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Anonymous Contributions

It is important to know how to deal with anonymous contributions. Anonymous contributions of $20 or less can be accepted.

On the other hand, if a contribution is over $20 and the name of the contributor is not known, or if a contribution is over $200 and the name and address of the contributor are not known, the contribution is ineligible and the ineligible amount must be remitted to Elections Canada without delay, payable to the Receiver General for Canada.

We talk about returning or remitting ineligible contributions in another module.

Let's discuss the main points about dealing with anonymous contributions.

If anonymous contributions are collected during an event, the authorized agent has to keep track of the total amount collected and the number of contributors. The agent needs to record:

  • a description of the function at which the contributions were collected
  • the date of the function
  • the approximate number of people at the function, and
  • the total amount of anonymous contributions accepted

Let's take for example volunteers who organize an information meeting in their registered association's office and invite local residents. Approximatively 40 people show up.

During the evening, the organizers pass a basket around to collect contributions from the attendees. They inform the guests about the contribution rules: a maximum of $20 can be accepted from any one individual as an anonymous cash contribution.

At the end of the evening, there are two cheques and $420 cash in the basket.

After the event, the financial agent records the following: the date and a description of the event, the approximate number of people who attended, and the amount collected in anonymous contributions.

The contributions made by cheque are recorded separately under the contributor's names. The financial agent then deposits the cash and the cheques into the association's bank account.

To learn more, please take a look at our other modules and resources.

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