A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an entity that is not part of the government. This can include non-profit and for-profit entities. An NGO may get a significant percentage or even all of its funding from government sources. An NGO typically is thought to be a nonprofit organization that operates partially independent of government control. Non-profit NGOs often focus on humanitarian or social issues but can also include clubs and associations offering services to members. Some non-profit NGOs, like the World Economic Forum, may also act as lobby groups for corporations. Unlike intergovernmental organizations, which directly interact with sovereign states and governments, NGOs are independent from them.
The term as it is used today was first introduced in Article 71 of the newly formed United Nations Charter in 1945. While there is no fixed or formal definition for what NGOs are, they are generally defined as non-profit entities that are independent of government management or direction—although they may receive government funding.
According to the UN Department of Global Communications, an NGO is "a not-for-profit, voluntary citizen's group that is organized on a local, national or international level to address issues in support of the public good". The term NGO is used inconsistently, and is sometimes used synonymously with civil society organization (CSO), which is any association founded by citizens."Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the United States" (fact sheet). 20 January 2017. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. U.S. Department of State. state.gov. Retrieved 21 September 2017. In some countries, NGOs are known as non-profit organizations while political parties and trade unions are sometimes considered NGOs as well.
NGOs are classified by (1) orientation- entailing the type of activities an NGO undertakes, such as activities involving human rights, consumer protection, environmentalism, health, or development; and (2) level of operation, which indicates the scale at which an organization works: local, regional, national, or international.
Russia had about 277,000 NGOs in 2008. India is estimated to have had about 2 million NGOs in 2009 (approximately one per 600 Indians), many more than the number of the country's primary schools and health centers. The United States has approximately 1.5 million NGOs; an NGO for every 227 people.
Types NGOs further the social goals of their members (or founders): improving the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda. Their goals cover a wide range of issues. They may fund local NGOs, institutions and projects, and implement projects.
NGOs can be in the following ways:
Orientation, i.e. the type of activities an NGO undertakes, such as activities involving human rights, consumer protection, environmentalism, health, or development. Level of operation, which indicates the scale at which an organization works: local, regional, national, or international.
Orientation Charity — Often a top-down effort, with little participation or input from beneficiaries. They include NGOs directed at meeting the needs of disadvantaged people and groups. Service — Includes NGOs that provide healthcare (including family planning) and education. Participatory — Self-help projects with local involvement in the form of money, tools, land, materials or labor. Empowerment — Aim to help poor people to understand the social, political, and economic factors affecting their lives, and to increase awareness of their power to control their lives. With maximum involvement by the beneficiaries, the NGOs are facilitators. Professional (trade) union (association) — A voluntary association or union of people with common interests including sports, culture, others, i.e. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, FIFA.
Level of operation Community-based organizations (CBOs) — Popular initiatives which can raise the consciousness of the urban poor, helping them understand their right to services, and providing such services. City-wide organizations — Include chambers of commerce and industry, coalitions of business, ethnic or educational groups, and community organizations. State NGOs — Include state-level organizations, associations, and groups. Some state NGOs are guided by national and international NGOs. National NGOs — An NGO that exists in only one country. These include national organizations such as YMCAs and YWCAs, professional associations, and similar groups. Some have state or city branches, and assist local NGOs. International NGOs (INGOs) — Range from secular agencies, such as Save the Children, to religious groups. They may fund local NGOs, institutions and projects, and implement projects.
Other terms/acronyms Similar terms include third-sector organization (TSO), non-profit organization (NPO), voluntary organization (VO), civil society organization (CSO), grassroots organization (GO), social movement organization (SMO), private voluntary organization (PVO), self-help organization (SHO), and non-state actors (NSAs). Numerous variations exist for the NGO acronym, either due to language, region, or specificity.
