When people give money to an organisation they want to know that there are budgets and structures in place to manage the money properly. Monthly and annual bookkeeping records must be kept to show clearly what money is collected and what money is spent. So, all these things need to be in place before embarking on a fund- raising initiative. It is advisable for an organisation like an advice centre to register with the Department of Social Development as a non-profit organisation (NPO). This gives the organisation credibility with donors and the community. There are also other advantages offered by the government to organisations who do register. We will first look at the Act itself and then at the process of registering as an NPO.