If you are running an NGO, then you would find yourself in a constant need for donations, even foreign ones. However, foreign donations have a lot of string attached to them. Therefore, they need proper evaluation first before you can use that money to work towards the welfare of society. In order to enable this evaluation and avail yourself with the donation from beyond the nation, you need FCRA registration.
The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act of 1976 is the rule that governs these types of donations and through this blog; you are going to know the Eligibility to get this registration and how to apply to get it.
Eligibility of FCRA registration
Following are the conditions that make you optimal to apply for FCRA registration:
- The NGO should actually exist
- There should have been no prosecution against the NGO for the following:
- Creating communal tensions
- Forced conversion
- Creating Discord
- The NGO should not have been found guilty of utilizing the donated funds for doing anything other than charity.
- There should be no evidence against the NGO that points towards it using violence to achieve its ends.
- The NGO should not likely to divert foreign investment towards personal gains.
- The NGO should have contravened against any rules mentioned in The Foreign Contribution Registration Act.
- There NGO should not have been banned from accepting foreign charities.
- There should be no personnel or a group within an NGO who has either been convicted under any law or with some pending case against them.
The application process
Gather the documents that are mentioned below:
- Certificate of incorporation(if you are a section 8 company) or a trust deed if you a trust
- MOA and AOA of the company
- A report of all the activities that the organization has been directly been part of, or have conducted over the last 3 years,
- Fully audited financial statements of the past three years.
File the application online:
- Go the official website for FCRA
- Select the “FCRA online forms” to initiate the registration process
- Select the link for FCRA registration
- Select “click to apply online”.
- Create your new account at FCRA
- Login to the FCRA website
- Select FCRA Registration from the online drop option.
- Proceed new registration
- Begin the filing process.
- Input the details of your association
- Save and submit
- Select the Executive committee form
- Input the details of the executive committee
- If you wish, you can add and remove the details from this form.
- Add foreigner’s details
- Click on save
- Enter the bank details and save
- Click on other details and upload the documents that we have mentioned in the previous section.
- Submit the application
- Make the online payment
Wait for the FCRA registration process to go through: After your submission of the application, it can anywhere from 3 to 7 days for the authorities to process that application and give you the registration.
These simple steps shall ensure that your applications are registered.