NGO Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice (Commonwealth Foundation): Part I: NGOs: what they are and what they do: 5. A typology of NGOs: 5.11 Organisations in civil society which engage in NGO-type activities

NGO Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice (Commonwealth Foundation)

Part I: NGOs: what they are and what they do

5. A typology of NGOs

		(introduction...)
		5.1 Why a typology is needed
		5.2 Component 1: A descriptive typology
		5.3 Organisational terms
		5.4 Main forms of control
		5.5 Location between government and civil society
		5.6 Level of operation
		5.7 Legal forms
		5.8 Links with parent and subsidiary bodies
		5.9 Links between NGOs
		5.10 Component 2: An organisational typology
		5.11 Organisations in civil society which engage in NGO-type activities
		5.12 Fraudulent NGOs

5.11 Organisations in civil society which engage in NGO-type activities

As noted previously, there are many organisations in civil society which are formed primarily for self-serving objectives, but may engage at times in activities which characterise NGOs of the type discussed here.

However, only when these activities are the principal business of the organisation and if they therefore satisfy all four NGO defining characteristics, should they claim to be NGOs. Nevertheless, it is difficult to create a watertight definition of NGOs which distinguishes them clearly from other organisations in civil society, for reasons which are discussed in detail at Chapter 7.