About non-profit organisations

Non-profit organisations (NPOs) can take the form of associations, federations and foundations.

An association is a group of people who come together voluntarily to work on a joint project or to share activities without seeking to make a profit. Associations can have a wide variety of goals (sporting, advocacy for members’ rights, humanitarian, promotion of ideas or works, etc.).

Associations can take various forms and are recognized for their role in civil society as a way of fostering collaboration, cooperation and collective effort. They can be established around a wide range of topics, from hobbies to humanitarian causes, and provide a legal framework for related activities and operations.

The key feature of associations is that they are non-profit: common objectives are achieved independently of financial interests, thus promoting civic engagement and volunteering in the service of the community.

Sports associations

A sports association is a legal entity composed of at least two people to promote and practice a specific sport.
This type of entity organizes sports activities, events or participates in competitions related to this discipline. These associations aim to promote, practice, and sometimes compete in a sport, as well as disseminate sporting and educational values related to this discipline.

In Monaco, these associations organise sporting activities. They develop knowledge of their discipline among a wide audience.
For the most part, they have succeeded in creating structures that accommodate very young practitioners, sometimes as early as the age of 4. Associations promote the practice of recreational and competitive sports.

Currently, there are about 70 sports associations in the Principality and 3 establishment sports associations.

• To form an association in Monaco, you must send the General Secretariat of the Government a declaration signed by at least two adults who have full rights as citizens and are domiciled in the Principality
• All new associations are subject to the provisions of Act no. 1355 of 23 December 2008, amended
• Click here for more information about creating an association 

A federation is an organic grouping of various entities, such as associations, unions, clubs or teams, with common objectives. It can be made up of organisations sharing similar beliefs and pursuing a similar objective.

The federation of associations is the convention by which they decide to come together to organise the practice of an activity identical or related to their activity for a purpose other than sharing profits:

• Two or more duly declared associations that are made public in the Principality, or
• Two or more associations duly incorporated abroad, at least one of which must be duly declared in the Principality, or
• An association duly declared and made public in the Principality and one or more natural persons

Sports fedeations 

The objective of these federations is to promote the organisation and development of sporting activities. To this end, they bring together sports associations and licensed members of one or more related sports disciplines.

More generally, federations contribute to promoting education through physical and sporting activities. They are also responsible for promoting the organisation and development of activities within their scope and contribute to the development of sports ethics. They play an essential role in organising sporting events and representing the Principality at the international level. In this respect, they are a gateway for Monegasque athletes to participate in international events.

There are currently thirty-eight federations, sixteen of which are members of the Monegasque Olympic Committee.

• To form a federation in Monaco, you must send the General Secretariat of the Government a declaration signed by at least two adults who have full rights as citizens and are domiciled in the Principality, one of whom must be the representative of an association duly declared and made public in the Principality
• All new federations are subject to the provisions of Act no. 1355 of 23 December 2008, amended

A foundation is a group of privately owned assets which, in principle, has a legal personality and is managed in the public interest by a board of directors appointed by the founder or founders; foundations do not have a general meeting. A foundation is a patronage organization created by private donors acting in the public interest. It is established by natural persons who decide to irrevocably allocate property, rights or resources to a cause recognised as being in the public interest. These entities often operate in social, cultural, scientific, or other spheres.

A foundation can also refer to the act of founding something, such as the creation of an establishment, an institution, or the laying of the foundations of a project.

In Monaco, all new foundations are subject to the provisions of Act no. 56 of 29 January 1922, amended

In response to the amendments made in August 2023 to the laws governing associations and foundations to meet the international requirements of the MONEYVAL Committee, the Prince's Government is organising a conference on Wednesday 20 September in the Auditorium Rainier III.

This conference, chaired by the Minister of the Interior, is intended for associations, federations and foundations based in the Principality. Its aim is to raise awareness among those who are subject to the new regulations, as well as highlighting the potential risks of money laundering and terrorist financing that they may face.

Find all the information provided in the document available for download below: