What should I do if I’ve been asked to make a charitable donation?

It is up to you to provide proof of any charitable donation that you make. As with community service, a charitable donation must be made to a non‑profit community or charitable organization, not at a business or other type of for‑profit organization. Giving money to a private citizen as an act of charity generally won’t qualify as a charitable donation either.

It’s best to get a non‑taxable receipt from the organization that you gave the money to. Non‑taxable means that you can’t claim the charitable donation as a deduction on your income taxes. The receipt should be signed and indicate the name of the organization that you donated to—usually by having the name and/or logo of the organization right on the receipt. The receipt should also be signed by someone from the organization that can verify that you donated the money. Sometimes, the Crown asks to contact the place that you made the donation to, so it’s also a good idea to have the contact information of the person who can verify your donation.