From the U.S. standpoint, the process of a nonprofit establishing international operations may include a few legal steps, such as reporting international gifts or affiliations, as well as making adjustments to your organization's exempt status and/or changing charitable deductions for non-U.S. activities. Learn IRS tips for reporting for foreign activities.
From the standpoint of the country or countries in which you plan on operating, compliance with incorporation laws and requirements will be essential, and may require in-country legal support as well as contacts within the country that can serve as organizational partners.
See also our related Knowledge Base articles:
- What's the difference between contingency and scenario planning? Where can I learn more about risk management?
- Where can I find information about collaboration and other kinds of strategic alliances?
- What do I do if I suspect that a charity is a fraud?
World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations
NGO Resources
WANGO is an association with resources, publications and more pertaining to the world's network of NGOs.
Form 990 Filing Tips: Reporting Foreign Activities (Schedule F)
Schedule F requires the reporting of activities outside of the United States. Questions have arisen regarding the new foreign activity reporting requirements, including how passive and related organization
Human Centered Design Toolkit - IDEO
The resulting HCD Toolkit helps organizations understand people’s needs in new ways, find innovative solutions to meet these needs, and deliver solutions with financial sustainability in mind.
Has many planning documents and templates on their site. If you do a site search (top right of the page) for the term "small ngo", the third result in the search list is a PDF manual called " How to Build a Good Small NGO [English]".
11 Free Project Management Tools For Your Busy Team
Global Giving Foundation
Describes free tools and the ways they can help nonprofits run better.
Starting an NGO
NGO Cafe
NGO/NPOs provide much needed services to their respective communities, and thorough planning during the start-up process is crucial to developing an effective and professional organization that is able to meet the myriad challenges faced by the world toda
Charitable Activities in a Foreign CountryFoundation Group Blog
Foundation Group Blog
The issue of a charity having operations in a foreign country is rather complex, one that involves oversight not only by the Internal Revenue Service, but also Homeland Security.