What is FCRA Registration And How To Apply For It

If you are running an NGO, then you would find yourself in a constant need of 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 and obtain FCRA registration:

1. The NGO should actually exist
2. There  should have been no prosecution against the NGO for the following:
   1. Creating communal tensions
   2. Forced conversion
   3. Creating Discord
3. The NGO should not have been found guilty of utilizing the donated funds for doing anything other than charity.
4. There should be no evidence against the NGO that points towards it using violence to achieve its ends.
5. The NGO should not likely to divert the foreign investment towards personal gains.
6. The NGO should have contravened against any rules mentioned in The Foreign Contribution Registration Act.
7. There NGO should not have been banned from accepting foreign charities.
8. 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

1. Gather the documents that are mentioned below:
   1. Certificate of incorporation(if you are a section 8 company) or a trust deed if you a   trust
   2. MOA and AOA of the company
   3. A report of all the activities that the organization has been directly been part of, or have conducted over the last 3 years,
   4. Fully audited financial statements of the past three years.
2. File the application online:
   1. Go the official website for FCRA
   2. Select the “FCRA online forms” to initiate the registration process
   3. Select the link for FCRA registration
   4. Select “click to apply online”.
   5. Create your new account at FCRA
   6. Login to the FCRA website
   7. Select FCRA Registration from the online drop option.
   8. Proceed new registration
   9. Begin the filing process.
   10. Input the details of your association
   11. Save and submit
   12. Select the Executive committee form
   13. Input the details of the executive committee
   14. If you wish, you can add and remove the details from this form.
   15. Add foreigner’s details
   16. Click on save
   17. Enter the bank details and save
   18. Click on other details and upload the documents that we have mentioned in the previous section.
   19. Submit the application
   20. Make the online payment
3. 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.