Home/ Countries/ Colombia
Colombia flag Colombia · South America

Charities in Colombia

GiveRadar tracks 161,133 registered nonprofit entities in Colombia, built from the Camara de Comercio register (RUES). Colombian law abolished government recognition of charitable purpose in 1995: an entity exists once a Camara de Comercio registers it, and no authority may demand anything more. Registration proves legal existence, not charitable work or good management.

161,133
Registered nonprofit entities
100%
Registration number on file
Community Development
Largest cause area
1 per 332
Residents per organization
Matt Timmermans Reviewed by Matt Timmermans Founder of GiveRadar · Checked August 18, 2026
Where this data comes from  ·  How current it is
The directory

All charities in Colombia

Filters

Updating results...

161,133 charities

Page 1 of 8,057

56

Asociacion Congregacion De Ancianos Del Municipio De Yopal

Yopal, Casanare · Social Services ·

54

Fundacion Renacer

Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca · Community Development ·

63

Cámara Colombiana del Agua

Bogota, Bogota D.C. · Environment ·

58

Corporacion Pro Romeral Para la Recuperacion y Preservacion de Microcuencas

Medellin, Antioquia · Community Development ·

58

Fundacion Deportiva Aguila Roja

Cali, Valle del Cauca · Community Development ·

56

Asmucor de Cordoba

Cordoba, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion Colombiana de Agencia de Viajes y Turismo - Anato Capitulo Eje Cafetero

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion de Entidades del Sector de la Economia Solidaria del Quindio y Norte del Valle

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion de Exalumnos del Colegio Marco Fidel Suarez

Montenegro, Quindio · Education ·

56

Asociacion de Padres de Familia del Colegio Gimnasio Ingles

Salento, Quindio · Education ·

56

Asociacion de Usuarios del Acueducto de la Silenciosa

Quimbaya, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion el Trabajo de Dios - the Work of God

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion Fazenda da Esperanca

Quimbaya, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion Gestores Unidos por Colombia

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Asociacion Gremial Colombiana de Médicos Veterinarios Especialistas en Clínica y Cirugía de Pequeños Animales

Armenia, Quindio · Health ·

56

Capitulo Quindio de la Asociacion Hotelera y Turistica de Colombia - Cotelco Quindio

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Corporacion Actuar Famiempresas

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Cruz Roja Colombiana Seccional Qundio

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Federación Nacional de Empresarios de Guadua y Bambú

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

56

Fondo de Profesores y Empleados de la Corporacion Universitaria Empresarial Alexander Von Humboldt

Armenia, Quindio · Community Development ·

← Prev Page 1 of 8,057
The register at a glance

How many registered nonprofit entities does GiveRadar track in Colombia?

GiveRadar tracks 161,133 registered nonprofit entities in Colombia, all of them (100%) carrying a registration number from the Camara de Comercio register, and all of them placed in a city and department.

Whole-register totals
161,133 Registered nonprofit entities
2010s Median decade on the register 161,125 records carry a date, the oldest from 1945
1 per 332 Residents per organization Against a population of 53,425,635 (World Bank, 2025)
45.6/100 Average integrity assessment A measure of disclosure, not impact or effectiveness

The average integrity assessment for Colombia's registered nonprofits is 45.6 out of 100, and the reason is disclosure, not conduct: the register publishes neither financial figures nor officer names, so GiveRadar holds a revenue figure for only 25 organizations and an officer record for just 20, each under a tenth of a percent of the register. A website is on file for 117 (0.1%), an email for 1,745 (1.1%) and a phone number for 1,744 (1.1%). The assessment measures what a register publishes, not how well an organization works.

By category

What causes do registered nonprofits in Colombia support?

Community development is the largest cause category among Colombia's registered nonprofit entities, holding 114,445 of the 161,133 we track (71%), because that is where GiveRadar's importer maps the residual legal form used by most Colombian ESALs, not a finding about what these organizations actually do. Behind it: environment 9,968, arts and culture 8,340, education 7,869, social services 7,167, international 3,765 and health 3,586.

