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Charities in Finland

Explore Finland's official landscape of charities, NGOs, nonprofits, non-profit organizations, yhdistys associations and säätiö foundations. The data confirms registration and adds vetted tax and fundraising signals, but does not assume that every registered organization is charitable.

81,951
Charities & nonprofits
100%
Y-tunnus on file
Community Development
Largest cause area
1 per 69
Residents per organization
Matt Timmermans Reviewed by Matt Timmermans Founder of GiveRadar · Checked August 21, 2026
Where this data comes from  ·  How current it is
The directory

All organizations in Finland

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81,951 charities

Page 1 of 4,098

52

Hengitysliitto ry

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Social Services ·

52

Keski-Suomen ensi- ja turvakoti ry

Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi · Social Services ·

52

Liikehäiriösairauksien liitto ry

Turku, Varsinais-Suomi · Social Services ·

52

MIELI Suomen Mielenterveys ry

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Social Services ·

52

Oulun ensi- ja turvakoti ry

Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa · Social Services ·

52

Oulun seudun omaishoitajat ry

Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa · Social Services ·

52

Raahen ensi- ja turvakoti ry

Raahe, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa · Social Services ·

52

Selkäliitto ry, Finlands Ryggförbund rf

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Social Services ·

52

Suomen Judoliitto ry

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Sports & Recreation ·

52

Suomi-Kuuba-Seura r.y., ruotsiksi Samfundet Finland-Kuba r.f.

Helsinki, Uusimaa · International ·

52

Tukenasi ry, Till ditt stöd rf.

Turku, Varsinais-Suomi · Social Services ·

52

UN Women Suomi ry, UN Women Finland rf

Helsinki, Uusimaa · International ·

52

Valo-Valmennusyhdistys ry

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Social Services ·

52

Vuolle Setlementti ry

Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa · Social Services ·

50

Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö sr

Espoo, Uusimaa · Education ·

50

Agape-keskus ry

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Religion ·

50

Aito avioliitto ry, Äkta äktenskap rf

Vantaa, Uusimaa · Education ·

50

Allergia-, Iho- ja Astmaliitto ry, Allergi-, Hud- och Astmaförbundet rf

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Social Services ·

50

ASLA-Fulbright Alumni ry

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Arts & Culture ·

50

Colores-Suomen Suolistosyöpäyhdistys ry, Colores-Finlands Kolorektalcancerförening rf

Helsinki, Uusimaa · Social Services ·

← Prev Page 1 of 4,098
The register at a glance

How many charities and nonprofits are in Finland?

Finland has 81,951 charities, NGOs, nonprofits, associations and foundations in this register-led view. A Y-tunnus is recorded for 81,949 (100%), providing exceptionally strong registration coverage across rekisteröity yhdistys, or ry, and säätiö entities.

Whole-register totals
81,951 Charities & nonprofits in the PRH registers
2000s Median decade on the register 81,375 records carry a date, the oldest from 1857
1 per 69 Residents per organization Against a population of 5,646,436 (World Bank, 2025)
39.2/100 Average integrity assessment A measure of disclosure, not impact or effectiveness

The average integrity assessment of 39.2 out of 100 measures available disclosure, not organizational quality or impact. The broad ry form includes sports, hobby, culture and professional associations, so its modest average is not a verdict on their work.

By category

What causes do Finland's charities and associations support?

Finland's causes span children, health, sports, culture, animals, environment and humanitarian work. Community Development leads with 47,843 records, but it is a broad catch-all for how the yhdistys form maps in this dataset, not a precise description of every association's activities.

01 Community Development 47,843 58% 02 Arts & Culture 13,299 16% 03 Sports & Recreation 6,644 8% 04 Social Services 4,734 6% 05 Education 2,990 4% 06 Religion 1,776 2% 07 Youth Development 1,458 2% 08 International 1,144 1% 09 Health 918 1% 10 Animal Welfare 633 1% 11 Environment 381 <1%
Age of the register

When were Finland's associations founded?

Finland's associations and foundations have a median founded year of 2000, with the busiest cohorts in the 2000s and 2010s. Founding years are available for 81,375 (99.3%), giving a strong view of how the nonprofit and järjestö landscape developed.

1,982 1920s
1,659 1930s
2,133 1940s
3,343 1950s
3,876 1960s
5,605 1970s
6,955 1980s
12,402 1990s
16,140 2000s
16,529 2010s
10,677 2020s
Median decade
2000s
Earliest on record
1857
Records with a date
81,375 of 81,951

A founding year provides historical context, while PRH registration confirms legal existence. The oldest founding year recorded is 1857, showing that Finland's current association and foundation registers include both longstanding institutions and much newer organizations. 2 records are left out of this chart for carrying a year outside 1800 to 2026.

Accreditations

Which accreditations help identify charities in Finland?

Finland's accreditations include a rahankeräyslupa for 1,734 (2.1%), Vero income-tax relief for 188 (0.2%), and designated donation-recipient status for 45 (0.1%). These Police and tax rosters provide stronger charitable signals than registration alone.

