Non-governmental organization facts for kids

"NGO" redirects here. For other uses, see NGO (disambiguation).

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a group that works independently from any government. Think of them as private groups that focus on helping people or solving problems. They often work on important issues like human rights, protecting the natural environment, or improving health. Even though they are independent, some NGOs get money from governments to help with their projects. The idea of NGOs became well-known after the United Nations was formed in 1945.

NGOs are usually non-profit, meaning they don't aim to make money for owners. They are different from international organizations (IGOs), which are groups made up of governments. NGOs are created by citizens and work for the public good.

Non-governmental organization

Abbreviation	NGO
Formation	1945
Type	Non-profit
Purpose	Humanitarian, social, environmental, development
Headquarters	Worldwide
Membership	Varies
Official language	Varies
Secretary-General	Varies
Main organ	Varies
Website	Varies

NGOs are grouped in two main ways:

What they do: This means the kind of activities they focus on. For example, some work on human rights, while others focus on environmentalism or health.
Where they work: This describes how big their reach is. They can work locally in a small community, or nationally across a whole country, or even internationally across many countries.

Many countries have a large number of NGOs. For example, India has over 3.7 million registered NGOs. The United States has about 1.5 million.

Types of NGOs

NGOs help achieve goals for their members or founders. These goals can include improving the natural environment or helping people in need. They might also represent specific interests, like those of businesses. NGOs can fund local projects and other groups, or they can run projects themselves.

Focus Areas for NGOs

NGOs can be grouped by their main focus:

Charity: These groups often provide help to people in need. They might offer food, shelter, or other basic necessities.
Service: These NGOs provide important services. This can include healthcare or education.
Participatory: These groups involve local people in their projects. People might contribute money, tools, land, or their own work.
Empowerment: These NGOs help people understand issues affecting their lives. They aim to increase people's ability to control their own future.
Professional Groups: These are voluntary groups of people with shared interests. Examples include sports clubs or cultural associations.

Where NGOs Operate

NGOs also differ based on how widely they operate:

Community-based organizations (CBOs): These groups work directly in local communities. They help people understand their rights and provide services.
City-wide organizations: These include groups like business associations or educational groups that work across a city.
State NGOs: These organizations work at a state or provincial level. Some are guided by larger national or international NGOs.
National NGOs: These groups operate within a single country. They might have branches in different cities or states.
International NGOs (INGOs): These organizations work in many countries. Groups like Save the Children are examples. They can fund local projects or run their own programs worldwide.

Other Names for NGOs

You might hear NGOs called by other names. Some common ones include:

CSO: This stands for civil society organization. It's a broad term for any group formed by citizens.
ENGO: This means Environmental NGO. These groups work to protect the environment, like Greenpeace.
GONGO: This is a Government-Organized Non-Governmental Organization. These are sometimes created by governments to look like independent groups.
INGO: This is an International NGO. These NGOs work across different countries.
YOUNGO: These are Youth NGOs. They advocate for the rights and interests of young people.

What NGOs Do

NGOs play a very important role in helping people. They assist those affected by natural disasters or other challenges. NGOs act as helpers, motivators, and partners. They provide essential goods and services to people who need them. They also gather money and volunteers to deliver aid quickly and effectively.

NGOs also work to create positive change. They speak up for policies that help communities in need. They often work with governments and other groups to solve big problems. A key strength of NGOs is their ability to work closely with communities. This helps them understand local issues and tailor their services to specific needs.

NGOs use different methods. Some are mainly advocacy groups, meaning they try to influence decisions. Others run programs and activities directly. For example, Oxfam helps people get food and drinking water. The Afghanistan Information Management Services provides technical support for other organizations' development work.

The World Bank divides NGO activities into two main types:

Operational NGOs: These groups focus on designing and carrying out projects. They work to make direct, small-scale changes.
Advocacy NGOs: These groups work to promote a specific cause. They try to influence policies and practices of governments and international groups.

