In Box

An NGO By Any Other Name…

Jaded observers of international relations will no doubt be shocked, yes shocked, to learn that some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are "not inspired by the principles and values of voluntarism." Thus notes Alan Fowler of Great Britain’s International NGO Training and Research Centre in his book Striking a Balance: A Guide to Enhancing the Effectiveness of ...

Jaded observers of international relations will no doubt be shocked, yes shocked, to learn that some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are "not inspired by the principles and values of voluntarism." Thus notes Alan Fowler of Great Britain's International NGO Training and Research Centre in his book Striking a Balance: A Guide to Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Governmental Organisations in International Development (London: Earthscan, 1997). Fowler has compiled a list of acronyms used around the world to describe these "pretender NGOs" that are often wolves in nonprofits' clothing. Some of the highlights:

BRINGO (Briefcase NGO): an NGO that is no more than a briefcase carrying a well-written proposal

CONGO (Commercial NGO): NGOs set up by businesses in order to participate in bids, help win contracts, and reduce taxation

Jaded observers of international relations will no doubt be shocked, yes shocked, to learn that some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are "not inspired by the principles and values of voluntarism." Thus notes Alan Fowler of Great Britain’s International NGO Training and Research Centre in his book Striking a Balance: A Guide to Enhancing the Effectiveness of Non-Governmental Organisations in International Development (London: Earthscan, 1997). Fowler has compiled a list of acronyms used around the world to describe these "pretender NGOs" that are often wolves in nonprofits’ clothing. Some of the highlights:

BRINGO (Briefcase NGO): an NGO that is no more than a briefcase carrying a well-written proposal

CONGO (Commercial NGO): NGOs set up by businesses in order to participate in bids, help win contracts, and reduce taxation

GRINGO (Government run and initiated NGO): variation of a QUANGO (see below), but with the function of countering the actions of real NGOs; common in Africa

MANGO (Mafia NGO): a criminal NGO providing services of the money laundering, enforcement, and protection variety; prevalent in Eastern Europe

MONGO (My own NGO): NGOs that are the personal property of an individual, often dominated by his or her ego

PANGO (Party NGO): an aspiring, defeated, or banned political party or politician dressed as an NGO; species of Central Asia and Indo-China

QUANGO (Quasi NGO): parastatal body created by government, often to enable better conditions of service or to create political distance

Tags: Economics, Foreign & Public Diplomacy, Politics

Trending

  1. 1
    Why Does Israel Keep Assassinating Iranian Officials? Because It Works.
  2. 2
    How Does the Chinese Public Feel About Xi’s Third Term?
  3. 3
    Ukraine Is the Korean War Redux
  4. 4
    Yes, We Need to Talk About Cutting Energy Demand
  5. 5
    Pyongyang’s Not Picking Up the Phone
Latest Analysis

Why Americans Still Need NATO
Kathleen J. McInnis

China Owned My Mother’s Womb. Texas Owns Mine.
Tracy Wen Liu

Britain’s Rwanda Deportation Policy Is a Cruel, Expensive Failure
Andrew Connelly

More from Foreign Policy

A worker cuts the nose off the last Ukraine's Tupolev-22M3, the Soviet-made strategic aircraft able to carry nuclear weapons at a military base in Poltava, Ukraine on Jan. 27, 2006. A total of 60 aircraft were destroyed according to the USA-Ukrainian disarmament agreement.
A worker cuts the nose off the last Ukraine's Tupolev-22M3, the Soviet-made strategic aircraft able to carry nuclear weapons at a military base in Poltava, Ukraine on Jan. 27, 2006. A total of 60 aircraft were destroyed according to the USA-Ukrainian disarmament agreement.

Why Do People Hate Realism So Much?

The school of thought doesn’t explain everything—but its proponents foresaw the potential for conflict over Ukraine long before it erupted.

Employees watch a cargo ship at a port in China, which is experiencing an economic downturn.
Employees watch a cargo ship at a port in China, which is experiencing an economic downturn.

China’s Crisis of Confidence

What if, instead of being a competitor, China can no longer afford to compete at all?

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies in the U.S. Senate in Washington on Sept. 24, 2020.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies in the U.S. Senate in Washington on Sept. 24, 2020.

Why This Global Economic Crisis Is Different

This is the first time since World War II that there may be no cooperative way out.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Premier Li Keqiang applaud at the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Premier Li Keqiang applaud at the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11.

China Is Hardening Itself for Economic War

Beijing is trying to close economic vulnerabilities out of fear of U.S. containment.

Trending

  1. Why Does Israel Keep Assassinating Iranian Officials? Because It Works.
    Analysis |
    Danielle Pletka

  2. How Does the Chinese Public Feel About Xi’s Third Term?
    China Brief |
    James Palmer

  3. Ukraine Is the Korean War Redux
    Analysis |
    Jo Inge Bekkevold

  4. Yes, We Need to Talk About Cutting Energy Demand
    Analysis |
    Jason Bordoff, Meghan L. O’Sullivan

  5. Pyongyang’s Not Picking Up the Phone
    Dispatch |
    Robbie Gramer
Latest

How Does the Chinese Public Feel About Xi’s Third Term?

The Scots Question

Adam Tooze Is Answering Your Questions

Canada Bulks Up Diplomatic Footprint in Europe in Wake of Ukraine War

Part IV: The High Seas
See All Stories