It depends on what the organisation will do, where its money comes from and how it wants to be governed. A society suits membership-based groups and is registered with the RJSC. A voluntary social welfare agency suits local welfare activity under the Department of Social Services. A section 28 company offers a clear corporate structure and is often preferred by donors and corporate founders. Trusts work for endowments and family philanthropy. Whatever the form, foreign funding needs separate registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau. We compare the options against your plans before anything is filed.

Not always. Registration with the NGO Affairs Bureau is required for voluntary activities using foreign donations. A purely local charity funded by domestic donations may operate under its society or company registration alone. However, once foreign money is involved, whether from a donor, a foreign parent organisation or a diaspora campaign, the foreign donations law applies. We review the funding plan and confirm which registrations are needed before funds arrive, because using foreign funds without approvals creates serious problems. Keep donor agreements and bank records, as the regulator may ask how foreign funds were used.

An international organisation usually registers with the NGO Affairs Bureau as a foreign organisation, supported by its constitutional documents, board approvals, a letter of intent and details of the country director and proposed programmes. Documents executed abroad generally need notarisation and attestation. The country office then needs a local bank account, premises, staff contracts and project approvals before implementation. Some organisations work through local partners instead of, or as well as, their own office. We help international NGO teams choose the right model and prepare the filing pack so that questions from the regulator are kept to a minimum.

In most cases, the project funded by the grant must be approved before the funds are used, through a project proposal submitted to the NGO Affairs Bureau with the budget, location, activities and donor commitment. Funds are received in the organisation's designated bank account and released for the approved project. Budget revisions, extensions and changes of location may require further approval. Emergency relief and one-off donations follow their own procedures. We prepare and review project submissions, explain the timing to donors, and help organisations avoid spending ahead of approval, which is a common compliance finding.

The constitution should require directors and committee members to declare interests, abstain from related decisions and record those decisions in minutes. Payments to board members, their relatives or connected businesses should be approved transparently and kept at fair value. Donors increasingly ask for a written policy and evidence that it is applied. In a section 28 company, the Companies Act rules on directors' interests also apply. We draft conflicts policies, train boards to use them, and review transactions where an NGO deals with a founder's company or relative. Minutes should record who declared an interest and who left the room.

Rival committee disputes are common and can freeze bank accounts, grants and staff payroll. The answer usually depends on the constitution, the validity of the last election or general meeting, the regulator's records and the bank's mandate. We review those documents quickly, advise which group holds lawful authority, and help seek a negotiated outcome. Where that fails, the dispute may go to the civil court or the High Court Division for urgent relief. We aim to protect the organisation's programmes and assets while the dispute is resolved, and to prevent repeat disputes through better rules.

Many organisations hold sensitive beneficiary information, including health, family and financial details, often shared with head offices or donors abroad. The Personal Data Protection Act 2026 brings duties around lawful collection, consent, security, retention and transfers of personal data. We help organisations map the data they collect, update consent forms and privacy notices, review data-sharing terms in grant agreements, and set practical security and retention rules for field staff and partners so that data protection fits programme realities. A simple data register of what is held, where and for how long is a sensible first step.

Many organisations want to earn income through training, consultancy or product sales. Whether that is allowed depends on the objects in the constitution, the terms of registration, any donor restrictions and the tax treatment of the income. Profits generally cannot be distributed to members, and large commercial activity may be better placed in a separate company owned by or contracting with the organisation. We advise on the structure, intra-group agreements, tax and governance, so that income supports the mission without risking non-profit status. Income should be recorded separately in the accounts, and donors told where grants restrict commercial activity.