How many NGOs and charities are there in Guatemala, and who registers them?
GiveRadar tracks 1,807 NGOs and charities in Guatemala. They come from REPEJU, the Registro de las Personas Juridicas that the Ministry of Gobernacion keeps. REPEJU registers noncommercial legal persons, so this is the register of NGOs, associations and foundations that legally exist, not a list vetted for charitable quality.
In Spanish an NGO is an ONG. Guatemalan nonprofits take a few main forms: the asociacion civil no lucrativa, the fundacion, and the development NGO (ONGD), and each obtains legal personality by registering with REPEJU.
What is the ley de ONG in Guatemala, and what did the 2020 reform change?
Guatemala's development-NGO law is Decree 02-2003, and the 2020 reform, Decree 04-2020, is widely known as the ley anti-ONG. It expanded REPEJU and tax registration, accounting and disclosure duties, required reporting of foreign funding and its destination, and created broad administrative cancellation powers (congreso.gob.gt).
The reform took effect in June 2021, and the Constitutional Court later provisionally suspended parts of the control and cancellation language. It tightened state oversight of the sector; it does not rate an organization's charitable quality.
What does REPEJU registration mean, and what does it not?
A REPEJU entry establishes and records an organization's legal existence, statutes and representation. It is the constitutive act through which a Guatemalan NGO obtains separate legal personality.
It is not a government rating, proof of impact, an audit of donations, or a certification that the organization is trustworthy. GiveRadar's integrity assessment measures what an organization discloses, and REPEJU carries no financial data, so a low score reflects missing detail, not misconduct.
Are donations to Guatemalan charities tax-deductible?
Not from REPEJU registration alone. The recipient must also hold its tax position with SAT and, for a gift to be deductible, provide a solvencia fiscal.
The donor's deduction is generally capped at 5% of gross income under the income-tax rules, and REPEJU and SAT statuses are separate. Confirm the recipient's SAT standing before assuming relief applies.
How do you check a Guatemalan NGO before you donate?
Because there is no free full charity-checker search, verification takes a direct step. A listing, including this one, is a starting point, not proof of current standing.
- Ask the organization for its current REPEJU registration and representative certification.
- Check its NIT in SAT's public Verificador Integrado.
- For a tax deduction, request its solvencia fiscal from SAT.
- Read the organization's own reports and donation terms. See GiveRadar's integrity score methodology for what each data point proves.
How can you donate to charities and NGOs in Guatemala?
Guatemala's NGOs work across community development, health, education, the environment and support for women and children. Choose a cause deliberately, verify the recipient and use only payment details the organization itself publishes.
- Explore the Guatemalan NGOs GiveRadar lists and compare organizations serving the outcome you value.
- Confirm the recipient's REPEJU registration and, for a tax deduction, its SAT solvencia fiscal.
- Give through the organization's confirmed bank details or a secure, published payment channel.
- Keep the receipt. See GiveRadar's guidance for donors for more checks.