Non-Governmental Organization-1

The vital role of NGOs and other “major groups” in sustainable development was recognized in Chapter 27 of Agenda 21, leading to intense arrangements for a consultative relationship between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. Globalization during the 20th century gave rise to the importance of NGOs. Many problems could not be solved within a nation.

 

International treaties and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization were perceived as being too centered on the interests of capitalist enterprises. Some argued that in an attempt to counterbalance this trend, NGOs have developed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development.

 

A prominent example of this is the World Social Forum which is a rival convention to the World Economic Forum held annually in January in Davos, Switzerland. The fifth World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in January 2005 was attended by representatives from more than 1,000 NGOs.[citation needed] Some have argued that in forums like these, NGOs take the place of what should belong to popular movements of the poor.

 

Others argue that NGOs are often imperialist in nature and that they fulfill a similar function to that of the clergy during the high colonial era. Whatever the case, NGO transnational networking is now extensive.

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by private organizations or people with no participation or representation of any government. In the cases in which NGOs are funded totally or partially by governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status insofar as it excludes government representatives from membership in the organization.

 

The number of internationally operating NGOs is estimated at 40,000. National numbers are even higher: Russia has 277,000 NGOs. India is estimated to have between 1 million and 2 million NGOs. International non-governmental organizations have a history dating back to at least 1914 (Rotary, later Rotary International, was founded in 1904), where there were 1083 NGO’s. They were important in the anti-slavery movement and the movement for women’s suffrage, and reached a peak at the time of the World Disarmament Conference. However, the phrase “non-governmental organization” only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organization in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter for a consultative role for organizations which are neither governments nor member states – see Consultative Status. The definition of “international NGO” (INGO) is first given in resolution 288 (X) of ECOSOC on February 27, 1950: it is defined as “any international organization that is not founded by an international treaty”.

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Conventional Philanthropy

By the conventional definition of philanthropy, donations are dedicated to a narrowly defined cause and the donation is targeted to effectuate a recognizable change in social conditions. This often necessitates large donations and financial support sustained over time.

 

The need for a large financial commitment creates a distinction between philanthropy and charitable giving, which typically plays a supporting role in a charitable organization initiated by someone else. Thus, the conventional usage of philanthropy applies mainly to wealthy persons, and sometimes to a trust created by a wealthy person with a particular cause or objective targeted.

 

Many non-wealthy persons have dedicated – thus, donated – substantial portions of their time, effort and wealth to charitable causes. These people are not typically described as philanthropists because individual effort alone is seldom recognized as instigating significant change. These people are thought of as charitable workers but some people wish to recognize these people as philanthropists in honor of their efforts.

 

A growing trend in philanthropy is the development of giving circles, whereby individual donors — often a group of friends — pool their charitable donations and decide together how to use the money to benefit the causes they care about most. The re-emergence of philanthropy in recent years, led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, which involves applying the techniques of business to philanthropy, has been termed philanthrocapitalism.

Volunteerism

Volunteerism is the willingness of people to work on behalf of others without being motivated by financial or material gain. Volunteers may have special training as rescuers, guides, assistants, teachers, missionaries, amateur radio operators, writers, and in other positions. But the majorities work on an imprompt basis, recognizing a need and filling it, whether it is the dramatic search for a lost child or the everyday giving of directions to a lost visitor.

 

In economics, voluntary employment is unpaid employment. It may be done for altruistic reasons, for example charity, as a hobby, community service or vocation, or for the purpose of gaining experience. Some go so far as to dedicate much of their lives to voluntary service. One way in which this is done is through the creation of a Non-Profit Franchise

 

Skills-based volunteerism is a term used to describe volunteering where the volunteer uses their professional skills. This is in contrast to generic volunteerism where specific skills are not necessary. The average hour of traditional volunteerism is valued by the Independent Sector at between $18-20 an hour. Skills-based volunteerism is valued at $40-500 an hour depending on the market value of the time.

 

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Definition of the Volunteer

A volunteer is someone who works for a community or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so. The word comes from Latin, and can be translated as “will” (as in doing something out of ones own free will). Many serve through a non-profit organization – sometimes referred to as formal volunteering, but a significant number also serve less formally, either individually or as part of a group.

 

A volunteer work is not and should never be a required work. A volunteer may or may not get paid or receive compensation for services rendered. General Andrew Jackson’s Tennessee Volunteers were paid by the General personally, although he did seek reimbursement at Washington for his expenditures.

 

Volunteering comes in many forms: serving food at the local homeless shelter, providing computer technical support to a non-profit organization, acting in a leadership capacity on a charitable organization’s board of directors or coordinating the emergency response in the case of a disaster. Around the world volunteer centers exist to support the voluntary sector and make a difference in the communities that they serve.

