations and management of an Organization. They are established by the founders or directors of the Organization and serve as a framework for how the entity conducts its business and makes decisions.
A Minute Book also known as a corporate minute book or company records book, is a physical or digital repository of official records and documents related to the corporate governance and activities of an Organization. The minute book typically includes key documents such as: Bylaws, Resolutions, Annual Reports etc.,

When you incorporate with province of Alberta, your organization will be automatically assigned a business number (BN). There is no cost to obtain a business number. A CRA business number allows access to various federal, provincial and tax programs.

• You can issue official donation receipts for gifts that you receive from individuals and corporations.
• You are exempt from paying income tax.
• You are eligible to receive gifts from registered charities.
• You gain increased credibility in the community.
• Many goods and services you provide are exempt from goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST).

Your organization must have charitable purposes that fall into one or more of the following categories to become a registered charity: the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion, or other purposes beneficial to the community. These purposes should be for the public benefit.

Your organization must have charitable purposes that fall into one or more of the following categories to become a registered charity: the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion, or other purposes beneficial to the community. These purposes should be for the public benefit.

An incorporated non-profit organization can be a helpful factor in demonstrating your organization's legitimacy and structure making it easier to demonstrate to the CRA that your organization is well-organized to get registered charity status

A non-profit organization’s name must have a distinctive, descriptive and a legal element. A distinctive element is a unique word that makes your non-profit name different from other entities. A descriptive element describes the non-profit’s activities. And in Alberta non-profit names generally end with the word 'Limited' or 'Ltd.' but a non-profit company can be incorporated without a legal element in its name , only if the name contains a word like 'foundation', 'club', 'association'.

A society’s name must have a distinctive element, descriptive element and a legal element. A distinctive element is a unique word that makes your society’s name different from other entities. A descriptive element describes the society’s activities. And, All societies are required to have legal element in their name. Example: ‘Jasper Falls Blue Water Kayak Association’ is an example of a society name that contains all 3 elements. Jasper Falls is the distinctive element, Blue Water Kayak is the descriptive element and Association is the legal element.

All organizations are required to have a legal element in their name.
For Example: Jasper Rafting Association; the word Association is the legal element here.

The primary purpose guides Non-Profit organization in pursuing its mission and achieving its goals. It serves as a foundation for decision-making and strategic planning. When drafting the primary purpose of the Organization, it's essential to be specific, clear, and aligned with the organization's mission. Alberta Corporate Registry requires that the primary purpose statement be drafted along with the registration application.

A Registered Office Address is the official address where the organization is registered with the government and where legal documents, notices, and correspondence from government agencies, courts, and other official entities are typically sent. Physical address and a legal land description can only be used as a registered office address. UPS/Canada post rental addresses and PO Boxes are prohibited from being used.

If you do not have an address in Alberta, you can purchase our Address service to register your Alberta corporation. Other features with this includes mailing and scanning only government issued documents that are received by us . Please note that by opting for this service, you are not renting this address for operation of your business.

In Alberta, organization are generally required to designate an agent for service. This agent must have a physical address within Alberta where legal documents and official notices can be served.

Alberta rules and regulations pertaining to Registration of Non-Profit organization requires that a valid Photo ID must be submitted along with the application. An acceptable Photo ID includes Driver's license, Passport, firearms ID, permanent resident card

To serve as an Applicant of an organization in Alberta, an Applicant must be of legal age and have the mental capacity to manage their affairs. In Alberta, the legal age for Applicants is 18 years or older.

There are no specific residency requirements for Applicants of non-profit organizations in Alberta.

To serve as a director of an organization in Alberta, a director must be of legal age and have the mental capacity to manage their affairs. In Alberta, the legal age for directors is 18 years or older.

There are no specific residency requirements for directors of non-profit organizations in Alberta.

Members are individuals who have been formally admitted into membership based on the organization's bylaws.

officers of an organization are typically individuals who are appointed or elected to hold specific executive positions within the organization. The specific roles and qualifications for officers can vary depending on the organization's bylaws, its articles of incorporation, and the business needs of the organization. Here are common officer positions in an organization and considerations regarding who can hold these positions in Alberta: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, CEO.

Non-profit organizations in Alberta must register for a GST account if their total annual worldwide taxable supplies exceed $30,000. Taxable supplies include the sales of goods and services, but some supplies may be exempt such as health care services provided by non-profits are exempt from GST.

You need to register for a payroll program account if you pay salaries, gratuities, bonuses or allowances to your employees. Even if you as the Director of the Organization is the only employee who takes out salary, you will need to register a payroll account.

In many situations, you may be required to provide notarized Non-Profit documents to government body, financial institutions or regulatory body.