After Budget 2011 was presented in Alberta on February 24^th, the headlines in in the Province were all about spending the Government savings and increasing user fees that Albertans will have to pay.  I was relieved to see that the Alberta non-refundable tax credit for charitable donations and gifts was spared.   Since 2007, tax paying donors in Alberta have received 50 cents in tax credits for every dollar donated over the $200 threshold, when combined with the federal tax credit.  As the Government and others often point out this generous tax treatment is not found in other provinces.

When door-to-door canvassers knock on my door or telephone solicitors call on the telephone (usually during mealtime), I often query them about their charitable activities and their objectives.  Furthermore, I always ask them if they are registered or have a licence to fund-raise.   Most of the canvassers who have been armed with official badges or those on the phone with an official script give an answer like "I am sure we are" or "We probably are". I put them on hold for a moment or ask them to wait at the door and I avail myself of some of the numerous web-searching technologies we have at our disposal at home these days to do a search of their organization on a few websites.  I do this to find out if they are registered as a charity authorized to fund-raise by telephone or door-to-door as they are in fact doing.