Our Services
Our Services
SMAJ Business Solutions, Trainings and Consulting Services offers a uniquely comprehensive portfolio of professional consulting services designed to support both for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations at every stage of their development. Whether you are launching a new business, incorporating a community organization, pursuing charitable status, writing your first grant, managing a funded project, or building your team’s internal capacity — SMAJ has the expertise to guide you from where you are to where you want to be.
SERVICE 01
Business Setup & Development
✦Launch and grow your business with confidence.
Starting a business in Alberta is an exciting but complex process. SMAJ provides expert, step-by-step guidance through every stage of business establishment — from your initial concept and structure selection, to provincial registration, operational planning, and early-stage growth strategy. We ensure your business is set up correctly from day one, compliant with Alberta regulations, and positioned for long-term success.
Who This Service Is For
This service is ideal for newcomer entrepreneurs, first-time business owners, self-employed professionals formalizing their operations, small businesses looking to restructure, and anyone launching a business venture in Alberta who needs expert guidance navigating the process.
What’s Included:
- Business name search and registration guidance
- Business structure selection advisory (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, co-operative)
- Alberta Business Registry registration support
- Federal business number (BN) and HST registration guidance
- Business plan review, refinement, and development support
- Operational setup consultation and planning
- Business model coaching and revenue strategy
- Access to SMAJ's business training programs
- Grant identification for eligible for-profit businesses
- Ongoing business advisory (retainer available)
Who This Service Is For
This service is designed for community leaders, social advocates, faith communities, cultural organizations, newcomer associations, sports and recreation groups, and any individual or group seeking to establish a formal non-profit society in Alberta.
SERVICE 02
Non-Profit Formation & Governance
✦ Launch and grow your business with confidence.
Starting a business in Alberta is an exciting but complex process. SMAJ provides expert, step-by-step guidance through every stage of business establishment — from your initial concept and structure selection, to provincial registration, operational planning, and early-stage growth strategy. We ensure your business is set up correctly from day one, compliant with Alberta regulations, and positioned for long-term success.
What’s Included:
- Alberta Societies Act incorporation guidance and application support
- Society name reservation and availability search
- Bylaws development, drafting, and review
- Governance framework design (policies, procedures, conflict of interest protocols)
- Board of Directors structuring and roles/responsibilities guidance
- First Annual General Meeting (AGM) preparation support
- Federal Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA) incorporation support
- CRA registration preparation (as a non-profit organization preceding charity application)
- Membership structure design
- Post-incorporation compliance checklist
SERVICE 03
Charity Registration (CRA)
✦ Unlock charitable status and access Canada’s most significant funding streams.
Achieving CRA charitable registration status is a transformative milestone for any non-profit organization — it opens access to tax-receipted donations, foundation funding, government grants restricted to registered charities, and enhanced public credibility. However, the T2050 application process is detailed, legally nuanced, and subject to strict CRA requirements. SMAJ’s charity registration specialists have deep expertise in preparing applications that succeed.
Who This Service Is For
This service is for registered Alberta non-profit societies and federally incorporated non-profit corporations that are seeking CRA charitable registration to expand their funding eligibility, accept tax-receipted donations, and access grants restricted to registered charities.
What's Included
- Eligibility assessment — does your organization qualify for charitable status?
- Charitable purposes articulation aligned with CRA's four recognized categories
- Activities and programs documentation aligned with charitable purposes
- T2050 — Application to Register a Charity under the Income Tax Act — preparation, review, and submission support
- Supporting documentation preparation (governing documents, financial statements, program descriptions)
- CRA correspondence management and follow-up support
- Ongoing CRA compliance guidance post-registration
- T3010 — Registered Charity Information Return — annual filing support
- Advice on maintaining charitable status and avoiding common compliance pitfalls
Who This Service Is For
This service is designed for non-profit organizations, registered charities, social enterprises, Indigenous organizations, arts organizations, and for-profit businesses — any Alberta organization seeking to identify and secure appropriate grant funding.
SERVICE 04
Grant Writing & Fund Development
✦ Maximize your funding potential with professional, results-driven grant writing.
Securing grant funding is one of the most impactful ways to accelerate your organization’s growth — but grant writing is a highly specialized skill that demands research, strategic alignment, compelling narrative, and meticulous attention to funder requirements. SMAJ’s grant writing team brings proven expertise across federal, provincial, municipal, and private foundation funding landscapes, serving both non-profit and for-profit clients across Alberta.
