What is the Services Sector?

1º. Sector: State
2º. Sector: Market
3º. Sector: Entities

The Services Sector is represented by the entities of the Civil Society, a non-profit public organization, aiming at managing projects, assuming responsabilities, fostering initiatives, and providing the resources necessary to the socio-environmental development of the country. The Civil Society is built according to the law, and is free to undertake solidary private initiative. It makes no profit and is only intended to the public interest.  

  Usually, entities are described as follow:

- Non-profit organization (NGO). Originally, the term has been used by the United Nation Organization (UNO) in 1950 to define an organization that “has not been established through governmental terms”. Basically, it fits any non-profit organization without governmental affiliation.
      
- Civil Association. Legally acknowledged by the Article 5°. of the Constitution of the Brazilian Federal Republic of 1988 and by the Federal Law 10.406/02. 

- Civil Society Organization of Public Interest (OSCIP). It is acknowledged by the Federal Law 9.790/99. The state formally recognizes its existence as a privately-owned organization with public interests. Its company-like structure is designed to achieve social objectives. Poorly advertized so far, few people know about it.

  What is the importance of the Services Sector?

  How to make an entity of the Services Sector?

 
First, define the entity’s objectives: Why? For what?;
Gather a group of people, all strongly interested in achieving the same objectives;
Create a Commission in charge of writing the Entity Charter and present a draft that will be discussed, analyzed, modified if necessary, to get the final approval of entity’s members ina General Assembly (GA) (CHARTER MODEL);
Send to the invited members a convocation for this specific AG with date, time, place and program, including the Charter’s draft (CONVOCATION MODEL);
Conduct the GA of the Entity’s creation;
President and Assembly Secretary should be elected at that point;
Initiate debates, especially regarding Charter’s objectives (it is not fixed, and may be modified in other later GAs);
Elections should be conducted after the Charter will be approved according to its rules;
Develop Steering Committee qualifications, name, responsibilities, civil status, date of birth, job, RG and CPF (ID number for strangers with certified copy of ID document), signed by the President (STEERING COMMITTEE QUALIFICATION MODEL);
Write the GA Deed and read it to the persons who attended the meeting;
   Deed should be signed by both President and Assembly Secretary (DEED MODEL);
   List all members who were present and get them to sign the list (PRESENCE LIST MODEL).

  How to register as a legal person?

 
1. Look for a Registration Consulting Office for legal persons in your city;

2. Provide all required documents*, register the GA Deed for the creation of your entity, Charter and all Entity documents (REQUIREMENT MODEL);

3. Provide 02 copies of the Convocation, Charter, GA Deed, Steering Committee qualification and Presence list for this first assembly.

* ATTENTION! Required documents may vary from one consulting office to another.

 
- Look for an accountant to book-keeping your entity expenses;

- Your entity should be added to the National Cadastre of Legal Person (CNPJ) in the Secretary of Federal Receipt (SRF);
 
- If desired, ask for the OSCIP status for your entity (OSCIP) and send all required documents to the Justice Ministry (MJ);

- Open a bank account;

- Create your entity’s official website;

- Develop projects, annual plans for funding solutions and assessment plans;

São Paulo. 2000. Secretaria do Meio Ambiente. Procedimentos para a criação de uma entidade abientalista. Secretaria de Estado do Meio Ambiente. São Paulo: SMA. 60p.

Organização da Sociedade Civil de Interesse Público. 2000. A Lei 9.790/99 como Alternativa para o Terceiro Setor. 2ª. ed. Comunidade Solidária. Brasília, DF.

  Interesting websites