RUSSIA FEDERAL LAW NO. 7-FZ OF JANUARY 12,1996 ON NONCOMMERCIAL ORGANIZAITONS
Article 2
A Nonprofit Organization
1. A nonprofit organization is one, which does not aim at deriving a profit as a key objective of its activity and does not distribute generated profits among its participants.
2. Non-profit organizations may be established for the pursuit of social, charitable, cultural, educational, scientific, and managerial activities undertaken with the goal of protecting health, developing fitness and sports activities. Also satisfying spiritual and other non-material needs of individuals, protecting individuals' and organizations' rights and interests, solving conflicts and disputes, providing legal assistance, and for other purposes aimed at achieving the public good.
3. Nonprofit organizations may be created in the form of public and religious organizations (associations), nonprofit partnerships, institutions, autonomous nonprofit organizations, social, charitable and any other foundations, associations and unions, and in other forms determined by the federal laws.
Article 24
Types of Activity of a Nonprofit Organization
1. A nonprofit organization may engage in one type of activity or several activities which are not prohibited by the legislation of the Russian Federation and which are consistent with the objectives of the nonprofit organization as determined by its statutory documents.
The legislation of the Russian Federation may impose restrictions on the right of certain types of nonprofit organizations to engage in specific activities.
Certain activities require a special permit (license) to be conducted by a nonprofit organization. The list of such activities is determined by law.
2. A nonprofit organization may engage in business activity only insofar as it advances the purposes for which it was created. Such activities are: profitable production of goods and services consistent with the objectives of the nonprofit organization, acquisition and selling of securities, property rights and non-property rights, participation in entrepreneurial societies and limited partnerships as an investor.
The legislation of the Russian Federation may impose restrictions on the business activity of certain types of nonprofit organizations.
3. A nonprofit organization must keep the records of the revenues and expenses of its business activity.
4. To advance its statutory goals, a nonprofit organization may create other nonprofit organizations and join associations or unions.