Artisanal Gold Council celebrates receiving charitable status from the Canada Revenue Agency

The Artisanal Gold Council (AGC) is pleased to announce that it has officially received Charitable Status from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This status will allow AGC to receive donations and issue charitable tax receipts for donors to use when they submit their annual income tax returns.“We are very excited about the opportunity to increase opportunities for engagement with AGC by members of the public,” said AGC Executive Director Roger Tissot. “We can now receive donations and issue tax receipts; strong indications of our forward momentum toward achieving our mission of a formalized, environmentally sound, and socially responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector. It also signals to the public that we have met the rigorous requirements and standards of the CRA and demonstrates our commitment to the public good.”AGC has been operating for 15 years from its headquarters in Victoria, BC Canada and working in 30 countries around the world to reduce and eliminate mercury emissions in the ASGM sector, increase professionalization and formalization of the sector, and improve economic opportunities in developing countries. Small-scale mined gold accounts for 20% of global gold production, produces $30 billion, employs 10 million miners, and is responsible for 37% of global mercury pollution. Through world-leading technological and production innovations, AGC works to enhance economic and social opportunities in some of the world's poorest regions.Tissot added, "As we look to the future, charity status affords us additional prospects to establish crucial new connections, new possibilities to interact with even more organizations, and realize new fundraising opportunities. We will be developing some new fundraising options and revamping our website in the future months to add new engagement features."