Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), in general terms, are nonprofit organizations composed of like-minded individuals that seek to influence society on the local, national, or global level. NGOs serve a wide variety of functions, but their main focus is to foster accountability and to inform the public of social issues. There are thousands of NGOs around the world, and each has its own particular goal. Some organizations may follow a general mission such as gaining equality for all women, while others have a specific focus such as providing clean water to Ugandan youth.

Each organization maintains a certain orientation in order to carry out its goals. These may include a basis of service, participatory, charitable, or empowerment orientation. Charitable groups may donate food or clothes to the poor. Participatory organizations focus on self-help programs in their area and are usually on-going. Service groups normally give time and provide much needed services in an area needing improvement. Empowerment focused organizations generally focus on the outside forces that contribute to an issue, such as social pressures and policies.

Organizations can also be classified as operational or advocacy based. Operational NGOs follow specific guidelines in order to design and carry out projects. For instance a local group hosts literature nights in order to increase female literacy in the area. In contrast, an advocacy based organization may utilize the media to inform the public of the low literacy rates and increase public support for education.

NGOs are defined by their lack of government affiliation or control. However, business leaders may become involved in several ways, such as serving as board members. Because each country has its own guidelines determining NGO status, the exact number of current nonprofits remains unknown but they usually fall into three levels:

1. Local NGOs

Local or Community-based NGOs focus on the needs of the immediate, regional area. These groups often have a particular focus group or membership such as a women’s group or a farmers association. Success is often inclusive and beneficial only to the members involved.

2. National NGOs

National NGOs operate on a wider plane and target policy in order to influence a cause or issue. They often serve the role of mediators between the public and policy makers. For example, The Borgen Project advocates an end to global poverty by directly informing American citizens of the effects of poverty and directly urging US lawmakers to maintain policy in support of foreign aid.

3. Global NGOs

Global NGOs, such as Amnesty International, advocate and design programs in order to deal with global issues. Focused primarily on developing countries, it is common for these groups to conduct several programs simultaneously in different regions of the world. Also, many of these organizations work in conjunction with the United Nations, following predetermined guide lines like the Millennium Development Goals.

– Jasmine D. Smith

Sources: NGO.org, Amnesty.org, NGO Handbook

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