NGO Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice (Commonwealth Foundation): Part I: NGOs: what they are and what they do: 3. NGOs defined: (introduction...)

NGO Guidelines for Good Policy and Practice (Commonwealth Foundation)

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

3. NGOs defined

		*(introduction...)*
		3.1 Diverse current ways of defining NGOs
		3.2 Defining ''NGO'' for the purposes of this report.
		3.3 Is ''NGO'' the right term?

(introduction...)

Summary

This Chapter defines NGOs as organisations which possess four defining characteristics which enable them to be distinguished from other organisations in civil society: they are voluntary, independent, not-for-profit and not self-serving. Each of these characteristics is described.