Mr Guzman: Proper Legal Structure for a Community Business Association

[cobraboy]

Mr. Guzman, in the states we have Chambers of Commerce that are structured as non-profit corporations with voluntary membership. I understand in the DR a CoC is more of a public organization and is either a formal or informal arm of the government. The two cannot be used interchangeably, and will definitely cause some confusion to Dominicans.

What would the proper legal structure of a non-profit organization be for a community wanting to form a Business Alliance that would act like a traditional non-profit Chamber of Commerce in the states?

I understand a "Cooperative" does not allow religious or political dealings. But a Community Business Alliance would have some Government Affairs as a responsibility, to educate members on pending legislation and lobby elected officials on the local impact of proposed legislation.

How could this be structured?

Thanks. And we appreciate the work you and Joel Carlo have done for our company

[Fabio J. Guzman]

What you need would be a non-profit association ("Asociación sin fines de lucro") organized under Law #122-05. Joel could help you structure one.