01 Community Development 114,445 71% 02 Environment 9,968 6% 03 Arts & Culture 8,340 5% 04 Education 7,869 5% 05 Social Services 7,167 4% 06 International 3,765 2% 07 Health 3,586 2% 08 Science & Technology 1,609 1% 09 Sports & Recreation 1,357 1% 10 Religion 1,316 1% 11 Youth Development 840 1% 12 Advocacy & Civil Rights 394 <1% 13 Animal Welfare 347 <1% 14 Disaster Relief 130 <1%
Age of the register

When did Colombia's registered nonprofits join the register?

Colombia's registered nonprofits joined GiveRadar's register across every decade since the 1990s, most heavily in the 2020s with 69,618 registrations recorded already, ahead of the 51,510 recorded across the whole 2010s (10,371 in the 1990s and 29,612 in the 2000s). These are registration dates at a Camara de Comercio, not founding dates.

10,371 1990s
29,612 2000s
51,510 2010s
69,618 2020s
Median decade
2010s
Earliest on record
1945
Records with a date
161,125 of 161,133

Two known features of the register shape this pattern. It effectively begins in 1996, the year Decreto Ley 2150 de 1995 moved nonprofit registration into the Camaras' system, so almost nothing predates it. And Ley 1727 de 2014 requires the Camaras to purge RUES every year, dissolving any legal person that goes five years without renewing, which is why 5.05 million of the 9.35 million rows in the national RUES dataset are marked CANCELADA. Both push the visible register toward recent dates; we cannot say how much of the 2020s figure either one explains.

Accreditations

How many Colombian nonprofits hold special tax status?

GiveRadar records the Regimen Tributario Especial for 21,008 of the 161,133 Colombian nonprofit entities it tracks (13%), the status DIAN grants after reviewing an organization's purpose.

The status that actually corresponds to charity in Colombia. DIAN reviews the organization's purpose against the meritorious activities the Tax Code lists, the process is open to public comment, and the qualification has to be renewed. A donation to a qualified entity earns the donor a tax credit.

This is the distinction that registration itself does not make. A Camara de Comercio entry proves an entity exists; RTE qualification means DIAN examined what it does. Our flag is built from DIAN's published lists across several years, so it is broader than any single year's roll: DIAN's 2025 update file alone holds 18,283 entities. Confirm current standing with DIAN before relying on it for a deduction.

21,008 Regimen Tributario Especial 13% of every charity on this page holds it. Issued by DIAN, Colombia's national tax authority
Location of nonprofits in Colombia

Where in Colombia are its registered nonprofits based?

All 161,133 of Colombia's registered nonprofits are based in a city and department GiveRadar can place on the map (100%), led by Bogota D.C. with 23,348.

Charity density
Each department shaded by nonprofit organizations. Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Top cities

Bogota appears as both a department, Bogota D.C., and a city, since the capital is its own administrative district, so both tables show the same 23,348 organizations. Barranquilla is next with 12,202, followed by Bucaramanga with 8,579, Cali with 8,370 and Medellin with 8,158.

01 Bogota 23,348 charities 02 Barranquilla 12,202 charities 03 Bucaramanga 8,579 charities 04 Cali 8,370 charities 05 Medellin 8,158 charities 06 Cartagena 5,832 charities 07 Monteria 5,247 charities 08 Villavicencio 4,821 charities 09 Santa Marta 4,412 charities 10 Neiva 4,410 charities

Registered nonprofits by department

Bogota D.C. 23,348 14.5% Valle del Cauca 14,037 8.7% Atlantico 12,202 7.6% Antioquia 11,952 7.4% Santander 11,435 7.1% Bolivar 8,707 5.4% Narino 6,830 4.2% Cesar 5,705 3.5% Cordoba 5,247 3.3% Tolima 4,964 3.1% Meta 4,821 3% Boyaca 4,516 2.8% Magdalena 4,412 2.7% Huila 4,410 2.7%

Bogota D.C. accounts for 23,348 of Colombia's registered nonprofits (14%), followed by Valle del Cauca with 14,037 (9%) and Atlantico with 12,202 (8%). Every one of Colombia's 161,133 registered nonprofits carries a department, so this ranking covers the full register, not a partial sample.

Data sources

Where does GiveRadar's Colombia data come from?

