Guide to Nongovernmental Organizations for the Military

History
The first NGO, Rotary, which later became Rotary International, dates to the early twentieth century. In
the early 1900s there were more than 1,000 recorded NGOs important to women’s suffrage, scientist
rescue, and refugee issues.
The term NGO came into use in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of chapter 10 of the United Nations
Charter, when organizations that were neither governmental nor member states were needed
for a consultative role to the UN. On February 27, 1950, international NGOs (or INGOs) were first
defined in resolution 288 (X) of ECOSOC as “any international organization that is not founded by an
international treaty.” 48
In June 1997, 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 nongovernmental organizations. Globalization throughout the twentieth
century heightened the importance of NGOs, which have since developed to emphasize humanitarian
issues, developmental aid, and sustainable development.
NGO Characteristics
NGOs are founded, developed, and managed by civilians.
• NGO personnel are highly professional and skilled, trained or educated in disaster management,
public health, logistics, technology, water sanitation, communications, medicine, geology,
sociology, and psychology.
• Staff are of different backgrounds, training, nationalities, and cultures.
• Most NGOs have moved to use all local staff to build capacity and have large human resource
databases that keep emergency personnel and cadres of career aid workers on call.
• NGOs have major global procurement capabilities for relief supplies, technical and capital assets,
vehicles, and other material that can be used to respond to humanitarian emergencies.
NGOs can be not-for-profit (nonprofit).
• NGOs require funding from external sources to design, implement, and manage their
programming.
• NGOs obtain funding from numerous sources including government agencies, private
foundation grants and private contributions or gifts-in-kind from companies and other
organizations.
• Donations of cash, material, or even services (legal, technological, and the like) to NGOs
normally qualify as charitable gifts and can be used to lower tax liability for the donor.
48 “Currently there are 3051 NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and some 400
NGOs accredited to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), a subsidiary body of ECOSOC. NGOs in the
CSD roster need to contact the NGO Section of DESA in order to apply to consultative status” (United Nations, “NGO
related frequently asked questions,” www.un.org/esa/coordination/ngo/faq.htm [accessed December 11, 2008]).
A Guide to NGOs for the Military n Chapter 2. Introduction to NGOs 26