Alex Nesterov 1125 1

10 Non-government organizations review +

classification analysis
1.

BRAC(formerlytheBangladeshRuralAdvancementCommittee)thelargestnongovernment
developmentorganizationontheplanet.Diversifiedintoawidesuiteofactivities,fromagriculture
andfoodsecuritytoeducation,legalaid,climatechangeriskreduction,livelihoodssupportand
maternalandchildhealth.RatherthanspreadingBRACsresourcestoothin,thisstrategyhas
insteadremainedfaithfultofounderSirFazleHasanAbedsvisionofaholistic,sustainable
approachtopovertyreduction.BRACcoversalmost80percentofits$572millionoperating
budgetthroughaburgeoningportfolioofcatalyticsocialenterprisesacleartrendpositioningthe
organizationinanenviablepositionoffinancialandprogrammaticsustainability.
Headquaters:Dhaka,Bangladesh
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,open,manyissues,nongovernment,all
functions,apolitical.

2.

Wikipediamodel,whichisbasedaroundopenaccessforallInternetusers,acommitmentto
multilingualismandconstanteditsandupdatescarriedoutbyanarmyofapproximately100,000
eagervolunteers.Organizationsbedrockbeliefinthenotionisthatinformationshouldnever
representaprofitdrivencommodity.Operatingwithashoestringstaffof142,theorganizationis
responsibleformanagingtheplatformfacilitatingthelargestcollectionofsharedknowledgein
humanhistorycurrently23millionarticlesandcounting.Todate,Wikipediaisavailablein285
languagesandisvisitedbymorethan470millionpeoplepermonth.CentraltoWikimedia
FoundationsfuturestrategyisthecontinuedexpansionofWikipediainthelanguagesofthe
developingworld,whereaccesstoinformationisseentorepresentnotonlyapersonalasset,but
alsoanessentialdimensioninbuildinganengagedcitizenryatthesocietallevel.
Headquaters:SanFrancisco,California,UnitedStates
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,open,manyissues,nongovernment,
informative,apolitical.

3.

AcumenFundwithseedcapitalfromtheRockefellerFoundation,CiscoSystemsFoundationand
threeindividualphilanthropists,theorganizationwasatlastcountresponsibleforadiverse
portfolioofover$81millionworthofapprovedinvestmentsin72countriesworldwide.Firmly
committedtoabeliefthatsocialenterprises,emergingleadersandbreakthroughideasholdthekey
tosuccessfullytacklingthechallengeofglobalpoverty,AcumenFundfocusesontransformative
loanorequitybasedinvestments,recyclingreturnstofeedagrowingpoolofpatientcapital.
Partneringinprojectsestimatedtohavebenefitedover86millionpeopletodate,thekeyto
AcumenFundspioneeringphilosophyisitsapplicationofventurecapitalprinciplesinthepursuit
ofsocialvalue,albeitwithahighertoleranceforriskandlongertimehorizonsthanitsforprofit
brethren.Theresultisaninnovativeandsuccessfulmarketbasedchallengetotraditional
modesofgrantdrivendevelopmentandphilanthropy.
Headquaters:NewYork
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,closed,singleissue,nongovernment,
operating,apolitical.

4.

DanishRefugeeCouncilhasbeenaconstant,trustedpresenceinthehumanitariansphereforover
50years.Servingadualrole,theorganizationsactivitiesrevolvearoundtheprotectionof
refugeesandinternallydisplacedpersonsfromimmediatepersecutioninacuteemergency
situations,aswellasthepromotionoflastingsolutionsforconflictaffectedpopulations(including
viatargetedinternationaladvocacy).Currentlyoperatinginover35countriesinserviceofmore
than1.5millionpeople,theDanishRefugeeCouncilhasdevelopedanenviablereputationfor
itselfasaleadingactorininsecureenvironments,includingthroughtherespectedconflictzone
workoftheDanishDeminingGroup,theorganizationsdedicatedhumanitarianmineactionunit.

Alex Nesterov

International Institutions

Alex Nesterov 1125 2

10 Non-government organizations review +
classification analysis
Atthesametime,consistentwiththetrendtowardincreasingdiversificationofactivitiesamongst
majorhumanitariangroups,theDanishRefugeeCouncilalsoworksacrossanumberofnon
traditionalrecoveryfocusedsectors,including:housingandsmallscaleinfrastructure,income
generation,foodsecurity,displacementrelatedlawandinformation,socialrehabilitationandNGO
networkingandcapacitydevelopment.
Headquaters:Denmark
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,open,manyissues,nongovernment,all
functions,apolitical.
5.

PartnersInHealthhas,sinceitsbeginningsasacommunitybasedhealthprojectinthe
mountainousCentralPlateauofHaiti,cometoberecognizedasperhapsthepreeminentpublic
healthNGOglobally.Theorganizationisguidedbysenseofsolidarity,ratherthancharity,when
dealingwiththeworldspoorestandmostunderservedpopulations.Inpractice,thisvisionis
manifestinPartnersinHealthsholisticmodelofpatientcare,whichemphasizestheneedto
alleviatetheeconomicandsocialburdensofpovertythatexacerbatediseaseslikeHIV/AIDSand
multidrugresistanttuberculosis.Fivekeyrules:universalaccesstoprimaryhealthcare,ensuring
healthandeducationservicesarefreetothepoor,hiringandtrainingcommunityhealthworkers,
improvingaccesstofood,shelter,cleanwater,sanitation,educationandeconomicopportunities
andpartneringwithlocalandnationalgovernmentstoguaranteethesystemwidescaleupand
adoptionofnewapproachestotreatinginfectiousdisease.Allfuelledbyasimplecredo:whatever
ittakes.CollaborationwithlongstandingpartnersHarvardMedicalSchoolandBrighamand
WomensHospital.
Headquaters:Boston,Massachusetts
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,open,singleissue,nongovernment,operating,
apolitical.