GiveRadar's Colombia data holds 161,133 registered nonprofit entities, sourced from the Camara de Comercio register (RUES), the same chamber-of-commerce system that registers commercial companies. Registration here is not vetting: DIAN's Regimen Tributario Especial is the status that actually functions as a charity designation, and only about 18,283 entities filed to keep it in 2025, a small share of the register. Check DIAN's published RTE lists before assuming any organization has been reviewed.

RUES, the Camaras de Comercio register rues.org.co ↗
Legal existence, legal form, registered address and status for every ESAL
161,133 records 100% coverage
DIAN, Regimen Tributario Especial dian.gov.co ↗
The published lists of entities qualified for special tax treatment, which is the status that corresponds to charity
datos.gov.co, RUES open data datos.gov.co ↗
The open extraction of the register, published under CC BY-SA 4.0
One GiveRadar profile
161,133
Share of profiles carrying each field
Registration ID 100%
Financial return 0%
Expense breakdown 0%
Website 0.1%
Contact email 1.1%
Freshness

How current is GiveRadar's Colombia data?

June 12, 2026 Register last refreshed The most recent full pass over Colombia's source register. Any profile with its own newer edit carries that later date instead.
August 18, 2026 This page last reviewed When the figures, wording and sources on this page were last checked against the register.

GiveRadar rebuilds its Colombia listing from a full pass over the Camara de Comercio register (RUES), taken from the open datos.gov.co extraction that the registry itself refreshes monthly. A very recent registration, renewal or cancellation may not appear here until the next pass.

Learn more with our country guide

Giving in Colombia

How the charity sector is regulated, what kinds of nonprofits operate, and how to evaluate them before you give.

Charities and NGOs in Colombia

Colombia has a large nonprofit sector built around Entidades Sin Animo de Lucro (ESAL), including foundations (fundaciones), corporations (corporaciones), associations, and solidarity-sector entities like cooperatives. The sector plays a frontline role in supporting peace-process beneficiaries, victims of armed conflict, displaced communities, the Venezuelan migration response, environmental defense, and indigenous and Afro-Colombian rights.

Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of Colombian charities or an ESAL database, GiveRadar brings together each entity's Camara de Comercio registration record, location, cause category, news coverage, and an independent integrity score. It does not hold Regimen Tributario Especial status, which DIAN publishes separately. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.

How charities are registered in Colombia

Colombian ESALs register at the local Camara de Comercio, where the Registro de Entidades Sin Animo de Lucro (rues.org.co) records legal status, statutes and governance, and each entity receives a NIT. Registration establishes that the entity legally exists: under Decreto Ley 2150 de 1995 no authority assesses whether its purpose is charitable.

To access tax benefits, an ESAL applies to DIAN (dian.gov.co) for admission to the Regimen Tributario Especial, which requires its purpose to fall within the meritorious activities the Tax Code lists. The RTE allows reduced income-tax treatment for entities that meet ongoing transparency and reinvestment requirements; otherwise an ESAL is taxed under the ordinary regime. DIAN publishes the list of qualified entities.

Major causes and well-known Colombian NGOs

The Colombian nonprofit sector reflects the country's complex social and humanitarian landscape:

  • Peace, conflict victims, and reintegration: Centro de Memoria Historica networks, Pastoral Social, Reincorporacion partners, and CINEP (Centro de Investigacion y Educacion Popular).
  • Migration response (Venezuelans): Fundacion Halu Bienestar Humano, Programa Mundial de Alimentos partners, and Caritas Colombiana.
  • Environment, climate, and Amazon: Fundacion Natura, WWF Colombia, Fundacion ProAves, and Mas Bosques Colombia.
  • Children and youth: Aldeas Infantiles SOS Colombia, Fundacion Pies Descalzos, Fundacion Plan, and Save the Children Colombia.
  • Health: Fundacion Cardioinfantil, Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogota, and Pastoral de la Salud networks.
  • Indigenous and Afro-Colombian rights: ONIC (Organizacion Nacional Indigena de Colombia) and PCN (Proceso de Comunidades Negras).
  • Social welfare: Fundacion Carlos Pizarro Leongomez, Banco de Alimentos de Bogota, and TECHO Colombia.

Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best international charities in Colombia and best environmental charities in Colombia to narrow by cause.

