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Proposed tax form question could ask charities to report board member demographics

Author Sharlene Gandhi
Non-profits and researchers say collecting this data is necessary but remain unsure who will be responsible for its analysis

Why It Matters

Collecting more data does not equate to high-quality information, nor does it guarantee that the information will be appropriately acted upon, say leaders in the sector.

An amendment to the Income Tax Act could see registered charities reporting information about the demographic makeup of their boards – but charities and researchers are unsure who will be responsible for protecting and analyzing the information.  In February, Senator Ratna Omidvar gave a second reading of Bill S-279. Should the Bill pass, charities would be required by law to submit additional information about their board members, specifically whether they identify as belonging to one of the four designated groups in Canada’s Employment Equity Act: women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities and people with disabilities.

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