Charities

Irfan has a long and proud history of being counsel to charities and not-for-profit organizations of all kinds and sizes, local, national and international.

Irfan has acted for schools, religious groups, service organizations, poverty and emergency relief and development organizations, public and private foundations, cultural groups and professional organizations in matters including the following:

• Incorporations, Bylaws, Amendments, Annual and Special Meetings under the Canada Not-for-Corporations Act and the Ontario Not-for-Corporations Act
• Charitable registration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and compliance with CRA requirements
• Review and assistance with annual filings, including corporate returns and T3010 charity information returns
• Responding to audits and taking matters on appeal
• Advising Boards of Directors on governance, fiduciary duties, and best practical approaches suitable to their abilities and resources
• Human Resource matters, including contracts and policies and procedures for employees, contractors and consultants
• Advising on Ethical and Compliant Fundraising 
• Compliance with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism legislation
• Property Leasing
• Registrations with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) for funeral and burial related services
• Registrations with the Marriage Office for Religious Bodies and Marriage Officiants
• Dispute resolution / litigation management

By being creative, understanding and flexible, Irfan can provide tailored solutions to assist clients achieve objectives specific to their particular organizations in accordance with their values and at a reasonable cost that reflects the financial restraints on these groups.

From 2013 to 2015, Irfan was a member of the Executive of the Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section of both the Canadian Bar Association and the Ontario Bar Association and made presentations at local seminars and at the National Charity Law Symposium.

In 2003 and 2005 Irfan was invited by The Muttart Foundation to attend frank consultations on specific matters in the charitable sector with a wide-range of governmental and non-governmental representatives observing Chatham House Rules.

From 2024 to 2026 Irfan has served on the Canada Revenue Agency's Technical Issues Working Group ("TIWG"), which provides a forum to discuss trends and technical issues in the charitable sector, to explore workable solutions, and expand the directorate’s understanding of this sector. TIWG consists of officials from the CRA and the Department of Finance Canada, and members with experience in the charitable sector. This includes representatives from registered charities and national umbrella organizations, academics with a research interest in the charitable sector, and accounting and legal experts.