What’s Included:
- Comprehensive grant landscape analysis tailored to your organization type and mandate
- Federal government grant identification (Canadian Heritage, ESDC, ISED, NRC, etc.)
- Provincial government grant identification (Government of Alberta programs)
- Municipal funding identification (City of Calgary, City of Edmonton, and other municipalities)
- Private foundation and community foundation funding identification
- Full grant application writing — narrative, project descriptions, program rationale
- Budget narrative development and financial documentation preparation
- Funder alignment review — ensuring your application speaks the funder's language
- Grant calendar management — tracking deadlines, reporting requirements, and renewal cycles
- Post-award reporting and compliance documentation support
- Multi-year fund development strategy for sustained organizational funding
SERVICE 05
Project Management & Compliance
✦ Execute your funded projects flawlessly and stay compliant with every funder requirement.
Receiving a grant is only the beginning — delivering on your commitments to funders, meeting reporting deadlines, managing project budgets, and maintaining stakeholder trust requires focused, professional project management. SMAJ provides hands-on project management and compliance documentation support that keeps your funded initiatives on track, on budget, and fully compliant with every funder expectation.
Who This Service Is For
This service is essential for any organization managing government grants, federally or provincially funded programs, foundation-funded initiatives, or multi-year, multi-funder projects that require rigorous compliance and professional reporting.
What’s Included:
- Project plan development — workplans, timelines, milestones, and responsibility matrices
- Milestone and deliverable tracking systems
- Narrative progress reports — interim and final reporting to funders
- Financial compliance documentation — budget tracking, variance explanations, financial summaries
- Funder stakeholder communication management
- Multi-funder compliance frameworks for organizations managing multiple grants simultaneously
- Final project close-out reporting and evaluation documentation
- Lessons learned documentation and organizational learning processes
- Compliance audits — reviewing organizational practices against funder requirements
- Site visit and funder meeting preparation
SERVICE 06
Training & Capacity Building
✦ Build the internal capacity your organization needs to thrive independently.
Sustainable organizational success depends on people — trained, capable, empowered individuals and teams who can carry the mission forward. SMAJ’s training and capacity building programs deliver practical, immediately applicable knowledge and skills that strengthen organizations from the inside out. We offer both customized organizational training engagements and community-facing training programs across Alberta.
Who This Service Is For
This service is designed for non-profit staff and boards wanting to build internal capacity, senior citizens seeking digital skills and protection from scams, entrepreneurs building foundational business knowledge, and community organizations seeking facilitated dialogue and learning programs.
What's Included
- Non-profit governance training for boards and senior staff
- Grant writing skills workshops for organizational teams
- Financial management for small and medium non-profit organizations
- Digital literacy for seniors — technology skills for older adults
- Scam prevention workshops — protecting seniors and vulnerable community members
- Wisdom Circle facilitation — Indigenous and community-centred dialogue programs
- Entrepreneurship fundamentals workshops for aspiring business owners
- Board development and renewal sessions
- Customized staff training programs aligned to organizational mandates
- Community training programs in partnership with local organizations and government programs
Our Packages
Service Packages Overview
SMAJ offers structured service packages to help clients access the right combination of services for their needs and budget.
Starter
LAUNCH — "Start Right"
Business registration guidance; business plan review; operational setup (3 sessions)
Best for:
New entrepreneurs, newcomer business owners
Mid-Tier
NON-PROFIT KICKSTART
Non-profit incorporation; bylaw template; governance framework; CRA charity application support
Best For:
Community groups forming a new non-profit
Mid-to-High
GRANT ACCELERATOR
Grant landscape scan; up to 3 full grant applications; budget narrative; funder alignment review
Best For:
Non-profits and businesses seeking funding
Retainer
COMPLIANCE & REPORTING SUITE
Project plan; milestone reporting; funder narrative reports; financial compliance documentation
Best For:
Funded organizations needing ongoing compliance
Training Day Rates
CAPACITY BUILDER
Governance training; grant writing workshop; board development; staff capacity workshop
Best For:
Non-profits building internal team capacity
Annual Retainer
FULL SPECTRUM PARTNER
All services; dedicated consultant; monthly strategic check-ins; priority response
Best For:
Organizations wanting a long-term consulting partner
Not sure which service you need?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we’ll build the right solution for you.