How to file your Annual Report (without losing your mind)

The cycle of a non-profit’s year often builds towards a frenetic year-end fundraising push. But as veterans of the sector know, there is also plenty of activity leading up to and following the fiscal year end, culminating with the Annual General Meeting (AGM). This includes the sometimes intimidating but definitely-necessary-for-compliance Annual Report. 

To help you prepare for your own Annual Report, we’ve put together a calendar template outlining the key dates and milestones leading up to your filing deadline. Please note that these dates are designed for a BC Society, rather than a Federal Not-for-profit Corporation (for help preparing for a Federal organization Annual Report, drop us a line). And we’ve used a December 31 fiscal year end (FYE), as that’s a common choice for benevolent sector entities. But if you have a different FYE, just shift the calendar forward.

BC Society – Annual Report Milestone Template

December 31 – Your fiscal year ends

January/February – Gather your financial documents

Send your financial documents, including bank statements, invoices, charitable tax receipts, and so on, to your accountant, bookkeeper, or whoever handles your tax filings.

• Non-profit organizations will file a T2.
• Registered charities will file a T3010.

March/April – Review your financials

Review your financial information with your accountant, bookkeeper, finance team or whoever prepares your financial statements and tax filings.

April/May – Circulate and approve your financials

Circulate your completed financials and tax filing to your directors for review, approval, and signature.

• Note: Usually, this decision would be included in directors’ minutes or resolutions.

File your signed financials and signed directors’ minutes/resolutions in your minute book.

• Note: If the T3010 is completed online, a signature is not required on the filing itself, but the financials must be signed.

May/June – Hold your Annual General Meeting (AGM)

• Send an AGM Notice along with approved financial statements to your Society’s members 
  • Note: notice can be waived by the members and attendance at the meeting is the same as waiver of notice.
• Hold your AGM.
• File your completed and signed AGM Minutes in your minute book.
• File your Annual Report with BC Registry Services, upon completion of your AGM.
  • Note: Your Annual Report must be filed within 30 days of the AGM.

While this six-month schedule covers the reporting and compliance requirement leading up to BC Society’s Annual Report, there is also your donor-facing Impact Report to keep in mind. 

We recommend using this template as a starting point and adjusting to fit the appropriate dates each and every year. Remember that the dates provided above are ‘best case scenario’ and that, some years, you may be scrambling to complete the majority of the tasks closer to the six-month deadline than you would like. That’s normal. Don’t beat yourself up!

Completing this cycle is more than just a baseline for compliance, it’s a process to prepare for your Annual General Meeting where you will showcase your trustworthiness and reflect on the work you’ve accomplished over the past year. We know the work of charities can often go unnoticed — take a moment to reflect on the past year and recognize your own accomplishments.

Not sure where to begin? We’re always here to help charities consider their options and provide consultation on Annual Reports. Drop us a line!