The Shared Charitable Platform consortium partners — The Canada Council for the Arts,
the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and
the Metcalf Foundation — would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the
pilot project.
The selection of an organization to deliver the pilot was originally scheduled for December
2015 with the launch of the pilot to take place in early 2016. Late in 2015, the process was
delayed when we learned that a shared charitable platform could come under scrutiny from
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) regarding its legality.
In early May, the consortium sought advice directly from the CRA. Since that time we have
been working to address issues raised. We are unable to predict how the process will unfold
but are encouraged by CRA’s commitment to working with us and to establishing a clear
understanding of how the pilot project could be designed to meet legal requirements. In the
meantime, the pilot project selection process has been put on hold indefinitely.
We appreciate that many artists and organizations in the sector are eager to see a shared
charitable platform come to light. We will continue to work diligently in this regard and in
support of the sector’s clearly articulated desire for new art making and engagement
structures.
The consortium will communicate outcomes and points of resolution once the work with
CRA is complete.
