The federal government should ensure that private foundations supporting charitable activities can pursue the objectives that Canadians support with their donations, says a study released today by the C.D. Howe Institute.

The study, Firm Foundations: Putting Private and Public Foundations on Level Ground, by Abigail Payne, Assistant Professor of Economics at McMaster University, says federal policy should put donations to private foundations on equal ground with those made to public foundations. It adds that private foundations should be permitted a broader scope of activities.

The study notes that private foundations provide charitable services that governments and other charitable organizations do not.

It recommends that federal tax policy be changed to put donations to private foundations on equal ground with those to public foundations, enabling Canadians to readily pursue their charitable goals.