Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau: Gratitude for including Registered Charities in recent COVID-19-related announcements

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing to thank you for the support offered to registered charities through the recent announcements related to the COVID-19 crisis.

As numerous studies have shown, Canada’s places of worship provide significant measurable benefits not only to their adherents, but more importantly to all members of their local communities. A Canadian study to be published this year shows that these benefits are about 12 times the total amount of tax concessions provided through personal income tax reductions on donations, GST rebates, and foregone municipal property tax. Places of worship make these contributions while depending almost entirely on donations from individual Canadians.

As Canadians face job losses or reduced work hours, these donations are likely to fall. The funding initiatives you have announced will, therefore, be most helpful as they enable places of worship to continue serving Canadians through this time of high demand.