How many NGOs and charities are there in Malawi, and who registers them?
GiveRadar tracks 1,222 NGOs and charities in Malawi. They come from the register of the NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA), kept under the Non-Governmental Organisations Act. This is a register of NGOs authorised to operate, not a list vetted for charitable quality.
In Chichewa an NGO is a bungwe losakhala la boma. NGOs usually first gain legal personality as incorporated trustees or as a company limited by guarantee, then register with NGORA. Registration is mandatory before an NGO operates in Malawi.
How do you register an NGO in Malawi?
NGOs in Malawi register with the NGO Regulatory Authority under the Non-Governmental Organisations Act 2001, as amended in 2022. An organisation first obtains legal personality, then completes NGORA registration through the MyNGO portal.
Registration requires prescribed governance, activity and reporting information, and NGORA can suspend or cancel it. Since the 2022 amendment, proving CONGOMA membership is no longer a prerequisite for registration, though many NGOs still join the umbrella body.
What does NGORA registration mean, and what is CONGOMA?
NGORA registration is the regulatory authorisation an NGO needs to operate, not a certification that it is effective or well run. It records that an organisation is on the statutory register under supervision; it is not incorporation or tax approval.
CONGOMA, the Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi, is the sector's umbrella body and maintains an NGO Code of Conduct. It is a coordinating and self-regulation body, not the regulator, so membership is a voluntary quality signal rather than proof of status.
Are donations to Malawian charities tax-deductible?
A donation is deductible only where the Minister has approved the charitable organisation by Gazette notice under the Taxation Act. NGO registration alone does not make a gift deductible, and a separate First Schedule exemption covers qualifying public-character charitable institutions (mra.mw).
Because tax approval and NGORA registration are separate, confirm an organisation's approved-charity status with the Malawi Revenue Authority before assuming relief applies.
How do you check a Malawian NGO before you donate?
Check a Malawian NGO in the NGORA register before giving, using its exact name or registration number. A familiar name or a website is not a substitute for confirming registration and, for tax relief, approved-charity status.
- Look the organisation up in the NGORA MyNGO register.
- For a tax deduction, confirm its approved-charity status with the Malawi Revenue Authority.
- Note whether it is a CONGOMA member, a voluntary code-of-conduct signal.
- Read the organisation'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 Malawi?
Malawi offers direct giving to registered NGOs working across health, education, agriculture and community development in its three regions. Choose a cause deliberately, verify the recipient and use only payment details the organisation itself publishes.
- Explore Malawian NGOs by district, from Lilongwe to Blantyre, and compare organisations serving the outcome you value.
- Confirm the recipient's NGORA registration and, for a tax deduction, its approved-charity status.
- Give through the organisation's confirmed bank details or a secure, published payment channel.
- Keep the receipt. See GiveRadar's guidance for donors for more checks.