How to register an international charitable foundation in Ukraine?

We are often contacted by Clients intending to register a charitable organization in Ukraine, which would be able to operate not only in Ukraine but also abroad. They need a charitable foundation with international status.

Please note! In 2013, a law, which abolished the division of charitable foundations by territorial criteria, was adopted. Today, charitable foundations have no international status. Any charitable foundation has the right to conduct its activity all over Ukraine and abroad.

As there are no nuances in the registration of such foundations, but questions remain, today we will talk about the subtle aspects of the charitable foundation’s activity, which may arise if you plan to work with foreign volunteers or to operate abroad. And if you're not only interested in information but also in practical assistance for implementing charitable projects, we're ready to provide reliable support.

Our team of experts, experienced in creating and managing nonprofit organizations, can help you find the optimal pathway to register your charitable foundation, tailored to your specific needs. With us, you receive legal and accounting support and a full range of services, including personnel issues, volunteer management, and migration services. We ensure comfort and convenience throughout our collaboration with a dedicated English-speaking manager and clear documentation of agreements.

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Starting a charitable foundation for conducting activities in Ukraine and abroad

One of the most common situations is when a foreigner with charitable experience abroad wants to open an “international” foundation in Ukraine to work, for example, with the involvement of foreign volunteers. 

Here we should note several nuances at once:

• A foreign person, even a legal entity, is entitled to become a founder of a charitable foundation;

• To sign documents on behalf of the foreign founder, its representative will need a power of attorney, and all the documents must be apostilled or legalized in another established way;

• When registering a charitable foundation, it will be necessary to clearly indicate the sources of the foundation’s assets;

• During registration, it is necessary to specify the Head of the charitable foundation — a foreigner cannot become the Head of the foundation until completion of the registration procedure. In such a case it is necessary to address either to a trusted person or to use the services of a nominal Head of the charitable foundation.

Please note! Foreign persons can become the Head of a charitable foundation after the registration procedure is completed, and after they have obtained a Work Permit.

To register a foreign person as a founder of a charitable foundation, he/she will need an identification code. Its receipt takes only 3-4 business days (1-2 days under the accelerated procedure). All information about registration of a foreign person as a founder of a charitable foundation in Ukraine is here.

The full procedure of charitable foundation registration in Ukraine can be found here.

Even before the registration of the charitable foundation, you will need to decide and stipulate the following aspects of its activity:

• Who will run the charitable foundation?

• Will the organization have broad membership?

• Will the foundation need to contract or hire employees?

• Will the foundation work with foreign volunteers?

• What type of assistance will the foundation receive?

Our experts analyze the answers to these questions and record them in the founding documents of the foundation, as well as in their recommendations for further operation of the charitable foundation.

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What to do if you plan to work with foreign volunteers?

Today, the only condition that is needed to involve volunteers is a non-profit status of the organization.

However, the Ministry of Social Policy keeps its own register of organizations that work with foreign volunteers. This is not a prerequisite, but it may be extremely relevant for the arrival of a volunteer in Ukraine. The fact is that if a volunteer needs to spend more time here than the permitted period of stay (standard 90 days), he/she will need to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit. 

This can be done on the basis of work in a charitable foundation — obtaining the appropriate Work Permit. And here we face a legal requirement, which says that in order to apply for a Permit for a foreign volunteer, information about such an organization must be placed on the website of the Ministry of Social Policy. Read more here.

Our company offers a full range of services for registration and further operation of the charitable foundation in Ukraine:

• Legal consultation on the registration of the desired charitable foundation;

• Preparation of documents for creating an international charitable foundation;

• Registration of a charitable foundation in Ukraine, including with foreign founders;

• Providing the services of a nominal head of the foundation or a legal address;

• Obtaining a non-profit status for the foundation;

• Assistance in opening an account for the charitable foundation in Ukraine;

• Assistance with the execution of powers of attorney in English (involving a foreign founder);

• Obtaining a Work Permit a foreigner in a charitable foundation;

• Accounting services for a charitable foundation for a specified period of time.

You can check the price of services for registration of an international charitable foundation here. If you need other services from our company, please contact our specialists to prepare a personal package of services for you.

Are you planning to register a charitable foundation in Ukraine and would like to do it safely and reliably? Don’t hesitate to contact us! We will not only take all registration actions for you but also provide all the necessary information for conducting charitable activity.

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Everything about registration and operation of Charitable Foundations in Ukraine here.