Social enterprise

Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which trade in goods or services for a social purpose. Their aim to accomplish targets that are social and environmental as well as financial is often referred to as having a triple bottom line. Social enterprises are profit-making businesses set up to tackle a social or environmental need. Many commercial businesses would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social or environmental purpose is central to what they do.

 

Rather than maximizing shareholder value, their main aim is to generate profit to further their social and environmental goals. Therefore some commentators describe them as ‘not-for-profit’ as their profits are not (at least primarily) distributed to financial investors. Others dislike the term as it suggests they have unbusiness like attitude. An ingenious solution to this quandary is to call them for ‘more-than-profit’ (a term used at the Social Enterprise Institute Conference, Herriot-Watt University, in 2003). 

It could be that the profit (or surplus) from the business is used to support social aims (whether or not related to the activity of the business, as in a charity shop), or that the business itself accomplishes the social aim through its operation, for instance by employing disadvantaged people (social firms) or lending to businesses that have difficulty in securing investment from mainstream lenders.

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Venture Philanthropy

Venture philanthropy (sometimes referred to as “philanthrocapitalism”) takes concepts and techniques from venture capital finance and high technology business management and applies them to achieving philanthropic goals.

Venture philanthropy is characterized by:

• Willingness to experiment and try new approaches.
• Focus on measurable results: donors and grantees assess progress based on mutually determined benchmarks.
• Readiness to shift funds between organizations and goals based on tracking those measurable results.
• Giving financial, intellectual, and human capital.
• Funding on a multi-year basis – typically a minimum of 3 years, on average 5-7 years.
• Focus on capacity building, instead of programs or general operating expenses.
• High involvement by donors with their grantees. For example, some donors will take positions on the boards of the non-profits they fund.

There are three models for engaging in venture philanthropy. The first is traditional foundations practicing high-engagement grant making. The second is organizations which are funded by individuals, but all engagement is done by professional staff. An example of this type of venture philanthropy is the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City. The third is the partnership model, in which partner investors both donate the financial capital and engage with the grantees. Most of these are pass-through funds.

 

ref: wikipedia

Youth Philanthropy

Youth philanthropy is the donation of time, energy or resources, including money, by children and youth towards philanthropic causes. According to one study, “youth philanthropy is, at the broadest level, youth giving of their time, talents and treasure.” It is seen as an effective means in which youth develop knowledge of and participate in philanthropic projects such as volunteering, grant writing, and community service.

Youth philanthropy educates young people about social change in order to identify community problems and design the most appropriate solutions in a systemic way. Philanthropy in this case is defined as anything young people do to make the world around them a better place.

Focused on youth-adult partnerships and youth voice, youth philanthropy is seen as a successful application of service learning. Youth philanthropy helps young people develop skills, knowledge, confidence and leadership abilities. Youth philanthropy is also identified as a particularly effective means for educating children and youth about volunteerism and civic engagement. Within the Jewish community institutions such as synagogues, day schools, Jewish federations and other organizations have created Jewish youth philanthropy programs to provide Jewish teens with opportunities to engage in grant making activities through a Jewish lens. The Jewish Teen Funders Network serves as a central address for Jewish youth philanthropy, and aims to help grow and strengthen the burgeoning field.

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AFP Philanthropy Awards 2008–3

 

Outstanding Individual Youth Award

Breanna was involved with the Ubuntu Club (Humanity towards Others) for three years at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School. The school partners to help a small rural school north of Kisumu in Kenya, and is responsible for the tuition of two girls, at $500 each, as well as raising morale at the school.

 

“Breanna’s leadership and genuine passion to help has contributed greatly to A.Y’s ambience,” says Cathy Belanger, teacher at A.Y. Jackson Secondary School and Breanna’s nominator. She represented the school as a Youth Leader in Beijing, China, in November 2007. “Breanna is always willing to help with any global or local issues,” she says. “She has donated time and efforts to Operation Christmas Child, Tsunami Relief, and the Pen Pal Program at A.Y. Jackson. As well, Breanna is actively involved in the community and her church.”

 

Breanna greatly motivated younger students, as well as teachers, to become more involved in global initiatives in the school. Over the three years she was involved in the Ubuntu Club, Breanna helped raise almost $20,000. “This is no small feat considering she was only 17 years old and our school population on a good day is about 800. Breanna has left her mark on the school.”

 

Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist:

TD Bank Financial Group

“I’ve worked side by side with people from TD financial institution and always noticed they get tremendous support from their company,” says David Seibel, local businessman and a volunteer with the United Way, who nominated the TD Bank Financial Group for the award.More…

 

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