How to Incorporate a Non-Profit in Saskatchewan
Incorporate a non-profit in Saskatchewan under The Non-profit Corporations Act, 2022: reserve the name for $35 and file the articles for $50.
Starting a Non-Profit in Canada Checklist
Starting a non-profit in Canada: choose federal or provincial incorporation, follow your province's steps, and treat charity registration as separate.
Applies in: CA
Starting a non-profit in Canada is a set of steps in a fixed order: choose the route, check the form fits, clear the name, file, then handle the filings that keep the corporation in good standing. Item 1 applies to everyone. Items 2 to 6 apply only in the named province — follow the one for your province and skip the rest. Item 7 applies only if the organization plans to seek charitable status. Item 8 applies to every incorporated non-profit. Each item names the live guide it rests on. Follow the linked guide for the full steps. Nothing here adds a new rule. This checklist states no filing fees, because registry fees change from time to time.
Work the list from the top. Decide the route first, then follow the incorporation steps for your province. If charity status is the goal, read the Canada Revenue Agency's charity application page before drafting the purposes — not after incorporating.
1. Choose federal or provincial incorporation first
Done when: you have decided whether to incorporate federally through Corporations Canada or provincially in the province where the organization will operate, and you know why.
The federal-or-provincial guide compares the two routes: the federal route step by step, the provincial route step by step with an Ontario example, and the three decisions that actually matter. Federal incorporation suits organizations operating in more than one province; provincial incorporation suits organizations operating mainly in one province. A federally incorporated non-profit that operates in a province may still need to register extra-provincially there. Make this choice before spending anything on a name search or articles.
2. If you are incorporating in Alberta: check that a society fits, then file with Corporate Registry
Done when: you have confirmed a society is the right form, cleared the name with a NUANS report, drafted the by-laws, and filed with Corporate Registry.
This item applies only in Alberta. The Alberta guide covers checking that a society fits, choosing the name and getting a NUANS report, drafting the by-laws and filling out the forms, filing with Corporate Registry, and the annual general meeting, annual return, and register after incorporation. It also states that charitable registration is a separate step.
3. If you are incorporating in British Columbia: set up a BCeID account, then file as a society
Done when: you have a BCeID account, a constitution and by-laws drafted, directors and a registered office lined up, the name reserved, and the incorporation application filed.
This item applies only in British Columbia. The British Columbia guide covers confirming a society is the right form, setting up a BCeID account, drafting the constitution and the by-laws, lining up the directors and the registered office, requesting and reserving the name, and filing the incorporation application. It also covers the annual report and charity registration after incorporation.
4. If you are incorporating in Manitoba: reserve the name, then file the articles
Done when: you have confirmed incorporation fits, reserved the name, set the directors and the registered office, written the undertaking and completed the articles, and filed them.
This item applies only in Manitoba. The Manitoba guide covers checking that incorporation fits, reserving the name, setting the directors and the registered office, writing the undertaking and completing the articles, and filing the articles. It also covers the annual return, the CRA filings after incorporation, and charitable registration as a separate step.
5. If you are incorporating in Ontario: confirm ONCA, clear the name, and file through the Ontario Business Registry
Done when: you have confirmed the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (ONCA) is the right statute, cleared the corporate name with an Ontario-biased NUANS report, lined up at least three directors and a registered office, drafted the articles, and filed through the Ontario Business Registry.
This item applies only in Ontario. The Ontario guide covers confirming ONCA, clearing the name, lining up at least three directors and a registered office, drafting the articles of incorporation, filing through the Ontario Business Registry, and passing by-laws within 60 days and filing annually. It also treats charity as a separate step. Ontario requires at least three directors — check the guide for the full director rules before filing.
6. If you are incorporating in Quebec: check that Part III fits, then file with the enterprise registrar
Done when: you have confirmed Part III of the Companies Act fits, reserved the name, prepared the application and the memorandum of agreement, and filed with the enterprise registrar.
This item applies only in Quebec. The Quebec guide covers checking that Part III fits, reserving the name, preparing the application and the memorandum of agreement, filing with the enterprise registrar, adopting by-laws, and filing the annual declaration. It also covers charity status as a separate step and tax accounts with Revenu Quebec.
7. If the organization plans to seek charitable status: treat charity registration as a separate step
Done when: you have read the Canada Revenue Agency's charity application page, confirmed the organization's purposes qualify, and applied to the CRA — knowing that incorporation alone does not make the organization a charity.
This item applies only if the organization plans to seek charitable status. Incorporation and charity registration are separate steps. Corporations Canada states that the act of incorporating as a not-for-profit corporation does not mean the corporation will automatically be tax-exempt or considered a registered charity, and advises reading the CRA's charity application page before preparing the incorporating documents, because the purposes statement must meet the CRA's requirements. The charity registration guide covers checking that the purposes qualify before spending anything, incorporating as a non-profit first, building the application, and applying online through My Business Account. You cannot issue official donation receipts until the CRA registers the organization.
8. After incorporation: pass the by-laws and keep the filings current
Done when: the by-laws are passed within the time the statute allows, and the annual return and records are kept current.