Many NGOs do both. An operational NGO might advocate for policy changes if they see problems in their field. An advocacy NGO might also run programs to help individuals they are trying to protect.

Operational Activities

Operational NGOs aim to make direct changes through projects. They gather money, materials, and volunteers for local programs. They often hold large fundraising events. They may also apply for grants from governments or other organizations. These NGOs often have a structured organization. Their main offices have professionals who plan projects and manage money. They are often involved in delivering services, emergency relief, or public welfare.

Advocacy Activities

Advocacy NGOs, or campaigning NGOs, aim for large-scale change. They try to influence the political system indirectly. These groups need active members to keep supporters informed and motivated. They plan demonstrations and events to get media attention. Advocacy NGOs often work on issues like human rights, women's rights, and children's rights. Their main goal is to defend or promote a specific cause.

Public Relations

NGOs need good public relations to achieve their goals. They use campaigns to raise funds and work with governments. These groups can be politically important, influencing social and political outcomes.

How NGOs are Organized

Staffing

Some NGOs have paid staff, while others rely on volunteers. Many NGOs use local employees or volunteers in developing countries. Sometimes, foreign staff are hired, especially if donors want to see projects managed by people from wealthier countries. While foreign staff might bring expertise, they can also be more expensive. Local staff often have better connections within the community.

On average, NGO employees might earn a bit less than those in for-profit companies or government jobs. However, they often receive more benefits.

Funding

NGOs are usually funded by donations. Some smaller groups are run entirely by volunteers without formal funding. Many NGOs have charitable status, which means they don't have to pay certain taxes. This recognizes their social, political, or religious work. Since World War II, NGOs have become very important in international development. They help with humanitarian aid and reducing poverty.

Funding can come from membership fees, selling goods or services, or grants. They also receive money from international groups, national governments, and private donations. Even though "non-governmental" means independent, many NGOs rely on government funding. For example, a significant part of Oxfam's income has come from the British government and the EU.

Government funding for NGOs can be a topic of discussion. Some people believe it might affect an NGO's independence. Some NGOs, like Greenpeace, choose not to accept money from governments.

Overhead Costs

Overhead is the money an NGO spends on running the organization itself. This includes office rent, salaries for administrative staff, and accounting costs. It's not money spent directly on projects. People often judge NGOs by how much of their budget goes to overhead. A lower percentage is usually seen as better. Some guidelines suggest that over 86 percent of funds should go to programs, with less than 20 percent on overhead.

However, focusing only on low overhead can sometimes be a problem. If an NGO spends too little on its own operations, it might not have the resources to run its programs effectively. It's important for NGOs to be transparent about how they use their money. They should also show how effective their programs are.

History of NGOs

International NGOs have existed for a long time, since at least the late 1700s. They were important in movements like ending slavery and gaining voting rights for women. The term "NGO" became popular after the United Nations was founded in 1945. The UN Charter allowed non-governmental groups to have a special "consultative status." This meant they could advise the UN.

The number of NGOs grew quickly in Western countries. This growth became global after the fall of the communist system. In the 20th century, globalization made NGOs even more important. While international treaties often focused on business, NGOs highlighted humanitarian issues and sustainable development. For example, the 1992 Earth Summit showed how powerful international NGOs could be in environmental matters.

NGOs and World Affairs

NGOs provide important services that governments in developing countries might not be able to offer. They can work with government agencies to deliver public goods and services more efficiently. NGOs also help change cultures, structures, and daily operations.

Advocacy NGOs work to change behaviors and ideas through communication. They create messages to promote social, political, or environmental changes. Some NGOs even expand into news reporting. Movement NGOs bring people together for large-scale activities to push for their goals.

Since the end of the Cold War, many NGOs in wealthier countries have expanded their work internationally. They have influenced policy changes in developing countries by being involved in local and national efforts.