1,734 Fundraising permit (rahankeräyslupa) Holds a valid rahankeräyslupa, granted by the National Police Board under the 2020 Money Collection Act only for fundraising for a public-benefit (yleishyödyllinen) purpose. A registered yhdistys does not by itself hold one; it is the vetted fundraising subset, and the Police publish every valid permit. Issued by the National Police Board 188 Tax-exempt public benefit Granted discretionary income-tax relief (veronhuojennus) by the Tax Administration as a socially significant public-benefit entity. This is separate from being a designated donation recipient. Issued by the Tax Administration (Vero) 45 Designated donation recipient Named by the Tax Administration on its short list of recipients whose donations may be deducted. The list is limited and specialised (mostly universities, science and arts), so most public-benefit nonprofits are not on it. Issued by the Tax Administration (Vero)

A rahankeräyslupa is Police-granted for public-benefit fundraising. Donation deductibility is separate and very limited, applying only through the relevant Vero designation. Both signals are distinct from PRH registration, which confirms legal existence rather than charitable purpose.

Location of nonprofits in Finland

What does Finland's nonprofit geography look like?

Finland's nonprofit geography places about 81,160 of 81,951 organizations, or ~99%, across its 19 maakunnat. Uusimaa leads the region map, while city coverage reveals where registered associations, foundations, charities and other järjestö organizations are concentrated.

Organization density
Each region shaded by charities and nonprofits. Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Top cities

Helsinki leads Finland's city geography, followed by Tampere, Espoo and Turku. These locations help searchers explore nearby charities, yhdistys associations, säätiö foundations and non-profit organizations without implying that city size measures charitable impact.

01 Helsinki 15,411 organizations 02 Tampere 3,287 organizations 03 Espoo 3,065 organizations 04 Turku 2,916 organizations 05 Oulu 2,086 organizations 06 Jyväskylä 1,626 organizations 07 Vantaa 1,595 organizations 08 Kuopio 1,457 organizations 09 Lahti 1,398 organizations 10 Kouvola 1,283 organizations

Organizations by region

Uusimaa 26,692 32.9% Pirkanmaa 6,842 8.4% Varsinais-Suomi 6,706 8.3% Pohjois-Pohjanmaa 4,831 6% Keski-Suomi 3,572 4.4% Lappi 3,297 4.1% Satakunta 3,293 4.1% Pohjanmaa 3,263 4% Pohjois-Savo 3,238 4% Etelä-Pohjanmaa 2,901 3.6% Pohjois-Karjala 2,608 3.2% Päijät-Häme 2,563 3.2% Kymenlaakso 2,497 3.1% Kanta-Häme 2,446 3%

Region coverage is strong across Finland's maakunnat, including Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, Varsinais-Suomi and Lappi. Åland, or Ahvenanmaa, is the one region the map cannot place, so geographic coverage is described as ~99% rather than complete.

Data sources

Which official sources cover nonprofits in Finland?

Finland's official sources begin with the PRH association and foundation registers and their open data, keyed by Y-tunnus. GiveRadar overlays these records with Vero tax rosters and the National Police Board list of valid fundraising permits.

PRH Register of Associations and Foundations prh.fi ↗
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office keeps the yhdistysrekisteri and säätiörekisteri, the source of this page; confirm a Y-tunnus, name and status
81,951 records 100% coverage
Police valid fundraising permits poliisi.fi ↗
The National Police Board list of valid rahankeräyslupa permits, with holder, purpose, permit number and collection accounts
Vero - associations and foundations vero.fi ↗
The Tax Administration on public-benefit taxation, income-tax relief and the designated donation-recipient list
YTJ company and organisation search ytj.fi ↗
Look up any Finnish organization by name or Y-tunnus
One GiveRadar profile
81,951
Share of profiles carrying each field
Registration ID 100%
Financial return 0%
Expense breakdown 0%
Website 5%
Contact email 3.1%
Freshness

How current is GiveRadar's Finland data?

August 21, 2026 Register last refreshed Register and accreditation records can change after a data pass. Dates, names, permit validity, register entries and tax designations should therefore be treated as a searchable snapshot rather than permanent status.
August 21, 2026 This page last reviewed When the figures, wording and sources on this page were last checked against the register.

Finland's records are refreshed through periodic bulk passes across PRH, Police and Vero sources. Before donating, contracting or relying on an accreditation, confirm the organization's current name and status through PRH or YTJ, the Police permit list and the relevant Vero roster.

Learn more with our country guide

Giving in Finland

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

How many charities, nonprofits and yhdistykset are there in Finland?

Finland has 81,951 associations and foundations tracked by GiveRadar. The directory combines official PRH open data from the yhdistysrekisteri and säätiörekisteri with Vero and Poliisihallitus rosters. It covers charities, NGOs, nonprofits, non-profit organizations, sports clubs, cultural associations and other Finnish järjestöt (prh.fi).

