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Register a foundation / non-profit organization in Bulgaria

The two types of non-profit organizations /NGO/ according to the Bulgarian Law are Non Profit Associations and Foundations. A citizen /or a legal entity/ of any country can establish a foundation or become a member of a Non Profit Organization in Bulgaria.

When setting up a non-profit organization it must be considered if it will be with a public purpose or a private purpose. In case the intended activities and goals of an organization is serving interests of a large group of people or addressing social issues it may be registered with a public purpose.

A non-profit organization set with a public purpose may receive funding from other organizations with similar goal. After its registration in the Register of Non-profit legal entities, the the Public Purpose Organizations may be also registered at the Ministry of Justice, which maintains a list of all Non-profit legal entities with public purpose.

A non profit association with a Public Purpose is required to have at least 7 members or a minimum of 3 members in case the members are legal entities. In case the association is set up with a private purpose the requirement is for a minimum of 3 members. The governing bodies are the chairman and the managing board.

The documents for the initial registration of both types of associations include protocol of the decision of the founding members to set up the legal entity, the Constituent Act of the organization, a sample of the signature of the chosen Chairman and his/her consent to represent the organization.

Setting up a foundation requires an act of donation /there is no minimum amount or value / and a detailed description of the activities the future foundation may fund. The donation may be money or other type of assets.

There is no difference between the two types of non-profit organizations relating to their activities. A foundation can be set up by a single person while a non-profit association requires at least three members. Another criteria for comparison is seen in the way both types of non-profit organizations achieve their goals. Foundations are usually set up for the purpose of acquiring financial funding as means for achieving their goals. Associations are more oriented to personal efforts and volunteer work.

The application for the registration of a non profit association with all required documents should be filed on paper or submitted online at the Bulgarian Register of Companies and Non Profit organizations.

We can assist with registration of a non-profit organization in Bulgaria, providing also a virtual office /mailing address/ with mail forwarding and bookkeeping services.