Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Registering a Non-Profit Organisation in Ghana

You are probably thinking about incorporating a kind of company known as a company limited by guarantee. What it means is that there are certain persons who guarantee that if the company is dissolved, they will pay any liabilities that the company owes to third parties.

Part One - The Registrar-General's Department

Step One

You need to purchase and fill 'NGO registration forms' (form 3, 4 and a copy of Table B - regulations of a company limited by guarantee) as required by the companies law of Ghana, from the Registrar General's Department.

The incorporation details needed to fill the forms would include:

• The name of the NGO
• Objects
• the first members of the Executive Council or Board(from 2 to 20)
• Particulars of Directors and Secretary (including names, nationality, residential address & business occupation)
• Name and address of Auditors
• Address of registered office, principal place of business

Step Two

You then submit the filled forms to the Registrar Generals Department together with the registration fees of about GH155.00 and other regulatory charges.

Step Three

The registry will then issue you with a Certificate of Incorporation and a Certificate to Commence Business in about two weeks, provided all the information you provided on your forms were correct.

Part Two - The Department of Social Welfare

Step One

Apply for NGO status at the Department of Social Welfare which is the regulator of NGOs in Ghana, by submitting the following to the national office of the department in Accra:

• Certificates of incorporation and Commencement of business
• Application letter on the organisation's official letterhead
• The organisation's Constitution
• An NGO Profile form
• A Social investigation report (not sure what this is :-)
• A recommended letter from the district, municipal or metropolitan assembly responsible for the area where your NGO is to be located
• Brochure or publication about your organisation
• 3 copies of an endorsement letter from a regional office of the Department of social welfare

Step Two

Fees apply here and the components of the fee can be obtained from the department.

Step Three

It takes about a month to secure the NGO status through a "Certificate of Recognition".

You can also solicit the services of a professional company secretarial firm or a law firm to assist in the registration of your NGO at a fee.

22 comments:

  1. Really good info. It's weird how i was just thinking of setting up an organisation and this just popped up. Maybe that's one too many signs that I should get off my butt and get going lol

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  2. Thanks for the information.

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  3. Thank you for your comments.

    But I would like asking if you can find some exemple of the legal document needed to create NGO in ghana as status...

    My email adress is: fakos4@hotmail.com

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  4. thank you sir for the information.

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  5. want to find out if i can get any suggestion on any legal firm i can consult for that assistance...thank u.



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  6. Hello, according to Ghana Law, can a for profit organisation be registered as limited by guarantee? thanks (nadia_cherif@msn.com)

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  7. thanks a lot, this information has answered most of the questions that border my thinking. but what about registering a local branch of an internatiopnal organisation in ghana my email dannytias100@yahoo.com

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    1. did you ever get an answer to this? we also want to open a local branch but we are an NGO. If you have any information to point us to can you reply to berenholz@gmail.com please?

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  8. thanks for this useful info.

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  9. 2015. Now five years since the original post,, have the Ghana NGO application costs changed?

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    Replies
    1. Changed drastically with corrupt service personnel who charge you a lot of money, will take more than 4 months to get the Registration done.

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  10. Quick question, is there a significant difference between setting up an NGO and establishing a club or association.

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  11. My NGO is planning to open another office in Ghana for another Health Project. Is there anyone who can give me a recommendation of center/agency for registration ?

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    Replies
    1. You can email me for any detail nallswell@gmail.com.

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  12. please how much is the fee in setting up ngoin ghana

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  13. Thanks for the education, but is it cumbersome to do all this?

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  14. registered but dont know how to go about it please any help so i can go on with it.?

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    Replies
    1. Registered with RGD or Social Welfare? Please clarify.

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  15. Good morning to you all,
    I want to register an association of Francophone students and trainees in Ghana. Please can someone give me more information on how to go about it? Do I have to register it as NGO as well?
    Thank you

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  16. Good morning to you all,
    I want to register an association of Francophone students and trainees in Ghana. Please can someone give me more information on how to go about it? Do I have to register it as NGO as well?
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete