NGO stands for “non-governmental organization” and its function can vary widely from service organizations to human-rights advocacy and relief groups. Defined as “an international organization that is not founded by an international treaty” by the United Nations, NGOs work to benefit communities from the local to international levels. 

NGOs not only serve as checks-and-balances for government and governmental watchdogs but are crucial cogs in wider governmental initiatives such as relief response to a natural disaster. Without NGOs’ long history of rallying communities and creating initiatives around the world, famine, poverty, and disease would be a much bigger issue for the world than it already is. Read More