The Nonprofit Chamber Submission for Alberta’s Lobbyist Act Review
About the Lobbyists Act
Every five years, the Alberta government reviews the Lobbyists Act, the law that governs who must register when they’re trying to influence government decisions. This year, that review is being led by the Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future, and it’s asking for public input.
Protecting an exemption for Alberta’s nonprofits
Alberta's public-benefit nonprofits are currently exempt from registering as lobbyists when they advocate in the public interest. That exemption has been part of the Act since 2007 and maintained through every review since (2011, 2017, and 2022). The Chamber successfully argued to keep it in 2022, and we're making that case again this year.
Why does this exemption exist?
The Act exists to make sure Albertans know who’s trying to influence government, and why. Concern tends to be highest when someone stands to gain personally or commercially from that influence – for example, a company lobbying for a regulatory change that benefits its bottom line.
Public benefit nonprofits are different. When they lobby government it’s not to benefit themselves, but to advocate for the community they serve. For example, advocacy has helped secure ongoing provincial investment in food security across Alberta - a fundamentally different kind of influence than commercial lobbying. The Act has long recognized that distinction. Nonprofits that represent commercial interests and unions, for example, are not included in the definition of public benefit.
What could happen if the exemption were removed?
More red tape, for everyone. There are more than 28,000 nonprofits in Alberta, many of which are currently exempt from registering in the Lobbyists Act. If that changed, tens of thousands of organizations would need to register and keep up with ongoing reporting requirements, and government would need to build the systems to track and oversee all of it.
Less time for the actual work. Time spent filling out registration paperwork is time not spent delivering programs, supporting communities, or doing the research that makes nonprofit advocacy valuable. According to our 2025 State of the Sector report, 68% of Alberta nonprofits say they’re already struggling just to keep that demand for their services. Adding a new compliance burden would make that worse.
A loss of vital front-line information about Alberta’s communities. More than half of Alberta’s nonprofits rely entirely on volunteers. Volunteer boards, unfamiliar with the details of new registration requirements, may simply choose not to advocate at all rather than risk getting it wrong. That means government would lose access to the front-line knowledge and community expertise that nonprofits bring to the table. That loss means poorer decision-making, policy development, and relationships with communities.
What can you do?
If your organization does any type of advocacy – whether that’s your full-time mission or something you do occasionally alongside front-line service delivery – this review affects you too. We encourage you to make your own submission to the committee. Feel free to borrow language or reasoning from this post for your own submission.
Submissions close on August 17, 2026 at 12:00pm. You can learn more and submit here.