Sunshine Coast Community Forest Recognized as Qualified Donee by Canada Revenue Agency

The Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF) has been recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as a Qualified Donee, confirming SCCF’s non-profit status. This recognition follows an application submitted by SCCF in 2025, and CRA provided their decision last month.

The designation does not represent any change to SCCF’s structure or mandate. SCCF has always operated as a non-profit corporation wholly owned by the District of Sechelt. The registration simply formalizes that non-profit status by registering with the Charities Directorate of the CRA. Now, anyone can easily verify the non-taxable status of the SCCF in an online registry administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, where before we would be referring to a footnote in financial statements or providing a fairly complex explanation. Community Forests in BC are unique organizations and we are proud to be the first to pursue or receive this recognition.

As a qualified donee, SCCF has additional administrative tools to support our work - we may now issue official donation receipts for gifts received, and may access certain grant funding programs that require applicants to have qualified donee or charitable status.

A field trip in TU-5, an area North of Sechelt Airport being managed for long term wildfire resilience which could be eligible for grant funding to help offset costs

SCCF manages approximately 10,800 hectares of Crown forest land through a long-term Community Forest Agreement under the regulatory oversight and land-use priorities of shíshálh and BC. The organization carries out responsibilities associated with public land management, including forest planning, watershed management and protection, wildfire risk reduction, ecosystem stewardship, and community engagement.

While timber revenue remains SCCF’s primary funding source, the organization has increasingly pursued partnerships and grant funding to support projects related to forest resilience, ecosystem restoration, and recreation. Qualified donee status will help SCCF access funding opportunities and enable members of the public or partner organizations to contribute financially to specific initiatives.

SCCF will continue to operate as it always has: managing the community forest in the public interest, guided by its mission of creating a legacy for citizens through responsible forest stewardship.