Set up and run your non-profit in a few clicks

When you form a society. A society must apply to the Societies Officer -- an office held within the Hong Kong Police Force -- for registration or exemption from registration under the Societies Ordinance (Cap. 151) within one month of its establishment, and its constitution, setting out the objects, membership, committee and meetings, is the document that anchors the application.

When you want a corporate non-profit. A company limited by guarantee is incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) with the Companies Registry, giving the organisation separate legal personality and limited liability without share capital -- the structure most Hong Kong charities and larger associations choose.

When you seek charitable tax exemption. An organisation established exclusively for charitable purposes may apply to the Inland Revenue Department for tax exemption under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112); its governing instrument must state the charitable objects and lock the income and assets to those objects.

When you operate day to day. Donation agreements, volunteer agreements, committee and members' resolutions, and conflict-of-interest and data-protection policies keep the organisation accountable and compliant.

• Society constitutions: objects, membership, committee, meetings and dissolution under the Societies Ordinance.
• Company-limited-by-guarantee documents: articles of association and founder resolutions for incorporation.
• Charity governance documents: governing instruments, board policies and conflict-of-interest rules.
• Donation and sponsorship agreements: terms of the gift, restrictions and acknowledgement.
• Volunteer agreements and committee resolutions: roles, confidentiality, appointments and approvals.

The starting point is the choice of form. A society under the Societies Ordinance (Cap. 151) is quick to set up -- the application for registration or exemption goes to the Societies Officer, within the Police, within one month of establishment -- but a society is not a separate legal entity, so committee members can carry personal exposure for its obligations. A company limited by guarantee under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) is a separate legal person with limited liability: its members guarantee a nominal amount instead of holding shares, and it files with the Companies Registry like any other company, which is why larger or higher-risk non-profits prefer it.

Charitable status sits on top of the legal form. Hong Kong has no single charity registrar: recognition as a charity comes principally through section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112), under which the Inland Revenue Department exempts from tax an organisation established exclusively for charitable purposes -- the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion or other purposes beneficial to the community. The governing instrument must state the objects precisely, prohibit distribution of income to members and direct the assets to charitable purposes on dissolution, and the IRD reviews exempted bodies periodically.

Good governance is the recurring theme. The constitution should define the objects clearly, regulate membership and the committee, require proper meetings and minutes, and address conflicts of interest and the handling of funds. A non-profit that collects members', donors' or volunteers' personal data must also comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) when collecting, using and storing that data.

• Drafted for the Societies Ordinance (Cap. 151) and the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622).
• Built with section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) and IRD practice in mind.
• Reviewed by legal professionals, with clear objects, membership and governance terms.
• Ready to use as PDF and Word, so you can register or adapt them immediately.
• Practical structure: guided fields for objects, membership, committee and meetings.