Charities send 3,600 letters to feds asking for tax deadline extension in wake of Canada Post strike effects

Author Elisha Dacey
Freeland’s resignation and Friday’s upcoming cabinet shuffle sets back advocacy efforts

Why It Matters

The December holiday season is one of the main fundraising times for non-profits and charities. While the Canada Post strike is over, direct mail to current and former charitable donors is being delivered late, impacting non-profits’ bottom lines.

The Canada Post strike meant direct mail to donors will be delivered late. (Canva)

Charities have written thousands of letters asking for an extension of the tax deadline as the effects of the Canada Post strike linger.

More than 3,600 letters have been sent to the federal government as part of an advocacy effort, said Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO of Imagine Canada. The organization is spearheading the campaign along with the Health Charities Coalition of Canada and Cooperation Canada.

The hope is that Ottawa will extend the charitable giving deadline, allowing organizations to count donations received in early 2025 towards a donor’s income tax in 2024, he said.

To do this, however, requires a legislative change. Imagine Canada has been working with the Canada Revenue Agency and the Department of Finance on the idea.

The surprise resignation of Finance Minister Crystia Freeland from the cabinet on Monday and the expected cabinet shuffle on Friday are throwing a small wrench into the plans, said MacDonald.

“…We have to work through the Department of Finance and it has been a strange week in Ottawa,” MacDonald said wryly in a LinkedIn post Friday morning.

“Alongside other organizations, we are establishing new contacts given the whirlwind of change at Finance. We continue to work with civil servants at the department on this issue.”

The timing of the Canada Post strike meant non-profits scrambled to change their fundraising strategies during what is generally the most lucrative giving time of the year. 

The strike ended on Dec. 17, when the Canadian Industrial Relations Board ordered striking Canada Post employees back to work. 

Despite operations resuming, charities remain worried about the backlog and delay. Plan International Canada updated donors when postal service resumed on Dec. 17, asking them to continue donating via the website or telephone lines. 

“If you were hoping to mail in a donation this holiday season, we ask you to kindly consider an alternate option for the time being so that we can continue carrying out our mission to advance children’s rights and equality for girls without interruption,” they wrote. 

The current agreements with Canada Post’s union have been extended until May 2025, with workers receiving an immediate five per cent wage increase retroactive to the days the union contracts expired. 

However, the CIRB said the two sides remain far apart on numerous issues.

In the meantime, the charitable advocacy group has prepared a joint letter for organizations to sign, formally requesting the tax deadline extension, said MacDonald. 

“With our sector allies, we are determining the best timing,” he said.

Those who want to sign the open letter can do so by heading here. 

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  • Elisha Dacey is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience in the field. She has worked in various newsrooms across Canada, ranging from small-town papers to major outlets like CBC Manitoba and Global News. Dacey began her journalism career in Manitoba and has held roles such as managing editor, senior producer and digital online journalist. Notably, she launched Metro Winnipeg, the city’s only free daily newspaper, which quickly became the second most-read paper in Winnipeg.

    Elisha Dacey is the Managing Editor for Future of Good.

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