Some Romance languages use the synonymous abbreviation ONG; for example:
Other acronyms that are typically used to describe non-governmental organizations include: BINGO: Business-friendly international NGO or Big international NGO CSO: Civil society organization ENGO: Environmental NGO — Organizations that advocate for the environment, such as Greenpeace and the WWF. DONGO: Donor-organized NGO GONGO: Government-organized non-governmental organization — Often used derogatorily, these are government-backed NGOs that are set up to advocate on behalf of a repressive regime on the international stage. GSO: Grassroots Support Organization INGO: International NGO MANGO: Market advocacy NGO NGDO: Non-governmental development organization NNGO: Northern (UK) NGO PANGO: Party NGO — Addressing political matters. PVDO: Private voluntary development organization — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) refers to NGOs as "private voluntary organizations. Quango: Quasi-autonomous NGO — Often used derogatorily, these organizations rely on public funding. They are prevalent in the United Kingdom (where there are more than 1200), Ireland, and the Commonwealth. SBO: Social benefit organization — A goal-oriented designation. SCO: Social change organization SNGO: Southern (UK) NGO TANGO: Technical assistance NGO TNGO: Transnational NGO — Coined during the 1970s due to the increase of environmental and economic issues in the global community; TNGOs exist in two (or more) countries. YOUNGO: Youth NGOs — Advocating for youth rights.
Activities
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in improving the lives of people who have been affected by natural disasters or are facing other challenges. NGOs can act as implementers, catalysts, and partners to provide essential goods and services to those in need. They work to mobilize resources, both financial and human, to ensure that aid is delivered in a timely and effective manner.
NGOs also play a critical role in driving change by advocating for policies and practices that benefit disadvantaged communities. They often work in partnership with other organizations, including government agencies, to address complex challenges that require a collaborative approach. One of the key strengths of NGOs is their ability to work at the grassroots level and to connect with communities directly. This allows them to gain a deep understanding of the issues facing people and to tailor their services to meet the specific needs of each community.
NGOs vary by method; some are primarily advocacy groups, and others conduct programs and activities. Oxfam, concerned with poverty alleviation, may provide needy people with the equipment and skills to obtain food and drinking water; the Forum for Fact-finding Documentation and Advocacy (FFDA) helps provide legal assistance to victims of human-rights abuses. The Afghanistan Information Management Services provide specialized technical products and services to support development activities implemented on the ground by other organizations. Management techniques are crucial to project success.
The World Bank classifies NGO activity into two general categories:World Bank Criteria defining NGO
Operational NGOs, whose primary function is the design and implementation of development-related projects. Advocacy NGOs, whose primary function is to defend or promote a particular cause and who seek to influence the policies and practices of International governmental organisations (IGOs).
NGOs may also conduct both activities: operational NGOs will use campaigning techniques if they face issues in the field, which could be remedied by policy change, and campaigning NGOs (such as human-rights organizations) often have programs which assist individual victims for whom they are trying to advocate.
Operational Operational NGOs seek to "achieve small-scale change directly through projects", mobilizing financial resources, materials, and volunteers to create local programs. They hold large-scale fundraising events and may apply to governments and organizations for grants or contracts to raise money for projects. Operational NGOs often have a hierarchical structure; their headquarters are staffed by professionals who plan projects, create budgets, keep accounts, and report to and communicate with operational fieldworkers on projects. They are most often associated with the delivery of services or environmental issues, emergency relief, and public welfare. Operational NGOs may be subdivided into relief or development organizations, service-delivery or participatory, religious or secular, and public or private. Although operational NGOs may be community-based, many are national or international. The defining activity of an operational NGO is the implementation of projects.
Advocacy Advocacy NGOs or campaigning NGOs seek to "achieve large-scale change promoted indirectly through the influence of the political system". They require an active, efficient group of professional members who can keep supporters informed and motivated. Campaigning NGOs must plan and host demonstrations and events which will attract media, their defining activity.
Campaigning NGOs often deal with issues related to human rights, women's rights, and children's rights, and their primary purpose is to defend (or promote) a specific cause.
Public relations Non-governmental organizations need healthy public relations in order to meet their goals, and use sophisticated public-relations campaigns to raise funds and deal with governments. Interest groups may be politically important, influencing social and political outcomes. A code of ethics was established in 2002 by the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations.
Structure
Staffing Some NGOs rely on paid staff while others are based on volunteers. Although many NGOs use international staff in developing countries, others rely on local employees or volunteers. Foreign staff may satisfy a donor who wants to see the supported project managed by a person from an industrialized country. The expertise of these employees (or volunteers) may be counterbalanced by several factors, such as; the cost of foreigners is typically higher, they have no grassroots connections in the country, and local expertise may be undervalued. By the end of 1995, Concern Worldwide (an international anti-poverty NGO) employed 174 foreigners and just over 5,000 local staff in Haiti and ten developing countries in Africa and Asia.