Registration of Non-Profit Organisations

A non-profit organisation is more than a formal structure for volunteer or charity projects. It is a legal vehicle for social, professional, educational, humanitarian, cultural, sports, veterans, business association and other initiatives that do not distribute profits among founders or members. VINCO`S lawyers provide turnkey support for non-profit registration in Ukraine: from choosing the right legal form to preparing the organisation for inclusion in the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations.

Non-profit status is not granted automatically after state registration. First, the legal entity or public formation is registered, and its statutory documents must then meet tax requirements for inclusion in the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations. A mistake in the charter, an inaccurate purpose clause or provisions that allow profit distribution may lead to a refusal of non-profit status or tax risks later.

• you need to formalise a charity, volunteer, humanitarian or social project;
• the team plans to attract grants, donations, charitable aid or international funding;
• you need a public association to protect the interests of a community or professional group;
• a business community wants to create an association, professional union or industry platform;
• the project must operate transparently with a bank account, reporting, contracts and a formal governance structure;
• the charter must be suitable for tax, donor, bank and partner requirements from the start.

We do more than file documents. Our role is to build a legally sound structure that will not create issues with non-profit status, bank onboarding, donor cooperation, reporting or the future development of the project.

1. Consultation and definition of the organisation’s purpose.
2. Selection of the legal form and governance model.
3. Checking the name, founders, director and legal address.
4. Preparation of the charter, founding minutes, register of founders and applications.
5. Signing the documents and filing the package for state registration.
6. Obtaining the state register extract and registered statutory documents.
7. Preparation and filing of documents for inclusion in the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations.
8. Transfer of the final document package and practical recommendations to the client.

• chosen name of the organisation in Ukrainian and, if needed, a short name;
• purpose, areas of activity and target audience of the project;
• founders’ details: passport, tax number and contacts; for legal entities: registration code, statutory documents and resolution on participation;
• information on the director and governing bodies;
• legal address or documents confirming the address;
• selected economic activity codes, contact details, membership model and decision-making procedure;
• if available: information on future grants, donors, benefactors, partners or international programmes.

• the legal form does not match the actual activities of the project;
• the charter does not include clauses required for non-profit status;
• the purpose is drafted too narrowly or too broadly for future grants and agreements;
• statutory documents create a risk of income distribution among founders or members;
• founding minutes or register of founders are incorrectly prepared;
• governance, control and signing authority are unclear;
• funds are later used outside the statutory purpose, which may lead to the loss of non-profit status.

• a registered legal entity or public formation according to the selected model;
• a charter and registration package adapted to the actual activities of the organisation;
• a clear structure of governing bodies and director’s authority;
• preparation for obtaining or confirming non-profit status;
• clear instructions on next steps after registration.

VINCO`S supports non-profit organisations from the registration, tax, contractual and corporate governance perspective. We consider not only the initial registration but also future operations: grants, donations, partnership programmes, reporting, change of director, changes in membership, opening separate units and preparing documents for donors.

• Civil Code of Ukraine — general rules on legal entities and non-entrepreneurial companies.
• Law of Ukraine on State Registration of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Formations.
• Law of Ukraine on Public Associations.
• Law of Ukraine on Charitable Activities and Charitable Organisations.
• Tax Code of Ukraine, including requirements for non-profit organisations.
• Procedure for maintaining the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations.

Submit a request — a VINCO`S lawyer will help choose the proper non-profit form and prepare the registration documents.