Getting a charity venture started
I want to start a charity where I collect used clothes and give them to poor people in Beijing. I have about 100,000 yuan in capital to get the ball rolling. How do I start going about setting something up?
The procedure to start a charity organization in China is largely the same as setting up a company in the early days. An applicant first needs to go to the city's industrial and commercial bureau to register. The minimum startup capital for a private foundation is 2 million yuan, although for a national public foundation it is 8 million yuan and for a regional public foundation it is 4 million yuan. The capital needs to be in a checking account. Applicants, who need to have a fixed address, also need to file a record of the foundation with the city's civil affairs bureau. They will need to produce an application, the organizations charter and an introduction to its directors, as well as proof of approval from the governing authority and proof of capital from a bank. The registration authority will respond within 60 days after they receive all the documents. If they agree, they will issue a certificate. If not, they should give you a written explanation.
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