There have been a number of media stories and blog posts in recent weeks that have raised issues regarding foreign funding in Canadian elections. Some of these pieces have implied or stated that Tides Canada Foundation has been involved in directing donations to non-charities, for political or other purposes, or may have made grants to third parties to engage in partisan political activity. These assertions are patently untrue, and appear to be based on misunderstandings – and in some cases misrepresentations – regarding the legal framework for Canadian charities and Tides Canada Foundation’s work within that framework.
For the record, Tides Canada Foundation:
- abides by all laws and policies governing charities in Canada;
- does not engage in partisan political activity and does not provide funding for other organizations to do so;
- by law only grants to “qualified donees” (registered charities, municipalities, Indigenous governments, and other bodies set out in the Income Tax Act);
- does not make grants to non-charities for any purpose;
- has never supported, directly or indirectly, through making grants or other means, any political party, politician, or candidate for office;
- is audited by independent external auditors each year, and publicly releases its annual audited financial statements;
- successfully concluded a Canada Revenue Agency audit in 2016, confirming its status as a charity in good standing with the Canada Revenue Agency;
- after a rigorous third party review, has been accredited once again in 2017 under Imagine Canada’s Standards Program for excellence in charity governance, financial accountability, and transparency.