6.

Ceres:climatechange,cleanenergy,waterscarcityandsupplychainsustainability.TheCeres
Coalition,whichcomprisesmorethan130institutions,publicinterestgroupsandinvestors,the
CompanyNetwork,whichconnectsover80leadingcorporations,andtheInvestorNetworkon
ClimateRisk(INCR),whichincludesinexcessof100investorscollectivelymanagingmorethan
$11trillionincumulativeassets,togetherallowCerestoengageinarobustdialoguewithpowerful
decisionmakersinordertomobilizemeaningfulcorporatecommitments.Ultimately,Ceresstands
aloneinthenonprofitworldasanenvironmentalNGOabletoworkcollaborativelyinpartnership
withtheprivatesectortospursignificantandlastingreforms.
Headquaters:Boston,Massachusetts
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,closed,manyissues,nongovernment,
mediation,apolitical.

7.

CAREInternational.Originallyformedin1945asasymbolofAmericanempathyforthe
exhaustedpopulationsofwartornEurope(hence,carepackages),theorganizationhasgrown
intoadiverseconfederationof12nationalmembersworkingin84countriestothebenefitof122
millionpeople.Stillafirstresponderintheeventofnaturaldisastersorconflict,CARE
Internationalhasalsoshifteditsmissiontoembodyaholisticapproachtofightingglobalpoverty
andenhancinghumandignity,withaspecialfocusonfemaleempowerment.CAREInternational
iswellplacedtoimplementacomprehensiveapproach,involvingpreemergencyresilienceand
preparednessprojects,immediatereliefoperationsandlongertermrecoveryandcommunity
rehabilitation.

Alex Nesterov

International Institutions

Alex Nesterov 1125 3

10 Non-government organizations review +
classification analysis
Headquaters:Geneva,Switzerland
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,open,singleissue,nongovernment,operating,
apolitical.
8.

MdecinsSansFrontires.Reputationforcombiningunparalleledmedicalassistanceinthemost
fearsomeconditionswithanoutspokencommitmenttoprincipledactivisminthefaceofperceived
rightsviolations,derelictionofdutybytheinternationalcommunityorthreatstotheneutralityof
humanitarianspaceduetothemergingofcivilmilitarymissions.Theorganizationispresently
activein68countries,withoperationsencompassingcloseto32,000staff.Organizations
operationsrangefromaddressingtheravagesofarmedconflict,toemergencyactiontostemthe
spreadofepidemicsinsituationsofstateincapacity.MdecinsSansFrontireshasalsobeen
innovativeinitsapproachtodealingwithoperationalchallenges,establishingtheAccess
Campaigntoreducepricesformedicines,diagnosticsandvaccinesandstimulatethedevelopment
ofimprovedtreatments,settingupaffiliatedorganization,Epicentre,toconductepidemiological
researchandassessments,andpartneringintheDrugsforNeglectedDiseasesinitiative.
Headquaters:Geneva,Switzerland
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,open,manyissues,nongovernment,operating,
apolitical.

9.

CureViolence(formerlyCeaseFire).Againstguns.Applyacommonpublichealthstrategy:
stoppingtransmissionatthesourceandalteringnormsandbehaviorsofewerpeoplebecome
infectedinthefirstplace.Inpracticalterms,CureViolenceachievesthisgoalbyidentifying
thosemostatriskandtreatingthiscoregroupviaastaffofhighlytrainedviolenceinterrupters
formerperpetratorsemployedtodisruptconflictsbeforetheyeruptandeducatethecommunity
abouttheconsequencesofviolentbehavior.CureViolencehasachievedprovenresults,with16
34percentreductionsinshootingsandkillingsdirectlyattributedtoitsprograms,and4173
percentoverall.AlreadyimplementedinoveradozenAmericancities,themodelhasalsobeen
exportedsuccessfullytodealwithelectionviolenceinKenya,communityviolenceinSouthAfrica
andintertribalviolenceinIraq.
Headquaters:Chicago,Ill
Analysis:notimerestriction,supranational,global,closed,singleissue,nongovernment,
advisory,apolitical.

10. APOPO.Thehumanitarianorganizationhasspentthelast15yearshoningitsuniqueapproachto
trainingratsasminedetectors,andexportedthistechnology,despiteinitialskepticism,tofour
countriesinAfricaandSouthEastAsia.Cheaper,quickerandlighterthanconventionaldemining
methods,APOPOsAfricanGiantPouchedRatsendemictosubSaharanAfricahavehelped
returnmorethan6millionsquaremetersofsuspectedminefieldstolocalpopulationsin
Mozambiquealone.Theorganizationhasalsocontinuedtoinnovate,diversifyingintothefieldof
publichealthbytrainingthesameHeroRATstodetecttuberculosisinhumansputumsamples
afaster,moreaccuratediagnosticmethodcapableofscreeningthousandsofpatientseverymonth.
Headquaters:Morogoro,Tanzania
Analysis:notimerestriction,interstate,interregional,closed,manyissues,nongovernment,
operating,apolitical.

Alex Nesterov

International Institutions