How to evaluate a Colombian charity before donating

Colombia has a deep but uneven ESAL sector, so donor diligence matters. Things to check before giving to any Colombian charity:

  • NIT and Camara de Comercio registration: every legitimate ESAL has a NIT and an active registration record at the local Camara.
  • Regimen Tributario Especial admission: only RTE-admitted ESALs can issue donation receipts that qualify for Colombian donor tax benefits.
  • Audited financial statements: larger ESALs publish them online; the DIAN RTE regime requires public web-page transparency.
  • International partnerships: NGOs working with UN agencies, USAID implementers, EU-funded programs, or major foundations have usually passed vendor due-diligence checks.
  • Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Colombian ESAL against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.

Each Colombian ESAL profile on GiveRadar combines NIT status, RTE admission, financials, governance, and third-party signals into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.

Colombia ESAL explorer: browse, filter, compare

This page works as a Colombia ESAL explorer: every Colombian nonprofit entity we hold data on, ranked and filterable by cause area, department, presence of a website, and size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (peace and victims, migration, environment, children, health, indigenous and Afro-Colombian, social welfare, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name.

GiveRadar refreshes its Colombian records in periodic bulk passes over the published register data rather than a live daily feed. To compare Colombian giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to international charities globally.

Donating to charities in Colombia

Most Colombian ESALs accept PSE, credit-card, and bank-transfer donations directly through their websites or via platforms like Vaki. Donations to RTE-admitted entities give the donor a tax credit rather than a deduction, subject to caps set in the Tax Code.

International donors typically give through US 501(c)(3) intermediaries, European fiscal sponsors, or international giving platforms. GiveRadar links to each entity's official donation channel where we hold one. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.

FAQ

Common questions

What is an ESAL in Colombia?

An ESAL, entidad sin animo de lucro, is a Colombian nonprofit legal entity such as a fundacion, corporacion or asociacion, registered with a Camara de Comercio. It becomes its own legal person once registered, in the same RUES register that also holds cooperatives and ordinary commercial companies.

Does being registered mean a Colombian nonprofit has been vetted?

No, registration does not mean a Colombian nonprofit has been vetted. Decreto Ley 2150 de 1995 abolished government recognition of nonprofit purpose: an entity exists once a Camara de Comercio registers it, and article 44 bars any authority from demanding more, so nobody checks whether the stated purpose is charitable.

What is the Regimen Tributario Especial?

The Regimen Tributario Especial, or RTE, is the tax status DIAN grants to nonprofits that apply and pass its public-comment review, and it is what actually functions as Colombia's charity status. DIAN's 2025 list holds 18,283 filers, roughly 5 to 6% of the registered nonprofit entities GiveRadar tracks in Colombia.

How can I verify a Colombian nonprofit before donating?

Verify a Colombian nonprofit with its certificado de existencia y representacion legal from its Camara de Comercio, which confirms it is registered and names its legal representative. Then check DIAN's published Regimen Tributario Especial lists, since that status is what functions as a charity designation.

Are donations to Colombian nonprofits tax-deductible?

No, donations to Colombian nonprofits are not tax-deductible. Gifts to entities qualified under the Regimen Tributario Especial instead earn a descuento, a tax credit, of 25% of the amount donated, and credits under this and related articles together cannot exceed 25% of the income tax owed for the year.

How many nonprofits are registered in Colombia?

GiveRadar tracks 161,133 registered nonprofit entities in Colombia, sourced from the Camara de Comercio register. That figure is GiveRadar's own aggregation of the open RUES dataset on datos.gov.co, not an official headline count, and it covers roughly half of the active nonprofit-form rows in that same dataset.

Does anyone rate or accredit Colombian charities?

No independent Colombian body rates or accredits charities. The closest candidate, Transparencia por Colombia's Red de ONG por la Transparencia, is a voluntary self-assessment network organizations join themselves, not a rating agency, so donors must check the certificate and DIAN's lists themselves.

What does GiveRadar's Colombia listing include?

GiveRadar's Colombia listing includes 161,133 registered nonprofit entities, each with a name, registration number, city and department. It excludes financial or governance data: the register publishes neither, which is why revenue is on record for only 25 organizations and officers for just 20.

For Colombia nonprofits

Your organization is already on the radar. Claim it.

Claiming takes five minutes, is free forever, and GiveRadar never takes a cut.