Knowledge Hub on April 27th at the Old Mill in Toronto. Photos: Kateryna Ozerianska
Kateryna Ozerianska for NP-UN.
On Thursday, April 27th, the Knowledge Hub event brought together volunteers, advisors, lawyers, accountants, administrators, and leaders of religious, charitable, and non-profit organizations. Billed as a community event, the organizers aimed to unite the community and provide a networking and idea exchange platform. The organizing partners were Ukrainian Canadian Social Services Toronto, Ukrainian Canadian Bar Association, and Ukrainian Canadian Professional & Business Association (Toronto).
The event, held at the Old Mill centre in Toronto, showcased diverse speakers, each offering unique perspectives on their respective topics. Sharmila Khare, Director General of the Charities Directorate at the Canada Revenue Agency, shared insights on the direction of CRA’s work in a presentation titled “Perspectives from the CRA.” Taras Kulish, representing Business & Not-For-Profit Counsel at Mills & Mills LLP, delved into “Donors, Donations, and Control.” Olya Kuplowska, President of the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies, provided insights into “Donating Through Foundations: Insights from CFUS.” Krystyne Rusek, an Estate Litigation Lawyer at Speigel Nichols Fox LLP, discussed “Zombie Philanthropy – Recent Court Decisions on Donor Control.”
The event commenced with welcoming remarks from Yvan Baker, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Centre, who emphasized the importance of community-building initiatives and urged those involved in charitable work to intensify their efforts to aid Ukraine.
Taras Kulish officially opened the conference, outlining key concepts defining the conference’s overarching theme. He covered topics such as donation checks, how charitable organizations should consider gifts and donations, and various types of funds, including unrestricted, donor-advised, designated, and scholarship funds.
Taras Kulish speaks at Knowledge Hub
Sharmila Khare, one of the event's leading speakers and the Director General of the Charities Directorate of the CRA since 2022, presented about the CRA's work in supporting Ukrainian non-profit organizations. Sharmila revealed some aspects of the CRA’s activities and expressed her sincere support for the Ukrainian Canadian community. Sharmila spoke about the requirements for Canadian charities working in Ukraine on humanitarian relief projects to perform due diligence on their partners and always have a written agreement to document grants given and, where appropriate, direction and control over programs and projects. She emphasized the importance of community engagement and elaborated on the challenges and opportunities facing the charitable sector, especially given the geopolitical instability.
Sharmila Khare (right) and Kateryna Ozerianska at Knowledge Hub
Sharmila also shared her family's story, photos and involvement in the Ukrainian Canadian community, which was very touching. She was born in Kitchener and raised in Waterloo, Ontario. She holds a combined honours degree, a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Glendon College, and an M.A. in economics from McMaster University. She is known for her passion for the charitable and non-profit sector, and her contributions include advancing many ministerial priorities and co-chairing the Executive Group Network at the CRA.
Krystyne Rusek speaks at Knowledge Hub
The event fostered a dynamic environment, with the speakers engaging the audience in a lively question-and-answer session. They addressed the motivations behind donations and emphasized the role of lawyers in ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Discussions included whether restrictions on donations are necessary, considerations for establishing charitable organizations in Ukraine or Canada, and the complexities surrounding donor-advised funds.
Olya Kuplowska underscored the importance of donor intent administration and the need to consider donor preferences. She highlighted the allocation of funds for administration, capitalization, and specific purposes, stressing the necessity of monitoring recipients’ use of funds.
Olya Kuplowska speaks at Knowledge Hub
The event incorporated a highly effective case study, which provided practical examples of typical situations encountered in the activities of charitable organizations. This approach made it easy for the attendees to understand the essence of the theoretical material presented at the seminar. The encouraging question-and-answer sessions also had a significant practical effect, allowing for immediate clarification and application of shared knowledge.
In-person admission included coffee, tea, and sandwiches, the ability to network with professionals in the community and free parking. Dream Arts Video Production provided sound, video recording, and documentation services throughout the event. During breaks, the speakers’ presentations were punctuated by performances from the Musical Ensemble Heavenly Notes, led by Halyna Buryak.
This event was made possible because of many sponsors, including Platinum Sponsors: Temerty Foundation; Canada-Ukraine Foundation; and Mills & Mills LLP. A complete list of sponsors is on the Knowledge Hub FaceBook page.
In summary, the Knowledge Hub event served as a valuable platform for professionals in the non-profit sector to gather, exchange ideas, and deepen their understanding of critical issues. The engagement of esteemed speakers and the active participation of attendees underscored the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in advancing the missions of charitable organizations.
This article is written under the Local Journalism Initiative agreement
Share on Social Media
