Transitioning an Existing Society: A How-to Guide for Non-profits in BC

Cover of Transitioning an Existing Society

Aimed at those who work at a non-profit society in British Columbia or sit on a board of directors, Transitioning an Existing Society: A How-to Guide for Non-profits in BC covers the steps in transitioning a society under the new Societies Act.

Contents

• What the New Societies Act Means for Existing Societies
  • Requirement to "transition" · For your society's constitution · For your society's bylaws · Member-funded societies · New electronic filing system

• 10 Changes in the New Act You Should Know About
  • Access to society records · Disclosure of remuneration · Conduct of members' meetings · Voting threshold for special resolutions · Member proposals · Member remedies · Senior managers · Conflicts of interest · Who can be a director · Directors' pay

• Preparing for Transition under the Act
  • Optional preliminary step · Step 1. Consider member-funded status · Step 2. Update Registry filings · Step 3. Prepare society constitution · Step 4. Prepare consolidated bylaws  · Step 5. Review society bylaws

• Reviewing Your Society's Bylaws
  • Options for reviewing bylaws · Conducting a clause-by-clause analysis · Key clauses to consider · Bylaws that can't be amended · How to amend bylaws

• Filing a Transition Application
  • Are you ready to file? · Step 1. Get the Registry Key · Step 2. Get a BCeID · Step 3. File the application · Step 4. Notify Revenue Canada · Common questions

• Further Help
  • The new law · Read more · Learn more · Get support in your community · Get individualized help

Videos

Accompanying the guide is a set of videos on key changes in the new Societies Act and how to transition an existing society under the Act:

What the new Societies Act means for existing societies

Contributors

This how-to guide for BC non-profits was written by Drew Jackson, a lawyer and librarian who writes about law for the public, and reviewed for legal accuracy by three British Columbia lawyers who advise non-profit societies.

Drew Jackson Writer

Mary Childs Reviewer

Michael Blatchford Reviewer

Steve Carey Reviewer

Copyright & Disclaimer

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.

The information is produced for educational purposes and is not intended as legal advice. If you need advice about a specific legal problem, please contact a legal professional. Some sources of legal help are highlighted in the "Further help" section.