What are non-governmental organisations all about?

Appeals for donations seem to come from every direction these days – in an email, a knock at the door or a collector on the street.

The cause might be starving children in Africa, human rights abuses in China or rehabilitating prostitutes in India.

World Vision, Oxfam and Amnesty International are just a few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating internationally.

Other big players that may sound familiar are Greenpeace, Save the Children and the French-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).

But there are thousands more less well-known organisations that make a huge contribution to improving our world.

An NGO is a non-for-profit entity that does assistance or development work but is not part of any government.

In most cases, an NGO aims to fulfil the social, humanitarian or environmental goals of the people who created it.

Many focus on development and emergency aid in third world nations and other societies in need. Some focus on local issues while others operate globally.

Emphasis is often based on sustainable development projects i.e. hand ups rather than hand outs.

One of Oxfam‘s ongoing campaigns is helping some of the world's poorest people access clean drinking water and sanitation.

It was also one of many NGOs that provided relief in Haiti after their devastating earthquake in January.

Some organisations work on the ground while others concentrate on lobbying politicians to change policies. Many operate in Africa where there are widespread problems with bad governance, poor health, HIV/AIDS and poverty.

Early NGOs date back to the 1830s and were important in anti-slavery and women’s suffrage movements. But the actual term NGO was invented by the United Nations.

The UN believed that the role of non-governmental groups was essential in worldwide development.

To assist with this development, the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) was founded in 2000 to develop a code of ethics for member NGOs to follow.

Somewhat ironically though, many NGOs depend heavily on government funding. So to maintain their neutrality, they exclude government representation in the organisation.

Other funding comes from private donations, subscriptions, sales, and in recent times from the corporate sector where showing social responsibility is becoming increasingly popular.

But the funding doesn’t come without responsibility. A healthy public image and showing how all their money is spent is thought to be critical for many NGOs – especially large ones that need to run sophisticated fundraising and lobbying campaigns.

Funding can often be conditional on clean financial records, leaving some NGOs struggling with the high level of management and reporting required.

Some critics say an NGO can never truly be impartial if its existence relies on funding from business or government. Another criticism is that NGOs can have racial or religious objectives that can cause further problems rather than solving them.

While many governments welcome NGOs and often work with them on projects, some find them a nuisance in operations, or a threat to more powerful political interests.

But cooperation between NGOs and governments is essential these days to understanding and solving the world’s problems.

NGOs certainly play an important role on the international stage and they look like they're here to stay.

But they must be careful to maintain their prized integrity and neutrality despite pressure from some donors to take sides – an increasingly difficult job in this tough economic climate.

By Carolyn Thomas

Photo – A doctor volunteering for Medecins Sans Frontieres in Africa.