Who can collect donations?

The Not everyone can organize the collection and distribution of charitable donations to the public. This action is strictly regulated by law no.18-18, published in the Official Gazette (no. 7159 of 09 Jan. 2023).

According to the law, an appeal to public generosity concerns the collection of funds and products with the aim of financing or carrying out activities, programs, or projects of a social, humanitarian, charitable, cultural, or environmental nature. This also applies to donations and proceeds collected for the benefit of one or more individuals or persons in a situation of vulnerability or distress following a disaster or accident-causing damage, or for the benefit of a legally created non-profit organization located in Morocco or abroad.

Article 7 of the law states that an administrative authorization must be obtained within a maximum of 30 days. The application, based on model forms, must be submitted at least 30 days before the start of collection, a period which may be reduced to 24 days in urgent cases. Certain entities are exempt from this formality by law, but must still notify the administration 15 days before the start of the fund-raising campaign. The application must be accompanied by supporting documents such as the association’s articles of association, a list of its executive members, the program to be financed, and other documents. Article 13 of the law sets the maximum duration of each fund-raising operation at one year, unless a request for extension is made one month before the expiry of this period. Participants are required to hold an official nomination mandate issued by the association, which must include a certain amount of information, such as the organizing party, the collection start date, the purpose, the authorization number,  and the bank account number. The funds collected must, of course, be paid into a bank account. The public must be informed of the amount collected. Organizers are also required to provide a detailed report on the progress of the operation and overall takings within a maximum of 30 days of its completion. Several fines are provided for by law in the event of infringement. These range from 5,000 dirhams (USD 5,000) to 500,000 dirhams (USD 50,000), depending on the seriousness of the case.

Hassan EL ARIF