Americas
Chile.
Chile's C贸digo Penal lists, among minor offenses, failing to help a person found wounded, mistreated or in danger of perishing in an unpopulated place. Ley 19.885 gives tax benefits for donations to qualifying nonprofits serving people with low income or disabilities, and Ley 20.500 governs associations and citizen participation.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
LimitedArticle 494 no. 14 of the C贸digo Penal punishes, with a fine of one to four monthly tax units, anyone who does not help a person found 'en despoblado' (in an unpopulated place) wounded, mistreated or in danger of perishing, when able to do so without detriment to themselves. The wording is limited to unpopulated places.
Are people who help protected?
None foundNo statute specifically protecting people who help a stranger in good faith was found in the sources reviewed.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Chile relies heavily on volunteers: the fire service (Bomberos) is staffed almost entirely by unpaid volunteers, and the Cruz Roja Chilena, food banks and many local foundations also take volunteers and gifts. Many social services are also run by church-linked groups; this list does not recommend any of them.
Check a charity before you give
The government page for the national registry of nonprofit legal entities, where you can confirm that a foundation or association legally exists.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Before giving, ask the group for its RUT and its registration, and check it in the national registry; be careful with street collectors and unsolicited calls or messages asking for transfers.
- Official bodies such as the Red Cross, Bomberos and the Ministry of Health do not ask you to pay to volunteer.
- Visitors can volunteer, but short-term foreign volunteers should confirm with the host group whether their visa status allows unpaid work.
This list does not cover small local groups, animal welfare or the many church-run services. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Chile ties donation benefits to a public registry and recordkeeping duties for the recipient organizations, as described by its tax authority.
What this does not mean
Translations are this guide's own. The texts of Ley 19.885 and Ley 20.500 could not be retrieved from the Biblioteca del Congreso, so those two entries rely on official Servicio de Impuestos Internos rulings that describe them; the statutes themselves were not read directly, and Ley 20.500's participation provisions are not described. Article 494 is a minor-offense provision limited to unpopulated places. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.