World NGO Day

World NGO Day is celebrated every year on February 27. It was first recognized in 2010 by 12 countries in the Baltic Sea region. It gained international recognition in 2014 in Helsinki, Finland. This day celebrates the important contributions of NGOs to society.

NGO Diplomacy

In the world of NGOs, diplomacy means building and keeping good relationships. This includes working with other organizations, important groups, and governments. The goal is to achieve shared objectives related to social or environmental issues.

NGOs often work in complex situations where many different groups have different interests. Diplomacy helps NGOs navigate these situations. It allows them to talk constructively with various groups. This helps build understanding, agreement, and cooperation. Good NGO diplomacy involves building trust and promoting openness. NGOs use advocacy, lobbying, partnerships, and negotiations to achieve their goals. By working together, NGOs can have a greater impact.

Challenges and Criticisms of NGOs

While NGOs do a lot of good, they also face challenges and criticisms.

Negative Outcomes

Some critics say that NGOs can sometimes cause problems, even with good intentions. For example, in some places, too many NGOs working on health might accidentally make the local health system less organized. They might pull health workers away from their regular jobs to work on NGO projects. This can weaken the government's ability to manage its own health services.

Other concerns include:

Tunnel Vision: Some NGOs might focus too much on their specific cause. They might not consider how their actions affect other important issues.
Too Many NGOs: In some areas, having too many NGOs can reduce the influence of any single one.
High Costs: Running international development projects can be expensive for NGOs. This might mean less money reaches the people who need it most.

Foreign Influence Concerns

NGOs have sometimes been criticized for being influenced by foreign interests. Some worry that they might unintentionally continue older patterns of powerful countries influencing less powerful ones. Critics have suggested that some NGOs are used as tools by certain Western countries. For example, Russian president Vladimir Putin made this accusation in 2007. He said some NGOs are financed by foreign powers and are therefore controlled by them.

There are also concerns that NGOs might not always represent the true needs of developing countries. This could lead to solutions that are not suitable for local problems.

"Foreign Agent" Laws and GONGOs

In recent years, some governments have created laws to limit NGO activities. These are often called "foreign agent laws." They force NGOs that receive money from other countries to register as "foreign agents." This term often has a negative meaning. Registration can lead to strict government checks, public distrust, and even the closure of NGOs. Russia's 2012 law is a well-known example. It has been used to shut down many human rights and environmental groups. Critics say these laws are used to stop people from speaking freely.

On the other hand, some governments create their own organizations that look like NGOs. These are called GONGOs. They are set up and supported by the government. GONGOs are often used by governments with strict control to promote their policies. They might use the language of human rights to seem legitimate and counter criticism from real, independent NGOs.

Spreading False Information

Some NGOs have been accused of using false information in their campaigns. Critics argue that sometimes NGOs might prioritize their own goals over scientific accuracy. This can lead to debates about how NGOs present facts to the public.

Challenges to Legitimacy

An important asset for an NGO is its legitimacy. This means being seen as an independent and trustworthy voice. Some questions arise about whether NGOs truly represent the people they aim to help. Especially for international NGOs, they might not always directly interact with the communities they represent.

An NGO's funding can also affect its legitimacy. Many NGOs rely on a few large donors. This can create pressure from donors who might add conditions to their funding. These conditions could threaten an NGO's independence. If NGOs become too dependent on government aid, they might be less willing to speak out on issues that governments dislike.

Misuse of money, like embezzlement or fraud, can also harm an NGO's credibility. Transparency and good management are very important for NGOs to maintain trust.

Images for kids

Europe-Georgia Institute head George Melashvili addresses the audience at the launch of the "Europe in a suitcase" project by two NGOs (the EGI and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation), which aims to increase cooperation between European politicians, journalists and representatives of the civic sector and academia with their counterparts in Georgia.
World NGO Day 2014 in Afghanistan
Workers from an NGO participating in local community work - some critics allege that NGOs prioritize their special interests over community wellbeing.