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We are not asking for money yet.
Most organisations put a donate button up on day one. We have decided not to, and we think you deserve the reasoning rather than a quiet blank page.
The disclosure that matters most
SEVA SANGAT FOUNDATION is a not for profit society incorporated in British Columbia. We are not a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency. We cannot issue official donation receipts for income tax purposes, and any gift made before registration is granted would not become receiptable later.
Why the donate button is switched off
Three reasons, in order of how much they matter to us.
- 1We cannot give you a receiptUntil the Canada Revenue Agency grants registered charity status, no official tax receipt can be issued by anyone, and that is federal law rather than a choice of ours. Taking money now means taking it from people who might reasonably expect a receipt at tax time.
- 2The controls are not finishedA society bank account with two signatures on every payment, general liability insurance, directors and officers insurance, and a bookkeeping system. We would rather be able to account for a dollar before we ask anyone for one.
- 3Nothing is running yet to fundOur programs are being built. Asking for money before there is a programme to spend it on is how new organisations end up with a balance and no story to attach to it.
What will happen when donations open
When our banking and insurance are in place we will open donations here, and we are committing now to how we will do it.
- Every appeal will state plainly whether an official tax receipt can be issued.
- We will use a platform that does not take a percentage of your gift, so more of it reaches the community.
- Suggested amounts will be tied to something concrete, not to a vague cause.
- We will publish what came in and what it was spent on. Once we are a registered charity, our annual return to the Canada Revenue Agency will be public, and our financial statements are available to any person on request under the Societies Act.
- We will not claim that one hundred percent of a gift reaches the front line, because running an organisation honestly costs something and pretending otherwise is not transparency.
If you are determined to give now
Some people will want to help before all of this is finished, and we are grateful for it. Please call 604 750 1389 or email info@sevasangatfoundation.com and speak to a director first. We will tell you honestly what it can be used for, we will confirm in writing what we received, and we will remind you again that we cannot issue a tax receipt.
Meanwhile
Four things worth more than money to us today.
Your time
Two hours a month from enough people is what turns a plan into a programme.
Goods
Sealed food, hygiene items and warm clothing go straight to a household.
A kitchen or a hall
Access to a permitted commercial kitchen is the single thing standing between us and langar.
A blood donation
Book with Canadian Blood Services today. It costs nothing and it counts immediately.
Questions people ask
Straight answers about money.
Are you a registered charity?
No. We are a not for profit society incorporated in British Columbia under the Societies Act, incorporation number S0085142, incorporated on 22 April 2026. Registered charity status is a separate approval granted by the Canada Revenue Agency, and we have not been granted it. The two are often confused, and the difference matters to your tax return.
Will you apply for charity status?
Yes, that is the intention. The Canada Revenue Agency wants to see detailed, real plans for every activity rather than statements of intent, which is another reason we are building programs before applying. We will say on this page when the application has been filed, and again when it is decided either way.
If I give now, can you receipt it later once you are registered?
No. Registration is not applied backwards. A gift made before registration is granted cannot be receipted afterwards. If a tax receipt matters to you, please wait for us, and in the meantime consider giving to an established registered charity doing similar work.
Is anyone being paid?
No. All three directors are unpaid and the foundation has no employees. Out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed, which is not the same as remuneration. If that ever changes, the amounts will appear in our financial statements, which any person may request under the Societies Act.
Where will donations go once they open?
Into the programs described on our What We Do page and into the running costs that keep them safe and legal: insurance, food safety certification, criminal record checks and kitchen access. Over the longer term, into the eventual establishment of a place of worship and community gathering, which is one of the purposes we filed at incorporation.