Registration is nearly universal in the dataset: 81,949 entities carry a Y-tunnus, or Business ID, and 81,375 have a founding year. Registration confirms legal existence, not hyväntekeväisyys or charitable purpose. The stronger vetted signals are the 1,734 valid fundraising permits and the separate Vero rosters.

What is a rekisteröity yhdistys or säätiö, and how does it differ from a charity?

Finland recognizes two principal nonprofit forms: the rekisteröity yhdistys, or ry, and the säätiö. An ry gains legal capacity when entered in the PRH yhdistysrekisteri under Yhdistyslaki, Associations Act 503/1989, allowing it to hold rights and obligations independently of its members (finlex.fi).

A registered yhdistys is a broad membership form used by children's groups, health NGOs, sports clubs, culture societies, animal organizations, environmental campaigns and professional bodies. A säätiö is purpose-bound, has no members or owners, and exists after registration under Säätiölaki, Foundations Act 487/2015. PRH keeps and supervises the foundation register (prh.fi).

How do you register an association, or yhdistys, in Finland?

Finland requires an association to submit a founding notification, founding document and rules to PRH to become a registered ry. PRH examines whether the statutory requirements are met and enters an accepted association in the yhdistysrekisteri (prh.fi).

The organization then receives a Y-tunnus, the unique Business ID used to identify Finnish entities. The identifier alone does not prove which registers an organization belongs to, so search its current entries separately through the joint PRH and Tax Administration service (ytj.fi).

What is a rahankeräyslupa, and how do fundraising, tax and donations work in Finland?

Finland generally requires a rahankeräyslupa, or fundraising permit, for public money collection, unless a valid pienkeräys notification applies. Poliisihallitus grants permits under Rahankeräyslaki, Money Collection Act 863/2019, for yleishyödyllinen public-benefit activity and publishes valid permits (poliisi.fi; finlex.fi).

A yleishyödyllinen yhteisö is generally tax-exempt on non-business income, while business income can remain taxable. GiveRadar identifies 188 entities on the relevant Vero income-tax relief roster. Donation deductibility is separate: only 45 tracked recipients appear on the limited Vero-designated list, focused mainly on universities, science, arts and cultural heritage (vero.fi).

How do you check a Finnish charity before you donate?

Finland gives donors several official ways to verify a charity, foundation, association or humanitarian NGO before paying. Registration establishes identity, while a Police permit and Vero designation answer different questions about authorized fundraising and tax deductibility. Follow these checks:

  1. Confirm the official name and registration in the PRH yhdistysrekisteri or foundation records.
  2. Match the organization's Y-tunnus and register entries in YTJ.
  3. Compare the collector, purpose, permit number and account with the Police permit list. For a pienkeräys, request its notification number.
  4. If tax deductibility is advertised, verify the recipient and applicable period on Vero's designated list.

How can you donate to charities and causes in Finland?

Finland offers donors many ways to support children, health, sports, culture, animals, the environment and humanitarian causes. Use GiveRadar's country directory to compare Finnish charities, NGOs, yhdistykset and säätiöt, then verify the intended recipient before donating.

  1. Choose a cause and review the organization's profile, legal form and stated purpose.
  2. Check its PRH registration and Police fundraising authorization using the official identity details.
  3. Donate only through the verified account or payment channel named by the organization.
  4. Keep the receipt, especially when the recipient claims Vero-designated deductibility.
FAQ

Common questions

How many charities and nonprofits are registered in Finland?

GiveRadar tracks 81,951 organizations drawn from Finland's official PRH association and foundation registers, each carrying a Y-tunnus. This includes charities, NGOs, nonprofits and non-profit organizations alongside sports clubs, cultural and hobby associations and other bodies that use the broad rekisteroity yhdistys (ry) or säätiö legal forms, so registration alone does not confirm a charitable purpose.

Is every Finnish ry a charity or säätiö?

No, a rekisteröity yhdistys, or ry, is not automatically a charity. It is a broad registered-association form used for shared non-economic purposes, including sports, hobbies, culture and professional activity, while a säätiö is a purpose-bound foundation without members or owners.

How do I register an association in Finland?

You register an association by submitting a founding notification, founding document and rules to the PRH Register of Associations. PRH enters the yhdistys in the register when the statutory requirements are satisfied, after which it operates as a rekisteröity yhdistys, or ry.

What is a rahankeräyslupa, and does it prove tax status?

A rahankeräyslupa is a National Police Board permit for public-benefit fundraising. It is a meaningful vetted signal, but it does not itself establish Vero tax relief or donation deductibility, which are separate statuses checked on separate rosters.

Are donations to Finnish charities tax-deductible?

Donations are not generally deductible merely because the recipient is a registered charity, ry or säätiö. Deductibility is very limited and separate from fundraising permission, so verify that the recipient appears on Vero's designated donation-recipient roster for the relevant period.

How can I verify a Finnish charity before donating?

You can verify a Finnish organization by matching its official name and Y-tunnus in PRH or YTJ. For a public appeal, also compare its organiser, purpose, account and permit details with the Police list, and check Vero separately if tax deductibility is claimed.

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