CESE call for proposals supports regularization of AMASPRENT’s legal status
Regulatory compliance is essential for the financial and institutional life of a non-governmental organization or association. Without this, organizations are unable to sign contracts, obtain support, sign agreements, or even open bank accounts. Seeking a solution to this, the Association of Women of Attitude and their Relatives on the Nova Terra Estate (Associação das Mulheres de Atitude e sua Parentela do Residencial Nova Terra: AMASPRENT) saw an opportunity in CESE’s 2022 “Amazon for All Struggles” call for proposals.
“Initially, [we needed] to be legal and formalized, since we know that 99% of calls for proposals are only open to formally registered organizations, except for CESE’s, because they understood our difficulty and that of so many organizations in formalizing and keeping everything up-to-date. Regulatory compliance also enables us to empower our associates and the community in which we’re located,” declared Naia Rejane Fonseca Costa, AMASPRENT Coordinator.
The project’s aim was to regularize their situation with the Inland Revenue (Receita Federal), update their registration and amend their constitution with a notary public, and pay for a Digital Certificate. They also plan to run a Workshop in Adornments for African-Origin Religions with the Guerreiros de Fé Luz Acima Worship House, as part of their strengthening activities.
When an association does not have legal status it encounters various problems, such as internal disorganization and loss of credibility with other organizations and supporters, is unable to apply for funding and prevented from running simple activities. For an organization to legally exist, it needs to have its founding minutes and Articles of Association registered with the notary’s office, as well as Internal Regulations that allow it to complement possible gaps. It is also essential to obtain a number from the National Register of Legal Entities (Cadastro Nacional de Pessoa Jurídica: CNPJ) and to register with the Inland Revenue.
AMASPRENT is in the process of compliance and adjustments, which means electing an new board/president, defining election platforms, and preparing minutes and other documents. According to Naia, the project was extremely important. “Without CESE’s support, we wouldn’t have been able to get organized. Today, all bodies ask groups for their documents, so they can enter into agreements and we’ve never seen anything like the opportunity CESE provided through its call for proposals. We are grateful to God and to the Ecumenical Coordination of Service (Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço: CESE) for benefiting our beloved AMASPRENT,” she said.
“We work with social services, culture, the LGBTQIA+ community, children, adolescents, young people and women, offering crafts workshops and courses in partnership with other organizations. However, because our documents aren’t “organized,” we’ve missed out on many things in recent years,” she added.