The Association Portal
The Association Portal (Foreningsportalen) gives you overview and information about more than 500 regional and nationwide voluntary social associations in Denmark.
Find your way to volunteer associations in Denmark that work to improve the conditions for e.g. exposed children, young people, the elderly, the homless and abusers. Find patient associations and disability organisations or associations working with minorities, immigrants and refugees.
See the overview of local volunteer centres
The Association Portal is funded by The National Civil Society Strategy.
The Danish Institute for Voluntary Effort operates and develops the portal for the Ministry of Childrend and Social Affairs.
See The Association Portal (in Danish only)
What is an association (forening) in Denmark?
In Denmark there is freedom of association. The Danish Constitutional Act stipulates in section 78 that citizens have the right to form associations without any prior permission for any legitimate purpose.
An association is a group or union of people, organizations, institutions, companies, with a common aim or common interests, organized and managed by ordinary democratic rules and procedures
An association may have the character of a legal person – i.e. that the association can conclude agreements and assume obligations in the same way as persons or companies and act in the form of "associations" according to Danish legislation.
The purpose of an association can be "ideal" such as social and charity associations, sports associations, civil society associations or unions, or it may have an economic purpose, such as cooperatives.
There is no actual single act governing associations in Denmark, i.e. a law that places specific requirements on an association before it can be declared legal. The founders and members of the association can draft their own articles of association, which are the only "laws" that regulate the association's internal affairs.
Associations play a major role in the Danish society. Many affairs administered by public authorities in other countries are conducted by private associations in Denmark (in some cases with public grants) – e.g. unemployment funds.