NGO Aims & Objectives
- All NGOs have a vision, a long-term goal that acts as a compass for the operation. For example, Amnesty International fights for human rights, while Greenpeace's vision is "a green and peaceful world," as mentioned on the organization's website. These long-term goals are also helpful to distinguish between the area of interest of each NGO, since important events, such as a war, can cause similar actions by diverse organizations, such as the International Law Association and the World Assembly of Youth.
- NGOs promote their general vision by pursuing immediate goals. These goals include everyday activities, such as the Red Cross' obligation to maintain a network of food aid and pharmaceutical products distribution. In addition, immediate objectives include the quick reaction to unexpected events: Greenpeace's vision of a clean world made it raise its voice during the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
- People can help the work of an NGO through donations or by actively participating in its activities. However, for this to happen, they need to be aware of what the organization's goals are and how these goals affect their lives. For this reason, NGOs emphasize publications, from leaflets to journals, as well as communication with the public through websites and social media.
- A major factor that distinguishes NGOs from state agencies is their independence from a central or regional government, as well as from international organizations. This is achieved through economic independence, by receiving funding only through private organizations or by people's donations. When states fund an NGO partly or in full, as is the case with Italy's Capacity Building and Rural Development organization (CISP) in Ethiopia for example, independence is achieved by excluding government representatives from the organization's administration.