Interestingly, from what I read here it seems a lot simpler to set up a tax exempt non-profit in France (Europe?).
Basically you just register the statute of the non-profit (it's inner working), and you can then act as a registered non-profit exempt from many taxes (non-profit meaning you can't share the revenue between the members as if they were shareholders).
The tax administration can control at any point, of course, and ask for taxes if you start doing for-profit or clearly commercial activities that are not covered by the rules.
Then if you want to exempt donations, as in this case, you have to be of general interest (for the common good).
You don't need to apply, You can just self-check against a list of criterias, and emit a fiscal receipt for you donators (but you might have to prove it later).
Or you can ask the tax administration to confirm and declare that you are of general interest.
And then there is another step for more exemptions, for your donators "of public utility" ("d'intérêt public"). This is way harder to get and is granted and published by the government. This is for bigger fondations working on great, wide issues.
Then if you want to exempt donations, as in this case, you have to be of general interest (for the common good).
You don't need to apply, You can just self-check against a list of criterias, and emit a fiscal receipt for you donators (but you might have to prove it later). Or you can ask the tax administration to confirm and declare that you are of general interest.
And then there is another step for more exemptions, for your donators "of public utility" ("d'intérêt public"). This is way harder to get and is granted and published by the government. This is for bigger fondations working on great, wide issues.