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Donation Records:  Tithe Envelopes

7/28/2016

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The CRA has notified charities of changes to the guidelines for the length of time tithe envelopes are to be kept on file with the church. This length of time has been increased from 2 to 6 years.  
​CCCC made the following statement about the reason for this change:
CRA takes the position that an envelope may be the only source document that may provide proof that a cash donation was made and support the amounts recorded in the ledger...Church offering envelopes are NOT duplicate receipts but documents that enable the Minister to verify donations made for which a deduction or tax credit is available under the Act....see CCCC Bulletin for full article.
This is a good reminder that each offering received by the church should have a corresponding tithe envelope.  Where there is only a cheque, an envelope should be completed for the files with the person’s name and particulars. ​

​For more information on how long to keep records and maintaining donation records click on links below:
Books & Records
Donation Record Maintenance
If you have questions about this topic or need further assistance please complete the Foursquare Help Contact form or Send a Reply.

Serving Jesus with you,
​Rhonda Berkhiem
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How Do We? (Part 1):  Helping Those in Need

4/4/2016

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Looking after the needs of the poor, the sick, the widows, and orphans is one of the primary tasks of the Church.  It is also recognized by the Canadian government as one of it's distinctive charitable purposes and contributions to society.

Below are some quotes taken from information bulletins of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC) that are helpful in understanding how CRA views the Benevolence ministry of the church:
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The purpose of the benevolence program should be consistent with the charitable purposes and objects of the ministry as outlined in the charity’s governing documents. The main purpose of a benevolence fund should be to further the work of the church.  Some ministries have designed their benevolence fund policies to support their community outreach programs.
Benevolence programs must be based on helping the poor and needy in the community and not just members of the local church. To be legitimately charitable under the ITA, all activities undertaken by a charity must be available to a wide enough segment of the public to qualify as public benefit. If a church restricts benevolent assistance only to members, the church is conferring a benefit on members by virtue of their membership.....Churches may not be required to advertise the existence of such funds, but their availability must be generally known to all those attending the church, whether members or not.
Helping the needy is ALL good and an acceptable activity of the Church!
​The CRA does however place some limitations for giving to individuals in need.  These are mostly influenced by charitable receipting guidelines and the Income Tax Act (ITA) which applies to all Canadian citizens:
Donations for Benevolence:
  • Under no circumstances is the church to receive and receipt gifts that are given specifically for an individual.  The church is responsible to distinguish between gifts to a program of the church (which is allowed under the ITA) versus channeling a gift through the church that has been designated by the donor to a specific individual.  Charities are not permitted to act as a conduit for passing resources.
  • If the church wishes to take an offering for a specific individual the proceeds are to be given directly to the person and not deposited into the bank account of the church.  Donors should be made aware at the time of the offering that no tax receipts can be given for gifts given towards the individual's need. ​​​
  • See Charitable Receipting for further details on allowable gifts for receipting purposes.
Establishing a Benevolence Ministry in the church:
  • It is recommended that each church establish a “Benevolence Fund” or “Good Samaritan Fund” to support those who are poor or needy.  Most churches make provision in their yearly budget to meet the needs of those who require financial assistance.
  • Members of the congregation should be encouraged to give regularly to this fund and when a benevolent situation occurs that requires support they can make the need known directly to the church.  The church is then at the liberty to determine the appropriateness and the amount that is to be given without consideration of the person giving the gift.
  • There is a distinction made between one-time gifts and continuous gifts and how they are reported.  See Benevolence for further details.
I hope this has been helpful!  If you have questions please complete the Foursquare Help Contact form to the right of this blog post or Leave a Reply below.

Serving with You!
​Rhonda Berkhiem
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More Online Giving Options for Churches

1/15/2016

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Today I get to post about one of my favorite topics: GIVING!

As we begin the new year I want to remind our churches about the various methods that can be made available to church members for the giving of their tithes and offerings.  Details about these options can be found through the following link:  http://www.foursquare.ca/online-giving-options.html
Online banking is costly and, because of minimum requirements of banks, many of our Foursquare churches are not able to offer them to their church members.  FGCC has established an in-house system that allows churches to utilize the online banking platform of the national office for Pre-Authorized Debit (PADs) and Online Bill Payments.  These giving options are no cost for the church!​
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Full Details and Instruction for set up can be found here:
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Giving Options through National Office
If you have questions or need assistance in setting up giving options for your church please complete and submit the Foursquare Help Contact form to the right of this post or Leave A Reply below.

Serving with You,
​Rhonda Berkhiem
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