Charities and nonprofits in Norway
Norway has one of the world's most generous and best-regulated philanthropic environments, with thousands of stiftelser (foundations) and frivillige organisasjoner (voluntary organizations) operating across international development, social welfare, environment, health, and culture. Norwegian charities benefit from strong public confidence, broad volunteer participation, and substantial cross-border programs funded in part by Norad and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of Norwegian charities, a Stiftelsestilsynet foundation directory, an Innsamlingskontrollen approved organization list, or a single verified Norwegian nonprofit to donate to, GiveRadar consolidates official registration data, financial information, news coverage, and an independent integrity score for every Norwegian charity. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.
How charities are registered in Norway
Norwegian foundations are governed by the Foundation Act (Stiftelsesloven) and supervised by Stiftelsestilsynet, the Norwegian Foundation Authority based in Forde, which handles administration, oversight, and control of all foundations under the Lottery and Foundation Authority. Voluntary organizations register in the Frivillighetsregisteret (Voluntary Register) at Brønnøysundregistrene. The most important fundraising-quality signal is approval by Innsamlingskontrollen, the Norwegian Control Committee for Fundraising established in 1991 and a member of the International Committee on Fundraising Organizations (ICFO). Approved organizations meet stringent transparency and ethical standards and appear on the public approved-organizations register. Norad-supported NGOs are additionally subject to grant audits and conduct standards.
Major causes and well-known Norwegian charities
The Norwegian nonprofit sector is shaped by deep international engagement and strong domestic solidarity:
- International development and humanitarian aid: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Norwegian People's Aid (Norsk Folkehjelp), Norwegian Church Aid (Kirkens Nodhjelp), Save the Children Norway (Redd Barna), and Plan International Norge.
- Health and medical research: Kreftforeningen (Norwegian Cancer Society), LHL (Heart and Lung Society), Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelsen, and Diabetesforbundet.
- Children and youth: SOS-barnebyer, Plan International Norge, Right To Play Norway, and Forandringsfabrikken.
- Environment and conservation: Naturvernforbundet, WWF Verdens naturfond Norge, Bellona, and ZERO.
- Disability and inclusion: Norges Handikapforbund, Norges Blindeforbund, and Funksjonshemmedes Fellesorganisasjon.
- Foundations and grantmakers: Stiftelsen Fritt Ord, Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, and a dense network of bank-related foundations.
- Refugee, peace, and human rights: Mennesker i Praksis, Amnesty International Norge, and the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue.
Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best international charities in Norway and best environmental charities in Norway to narrow by cause.
How to evaluate a Norwegian charity before donating
Norwegian transparency standards are among the strongest in the world, but a few quick checks always pay off. Things to verify before giving to any Norwegian charity:
- Innsamlingskontrollen approval: appearance on the public approved-organizations register is the strongest signal of fundraising integrity.
- Stiftelsestilsynet oversight: regulated foundations are subject to ongoing supervision under the Foundation Act.
- Frivillighetsregisteret entry: voluntary organizations registered here unlock access to grasrotandelen and other public benefits.
- Audited accounts: larger Norwegian charities publish detailed Norwegian GAAP financial statements.
- Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Norwegian charity against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.
Each Norwegian charity profile on GiveRadar combines registration, Innsamlingskontrollen approval, foundation oversight, financials, governance, and third-party signals into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.
Norway charity explorer: browse, filter, compare
This page works as a Norway charity explorer: every Norwegian nonprofit we hold data on, ranked and filterable by cause area, region, Innsamlingskontrollen approval, financial transparency, presence of a website, and size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (international aid, health, children, environment, disability, religion, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name or organization number. The directory updates daily as we ingest new registration data and enrich existing records with contact details, financials, programs, and news coverage. To compare Norwegian giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to international charities globally.
Donating to charities in Norway
Most Norwegian charities accept Vipps, credit-card, and bank-transfer donations directly through their websites or through grasrotandelen (the Norsk Tipping grassroots share). Norwegian taxpayers can claim a deduction on donations of NOK 500 or more (up to NOK 25,000 per year) to organizations on Skatteetaten's approved list. Bequests and corporate giving are also widely used. GiveRadar links to each charity's official donation channel where available and flags fundraising pages that look unverified. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.