How many NGOs and yayasan are there in Indonesia?
Indonesia has no single charity register, so there is no authoritative total covering every NGO, yayasan, perkumpulan, and ormas. GiveRadar lists 1,696 organizations from the SMERU Research Institute's NGO Database, a research directory rather than government registration data (smeru.or.id).
The directory is strongest as a contact resource: 1,396 (82.3%) entries include an email address and 924 (54.5%) include a website. Only 3 (0.2%) carry an official registration number, and it holds no annual revenue data, so use it for discovery, not as proof of legal status.
What is a yayasan, and how is it different from a perkumpulan or an ormas?
A yayasan is a memberless Indonesian legal entity with separated assets dedicated to social, religious, or humanitarian purposes. It is governed by Law 16 of 2001, as amended by Law 28 of 2004 (peraturan.bpk.go.id).
A perkumpulan is instead a membership association formed around shared purposes. Ormas is a broader category of voluntarily formed societal organization that may hold legal-entity status as a yayasan or perkumpulan, or operate without it. The terms LSM and NGO describe civil-society identity, not one universal legal form (peraturan.bpk.go.id).
How does zakat work in Indonesia, and is it tax-deductible?
Zakat, the mandatory Islamic contribution, is managed nationally in Indonesia by BAZNAS and government-authorized Lembaga Amil Zakat (LAZ). Zakat paid to BAZNAS or an authorized LAZ can be deducted from gross income under Law 23 of 2011, provided the taxpayer keeps suitable payment evidence.
How much zakat is due depends on the category, assets, and eligibility threshold, so donors should follow guidance from an authorized body rather than assume one rate. The official BAZNAS list identifies recognized institutions for paying zakat, including online (baznas.go.id).
Ordinary donations, by contrast, are not automatically tax-deductible. Government Regulation 93 of 2010 permits deductions only for specified purposes, including national disaster relief, research, educational facilities, sports development, and nonprofit social infrastructure, subject to conditions and a ceiling of 5 percent of prior-year fiscal net income (peraturan.bpk.go.id).
How do you register an NGO or yayasan in Indonesia?
Registration in Indonesia depends on the legal form you choose, not on the label NGO. For a yayasan or an incorporated perkumpulan, the path runs through the Ministry of Law's AHU system:
- Reserve and obtain approval of the organization's name through AHU.
- Have a notary draw up the Indonesian notarial deed setting out purposes, assets, and governance.
- Submit the application electronically through AHU; legal-entity status begins on ministerial approval (ahu.go.id).
A non-legal-entity ormas instead registers through the Ministry of Home Affairs and its SIORMAS system. Either way, approval confirms legal establishment and the submitted documents; it does not certify impact, financial efficiency, or effectiveness.
How do you check an Indonesian NGO before you donate?
Because no one register covers everything, match the organization's claimed form to the right official channel, then confirm it directly:
- Search AHU for a yayasan or incorporated perkumpulan, SIORMAS for an ormas, or the BAZNAS list for an authorized zakat body.
- Use GiveRadar to pull the organization's contact details, then request its legal name, registration evidence, and recent activity reporting.
- Ask exactly how the funds will be used, and get a receipt or transaction record.
A missing search result is a reason to ask questions, not proof an organization never existed. The average integrity assessment is 31.8 out of 100 because the source directory discloses little registration and financial information, not because it judges the organizations to be weak.
How can you donate to disaster relief in Indonesia?
Give to Indonesian disaster relief through an organization that clearly names the emergency, operating area, recipient, and intended use of funds. Start with GiveRadar's Indonesia disaster-relief listings, then confirm the organization through the relevant official channel before following its donation instructions.
For flood appeals, check that the campaign is current and separates immediate aid from longer-term recovery. Well-known names in this field include PMI (the Indonesian Red Cross), while zakat-based emergency giving should go through BAZNAS or an authorized LAZ if tax deductibility matters.