ROAR Is Now a Registered Canadian Charity
After nearly two years as an incorporated BC society, Reaching Out Assisting Refugees has reached a milestone we have been working toward since our earliest days: ROAR is now a registered charity with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Our charitable registration (BN 782206957RR0001) was granted effective August 18, 2025. It is the result of months of careful preparation — amending our constitution, documenting our charitable activities, and navigating the CRA's application process. We are grateful to James and the many board members who made this happen.
What does this mean for our mission?
Since 2016, ROAR has brought nine LGBTQI+ refugees to safety in the Nanaimo region, with four more sponsorships in progress. Every dollar of that work has been funded by community donations, largely processed through the Brechin United Church Refugee Fund. That partnership with Brechin has been — and continues to be — essential to everything we do.
Charitable status gives us new tools to do more of this work:
Tax receipts for donors. ROAR can now issue official donation receipts directly. If you have supported us in the past and wondered whether your gift was tax-deductible — it now is, and we can provide the receipt to prove it.
Credibility with funders. Foundations and granting organizations often require applicants to hold charitable status. This designation opens doors to funding sources that were previously out of reach for us.
Organizational stability. Registered charities operate under a clear framework of accountability and transparency — values ROAR has always held, and ones we are proud to now formalize.
What does this mean for you?
If you are already a ROAR donor or member: thank you. Your generosity built the organization that earned this recognition. Going forward, your donations to ROAR will be eligible for tax receipts.
If you have been thinking about supporting ROAR: there has never been a better time. Every dollar you give helps bring an LGBTQI+ person fleeing persecution to safety on Vancouver Island — and now that gift is tax-deductible.
A foundation, not a finish line
Charitable status is not the goal. It is a tool that strengthens our ability to pursue the goal: a safe home for every LGBTQI+ refugee we can reach. As we head into our year-end Triple Match Campaign this November — where a lead donor matches every gift up to three times — this new status makes your support go even further.
We are a small, volunteer-run organization in Nanaimo that has accomplished something remarkable through community generosity and determination. This milestone belongs to every donor, volunteer, and sponsorship group member who believed in this work.
Reaching Out Assisting Refugees (ROAR) is a registered charity (BN 782206957RR0001) based in Nanaimo, BC. We sponsor LGBTQI+ refugees facing persecution and help them build safer, new lives on Vancouver Island.
