Donations to Prescribed Universities Outside Canada - CRA updates publication

The CRA has updated its publication “Donations to Prescribed Universities Outside Canada”  http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc191/rc191-09e.pdf 

The main change seems to be a more explicit requirement that the foreign university must provide information on “the number of Canadian students that have attended the institution over the ten years prior to the date of the application and comprehensive information for each student such as their names, address, date of birth, Canadian social insurance number (if available), years attended and the type of degree programs.”  Certain foreign prescribed universities are considered to be qualified donees if they meet the necessary requirements. 

Foreign universities interested in fundraising in Canada should carefully consider different options and if they apply for “prescribed university” status they should ensure that they comply with the necessary requirements after registration or there can be legal and/or reputational issues for the university.