Further Help with the New Societies Act

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Mary Childs, Michael Blatchford and Steve Carey in November 2016.

Further information and some options for assistance in complying with the new Societies Act.

The new law

• New Societies Act, effective November 28, 2016
• New Societies Regulation, Societies Transitional Interim Regulation (2015) Societies Transitional Interim Regulation (2016)

Read more about the new law

• New Societies Act page: From the Corporate Registry, FAQs about the new Act, links to word processing versions of the new Model Bylaws and the old Schedule B model bylaws, and a transition guide “Preparing for BC’s New Societies Act”.
• Societies Act FAQs: From Law for Nonprofits, frequently asked questions about the new legislation.
• Societies Act Research Guide: From Courthouse Libraries BC, links to backgrounders and other stages in the development of the new law.

Learn more about the new law

• Law for Nonprofits workshops: In workshops on the new Societies Act, offered periodically, participants learn what they need to know to transition effectively under the new Act.
• Affordable housing sector webinars: BC Non-Profit Housing Association and Law for Nonprofits are teaming up to provide free webinars focusing on changes under the Act that impact societies funded by BC Housing.

Get support in your community

• Societies Act Transition Hubs: Coordinated by Law for Nonprofits, the Transition Hubs provide access for smaller and rural non-profit societies to volunteer mentors for information and consultations on the new Act.
• Housing Hub: BC Non-Profit Housing Association and Law for Nonprofits are teaming up to provide dedicated support to societies funded by BC Housing to transition under the new Act.

Get individualized help

• Law for Nonprofits clinics: Volunteer law students at UBC law school and University of Victoria law school’s Business Law Clinic answer questions on the new Act via email.
• Access Pro Bono: If you are a member of a small non-profit society in BC, Access Pro Bono may be able to find a lawyer to assist your organization on a pro bono basis (that is, for free) in meeting the requirements under the new Act.

Transitioning an Existing Society: A How-to Guide for Non-profits in BC © Drew Jackson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.