What is the difference between a soliciting corporation and a non-soliciting corporation under ONCA?

Under ONCA, every Ontario not-for-profit corporation falls into one of two categories, and the difference changes what compliance looks like. A "soliciting" corporation is one that receives a meaningful amount of revenue from outside sources — public donations, government grants, or funding from other soliciting or charitable organizations — beyond a threshold set out in the Act's regulations. A "non-soliciting" corporation relies mainly on membership fees, revenue from its own activities, or private funding and does not cross that threshold.

The distinction matters because ONCA imposes stricter governance on soliciting corporations to protect the public interest in money raised from outside donors: more directors are required on the board, financial statements face a higher level of external review, and — critically — if a soliciting corporation dissolves, its remaining assets cannot simply be paid out; they must go to another organization with similar charitable or public-benefit purposes. Non-soliciting corporations have more flexibility on all of these fronts.

Many registered charities are automatically soliciting corporations because of how they are funded. If your organization's revenue mix has shifted, it is worth checking which category currently applies, since the requirements attach to the corporation's actual financial activity, not simply how it describes itself.