CRA offers funding to educate charitable organizations.

The Canada Revenue Agency is looking for project proposals to deliver education and training on Canada's Income Tax Act to registered charities. The aim is to ensure that charities are thoroughly educated on their legislative and regulatory obligations.

The CRA's Charities Partnership Program will provide funding of up to $500,000 per year to a maximum of three years, per multi-year projects. A maximum of $2 million will be available in 2007-2008.

The funding priorities for this year are to assure compliance In:

* conducting foreign activities; and

* raising funds, issuing receipts, and maintaining books and records.

The CRA is concerned that as an increasing number of activities of registered charities are conducted internationally, "Control or compliance issues may arise that could result in a charity being non-compliant with respect to its obligations under the Income Tax Act."

The types of projects that are eligible include:

* pilot projects;

* conferences, workshops, training sessions;

* research or technical studies;

* development and dissemination of information;

* web-based training and education products;

* information services; and

* train-the-trainer projects.

Any registered charity or non-profit organization serving the charitable sector in Canada can apply. However, only those projects that are not part of an organization's current activities will be considered.

Applications will be accepted through December 22, 2006. The review and approval process will take approximately four months to complete from the close of the application period.

"Canadians claim approximately $7.3 billion in donations to registered charities annually, resulting in about $2 billion in forgone revenue for the federal government," according to the Canada Revenue Agency.

www.cra.gc.ca/charities.