When you work in international development, donate to international causes, or volunteer abroad, you will hear the term "NGO."
An NGO, or nongovernmental organization, is a nonprofit or a voluntary citizens' group that is organized on a local, national or international level. We hear it most often applied to organizations that are helping in the developing world.
NGOs perform services and humanitarian missions, bring the concerns of ordinary citizens to their governments, advocate and monitor policies, and encourage participation in the political process. Many are organized around issues such as human rights, environment or health.
Most of the money that is donated to international causes is funneled through NGOs. The Hudson Institute, an international think tank, found that private donations from the U.S. to developing countries in recent years exceeded $62 billion - more than 3.5 times the amount of official U.S. government aid. The Union of International Associations, that documents NGO activity, recently listed over 51,000 international NGOs.
