Alberta Budget 2025 Highlights
Budget 2025 was released on Thursday, February 27 and we’ve pulled together high-level highlights for the nonprofit sector in key Ministries. Overall, the budget itself doesn’t make many waves. There are few new major investments, modest increases in many areas, and some decreases in grants available to community nonprofits.
Community Organization Property Tax Exemption Regulation Review
You may have been following Calgary City Council's recent vote to approve property tax exemption for nonprofit affordable housing providers. At the Nonprofit Chamber, we have also been involved in a conversation about property taxes and nonprofits; we have been in consultation with the Province in their review of the policy governing property tax exemption for Alberta nonprofits, the Community Organization Property Tax Exemption Regulation (COPTER). Read about that review and next steps for COPTER in the post.
Alberta Legislature Winter 2025 Update
Alberta’s legislature will resume on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025. You can follow along to the legislature’s activities and watch online here. The provincial budget will be released on February 27th with some early indication from Alberta’s Finance Minister that the budget is likely to reflect some tough choices.
Alberta Non-profit Listing Dashboard
On December 23, 2024, the Government of Alberta launched the Alberta Nonprofit Listings Dashboard, a new, publicly accessible tool designed to provide valuable data about the province's nonprofit organizations in an interactive and user-friendly format.
The Nonprofit Vote Hosts a Day on the Legislature 2024
On November 20, 2024, The Nonprofit Vote hosted its Day on the Legislature at Alberta’s provincial legislature in Edmonton.
October 23 University of Calgary Fall Mixer
On October 23, we hosted a Fall Mixer with the University of Calgary at their downtown campus. Ken Lima-Coelho, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, led a fireside chat with Ed McCauley, President of the University of Calgary. They covered the many ways that nonprofits and the university can work together to address challenges and drive change. It was wonderful to see nonprofit leaders connect with university leaders from across the faculties to see how their work aligns.
Introducing the Nonprofit Chamber!
For 20 years, the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations has been proud to serve as a voice for the nonprofit sector in Calgary and beyond. As Alberta’s nonprofit landscape has expanded and changed, so have we. While we continue to advocate for and support our sector, we recognized the need for a new name and brand for greater clarity, relevance, and differentiation in the nonprofit sector. That’s why we made the important decision to rebrand as the Nonprofit Chamber.
GST and Membership Fees for Nonprofits
If your nonprofit organization or charity collects membership fees, it's important to be aware of regulations related to the GST system in Canada. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) actively reviews the GST treatment of nonprofits and charities, and a significant number have been found to be non-compliant.
Charting a Course
You can help us establish a strong mandate for appropriate funding for the nonprofit sector. CCVO has launched an opportunity for Alberta nonprofits to give direct input into the immediate funding priorities for the sector and the long-term strategies for funding the sector.