This item applies to every incorporated non-profit. The provincial guides each cover the after-incorporation steps: in Ontario, by-laws must be passed within 60 days of incorporation; federally, by-laws must be filed within 12 months after the members have confirmed them. Every province requires an annual return or annual report. A corporation that stops filing can lose its good standing, so put the annual filing date on the calendar at incorporation.
What this checklist does not cover: filing fees
This checklist states no filing fees, because each registry sets its own fees and the amounts change from time to time. Check the current fee on the registry's own page before you file. The linked provincial guides say where to find it.
Related guides:
- How to Incorporate Federally vs Provincially in Canada — the federal-or-provincial choice, behind item 1.
- How to Incorporate a Non-Profit in Alberta — the Alberta society steps, behind item 2.
- How to Incorporate a Non-Profit in British Columbia — the British Columbia society steps, behind item 3.
- How to Incorporate a Non-Profit in Manitoba — the Manitoba incorporation steps, behind item 4.
- How to Incorporate a Non-Profit in Ontario — the Ontario ONCA steps, behind item 5.
- How to Incorporate a Non-Profit in Quebec — the Quebec Part III steps, behind item 6.
- How to Register a Charity in Canada — the charity registration steps, behind item 7.
9. If you are incorporating in Nova Scotia: file as a society with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies
Done when: the name is reserved and approved, at least five subscribers and a witness are lined up, and the filing is ready for the Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
This item applies only in Nova Scotia, which items 2 to 6 do not cover. A Nova Scotia non-profit incorporates as a society. Before you start, you need an approved name from the Registry, at least five subscribers and a witness to complete and sign the subscriber's list, the name and address of a recognized agent, and a director or officer available to sign the filing forms. The filing itself includes a Memorandum of Association, a Society Classification, by-laws, a Notice of Directors and Officers, an Appointment of Recognized Agent, and a Notice of Registered Office. This checklist states no filing fee for Nova Scotia, for the same reason it states none for the other provinces: check the current charge on the Registry's Incorporate a society page on the day you file.
Starting a non-profit in Canada, in order
- Choose federal or provincial incorporationThe choice shapes which registry you file with and which law governs the organization
- Check that the form fitsA society or a not-for-profit corporation is not the right form for every group
- Clear the name and line up the directorsName clearance and the first directors come before filing
- Draft the by-laws and file the articlesThe articles create the corporation; the by-laws govern how it runs
- Handle the after-incorporation filingsAnnual returns and records keep the corporation in good standing
- Treat charity registration as a separate stepIncorporation does not make the organization a charity — that is a Canada Revenue Agency application
Questions people ask
Should I incorporate federally or provincially?
It depends on where the organization will operate. Federal incorporation, through Corporations Canada, suits organizations that will operate in more than one province and want name protection across Canada. Provincial incorporation suits organizations that will operate mainly in one province. The federal-or-provincial guide on this site compares the two routes side by side — read it before filing, because the choice is hard to undo, and a federally incorporated non-profit operating in a province may still need to register extra-provincially there.
Does incorporating make us a charity?
No. Incorporating as a not-for-profit corporation does not make the organization a registered charity, and it does not automatically make it tax-exempt. Corporations Canada states this plainly: to issue official donation receipts and to be exempt from taxation, the organization must register with the Canada Revenue Agency as a charity. Charity registration is a separate application, covered in item 7.
Can we run as a non-profit without incorporating?
In some provinces, yes — a group can operate as an unincorporated association. Incorporation creates a separate legal person, which matters for contracts, bank accounts, and liability, so check the provincial guide for your province before deciding.
How many directors do we need?
Ontario requires at least three directors. Other statutes set their own minimums — the BC guide, for example, has a step for lining up the directors and the registered office before filing. Check the guide for your province or the federal route before filing, because the number must be right in the articles.
When should we think about charity registration?
Before incorporating, not after. Corporations Canada advises reading the Canada Revenue Agency's charity application page before preparing the incorporating documents, because the purposes statement must meet the CRA's requirements to qualify. Changing the purposes after incorporation needs an amendment, which is a separate fee-based service. If the organization plans to seek charity status, draft the purposes with the CRA requirements in mind from the start.
Does this checklist state any incorporation fees?
None. This checklist names no filing fees — look up the current charge on the registry's own page on the day you file.
Sources
- Corporations Canada, Creating a not-for-profit corporation — incorporating online, by-laws within 12 months after the members confirm them, and the statement that incorporation does not automatically make the corporation tax-exempt or a registered charity, behind items 1 and 7.
- Canada Revenue Agency, Apply to become a registered charity — applying online through a CRA account to register as a charity, behind item 7.
- Ontario, Notice — Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 — Incorporating a Not-for-Profit Corporation — articles of incorporation filed under ONCA, online filing through the Ontario Business Registry, and the non-profit purpose requirement, behind item 5.
- Government of Nova Scotia, Incorporate a society: the society filing contents, the approved name, the five subscribers and witness, the recognized agent, and the forms a director or officer must sign, behind item 9.
No filing fee is stated in this checklist, because no fee was verified on an opened official page for this page. Re-check the linked guide and its official source on the day you act, because the source page governs over this summary.