Summary Policy

Date
October 25, 2002

Reference Number
CSP - P03

Key Words
Poverty - Charitable purposes

To relieve poverty in the charitable sense means to bring relief of the poor. The poor are not simply the destitute, but anyone lacking essential amenities available to the general population. While various synonyms such as needy or underprivileged are used to refer to the poor, the Charities Directorate cannot accept organizations set up to help broader groups, embracing people who are not necessarily poor or those which serve too large a sector of the population to be considered to have a focus on poverty. Examples of organizations established for the relief of poverty that can qualify for registration as a charity include food banks, soup kitchens, as well as organizations that supply low-cost rental housing, clothing, furniture, and appliances to the poor.

• Charitable Purposes, CSP-C01.
• Computers to Poor Children for Educational Purposes, CPC-013.
• Applicants that are Established to Relieve Poverty by Providing Rental Housing for Low-Income Tenants, CPS-020
• Registering a Charity for Income Tax Purposes, T4063.