Legal & Compliance
Everything that keeps the foundation in good legal standing. HK-incorporated parent + US fiscal sponsor (FDR-001).
Structure
- HK Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) — primary entity. No share capital. Members guarantee small amount on winding-up. Standard rare-disease foundation structure in HK.
- Section 88 charity status — apply to IRD (HK Inland Revenue) after 6-12 months of operating history. Tax-exempt + tax-deductible HK donations.
- US fiscal sponsor — partner with an existing US 501(c)(3) (Players Philanthropy Fund or similar) for tax-deductible US donations until the foundation has scale to justify its own 501(c)(3). Saves $5-15k legal + ongoing compliance.
Active projects
- index — Day 1-30
- (future) Section 88 application — month 9-12
- (future) US fiscal sponsor agreement — month 1-3
Compliance calendar
| When | Artifact | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | Annual Return NAR1 to Companies Registry | Egor |
| Annual | Audited financial statements (above HKD threshold) | External auditor |
| Annual | Section 88 review + filings | IRD + treasurer |
| Quarterly | Board minutes filed | Company secretary |
| Per disbursement | Grant agreement signed | Egor + grantee |
Key documents
- Articles of Association —
documents/templates/aoa-clg-section88.md(template) - Founder’s Statement —
documents/templates/founders-statement.md - Conflict of Interest Policy —
governance/policies/conflict-of-interest.md - Whistleblower Policy —
governance/policies/whistleblower.md - Document Retention Policy —
governance/policies/document-retention.md - Data Protection Policy —
governance/policies/data-protection.md
Open questions
- HK lawyer for AoA review — get 2-3 quotes (HKD 1,500-2,500 range)
- US fiscal sponsor — Players Philanthropy Fund vs Open Collective Foundation vs Hopewell Fund
- Mainland China structure — defer to Year 2-3
- Singapore option — explored, deferred (FDR-001 picked HK)
Connections
[part-of]index[applies]index[see-also]FDR-001[source]legal-structure-cross-border