NGO - A ray of hope.

 

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit, citizen-based group that functions independently of government. NGOs, sometimes called civil societies, are organized on community, national and international levels to serve specific social or political purposes, and are cooperative, rather than commercial, in nature.

While the term "NGO" has various interpretations, it is generally accepted to include private organizations that operate without government control and that are non-profit and non-criminal. Other definitions further clarify NGOs as associations that are non-religious and non-military.

Some NGOs rely primarily on volunteers, while others support a paid staff.

Two broad groups of NGOs are 

• Operational NGOs, which focus on development projects.
• Advocacy NGOs, which are organized to promote particular causes.

A number of NGO variations exist, including:

• BINGO: business-friendly international NGO (example: Red Cross)
• ENGO: environmental NGO (Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund)
• GONGO: government-organized non-governmental organization (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
• INGO: international NGO (Oxfam)
• QUANGO: quasi-autonomous NGO (International Organization for Standardization [ISO])

Organizations which are independent of government involvement are known as non-governmental organizations or NGOs or non-government organizations. NGOs are a subgroup of organizations founded by citizens, which include clubs and associations which provide 

services to its members and others. Service NGOs provide public goods and services which governments of developing countries are unable to provide due to a lack of resources. They may be contractors or collaborate with government agencies to reduce the cost of public goods. Capacity-building NGOs affect "culture, structure, projects and daily operations". Advocacy and public-education NGOs aim to modify behavior and ideas through communication, crafting messages to promote social, political, or environmental changes. Movement NGOs mobilize the public and coordinate large-scale collective activities to advance an activist agenda.