Registered Charity – Extra-Provincial Registration in Alberta

A registered charity is an organization the Canada Revenue Agency has registered to issue donation receipts. That status is national and is granted after the organization exists, so it says nothing about where the organization is incorporated or where it may operate. The underlying entity, a society, a non-profit company or a federal not-for-profit corporation, is what provinces register.

Charity operating in Alberta: two registrations, not one

1. Extra-provincial registration of the corporation. Alberta requires an entity formed outside the province to register when it carries on activities here; for corporations that includes having a resident agent, representative, office or place of business in Alberta. The New West Partnership online route does not cover corporations without share capital, so a BC, Saskatchewan or Manitoba charity files through a registry agent like any other. The process is the same as for any out-of-province non-profit.

2. Charitable fundraising registration. Alberta's Charitable Fund-raising Act requires some organizations that solicit donations from Albertans to register under that Act, with thresholds and exemptions that depend on how much is raised and how. This registration is about soliciting donations, not about the corporation, and it is administered separately from Corporate Registry.

A charity that only mails appeals into Alberta may need the second and not the first; one that opens a Calgary office may need both. We tell you which applies before you pay.

Who this is for

• The national or Ontario charity planning an Alberta fundraising campaign or an Alberta chapter.
• The BC society with charitable status that now has staff or a program in Alberta.
• The executive director or treasurer who needs a plain answer on what must be filed, and the documents for the board.
• The accountant or lawyer advising a charity client, with partner pricing.

How it works

1. You describe the charity's Alberta activity on the short online form: office, staff, programs, campaigns and how donations are solicited.
2. We confirm which registrations apply and the document list for your home jurisdiction, before payment.
3. You upload the charter documents and proof of status; we flag anything missing the same day.
4. A CORES-trained agent prepares the extra-provincial package and orders the Alberta NUANS report (a name search that reserves the name for 90 days) where required, and we prepare the fundraising application where it applies.
5. We file through a licensed Alberta registry agent and email the filed documents within 1–2 business days of a complete package. ACS is a private company; we are not a government office or a registry agent.

Common mistakes we catch before filing

• Treating CRA charity registration as Alberta registration. CRA status is national; it does not register the corporation in Alberta or cover fundraising rules.
• Filing an extra-provincial registration the charity does not need, or missing a fundraising registration it does.
• Incorporating a new Alberta society for the Alberta branch, which creates a second entity with its own board and filings.
• An agent for service outside Alberta, or the charity itself named instead of an individual.

What you need before you start

• The charity's legal name, home jurisdiction, corporation number and CRA registration number.
• A certified copy of the charter documents and proof of current status from the home registry.
• The names and addresses of the current directors.
• A description of the Alberta activity: office, staff, programs, campaigns and the fundraising methods used.
• An agent for service: an individual located in Alberta with an Alberta address. We can act if you have no one in Alberta.
• Valid government photo ID for the person signing.

Requirements in Alberta

• The agent for service for the corporate registration is an individual located in Alberta; they do not need to be a lawyer.
• An Alberta NUANS report less than 91 days old is required for the corporate registration unless the home jurisdiction is exempt.
• Fundraising registration under the Charitable Fund-raising Act has its own thresholds and renewals.
• Extra-provincial corporations file Alberta annual returns; we confirm the obligation for the charity before you order.