Supporting organisation criteria

Organisations wanting to become supporting organisations need to meet the following criteria:

• Have a focus on MS

• Provide reliable evidence-based information and advice

• Be independent of government, political parties and pharmaceutical companies

• Work nationally (unless there is no national MS organisation)

• Be legally incorporated and registered with the relevant national authority as a not for profit (charitable, public welfare or similar) organisation with a suitable governing document (constitution/ statutes/byelaws/memorandum and articles/charter, or similar)

• Keep accurate annual records of its income, expenditure and assets, open for scrutiny by the MS International Federation

• Undertake to communicate and network with other supporting organisations and the MS International Federation member organisation in their country, or participate in coordination meetings if called by the member organisation

• Are based in a country with an MS International Federation member organisation (i.e. they cannot be branches of existing members or supporting organisations)

• Have processes to include people with MS that enable them to influence the organisation

• Are of good standing within the country, as judged by MS International Federation’s member there.