Photo by Ryan Libre .
Ryan Libre explains how to start a successful NGO with style and zen.
Editor’s Note: In response to the overwhelming number of comments, author Ryan Libre has asked us to post this update on April 4, 2010:
“It is amazing to see how many people have seen and commented on this article. It is well beyond my exceptions.
Most all of the 200+ commenters seemed to have overlooked steps 1-6 and went to funding as the beginning point for starting an NGO.
This approach will not be successful, in the short term or long term.
First, you need to do something, anything, yourself with what is locally available (step 1). It will give you experience,
credibility, and maybe even publicity. Start small and do what you can for a few months with what you have.After this experience your goals and how to reach them will be more clear (step 3) and you can make an action plan (step 4) and a website or free blog (step 5) showing what you have done and a clear plan for what you intend to do.
Then when you leave a comment or send a mail about your NGO include the link. Without these fundamental steps it is unlikely anyone will seriously consider funding your NGO.
Best wishes to all your future NGO’s Ryan Libre
I’ve worked with NGOs for most of my life, and even helped start a few. Now, I’m venturing out to start my own NGO, Documentary Arts, Asia.
The following steps will help get your own NGO up and running:
Step 1: Test the waters.
Many new activists are ready to commit their lives to “the cause.” Some are even willing to die for it. Most of these enthusiastic newbies are nowhere to be found a few months later.
There’s no need to turn down the volume of your enthusiasm, but before starting your own NGO, consider joining one that does similar work for a while.
If starting your own NGO really is right for you, the experience of working for an established NGO will only strengthen your resolve and direct your passion.
Maybe you’ll find that NGOs are not your life calling after all. Better to learn that early on, before making a big commitment.
Photo by Ryan Libre .
Step 2: Start on the right foot.
“The leader’s main job is to make themselves obsolete.” –Lao Tsu
Becoming obsolete should be the fundamental goal of all NGOs. You must constantly strive to work yourself out of a job.
Becoming obsolete works on two levels. In terms of your personal involvement, you should build the NGO to the point where it can function independently of your leadership. The long term goal of your NGO should be to solve a problem and thereby become unnecessary.
Put Lao Tsu’s advice into practice and you’ll be able to help more people in more profound ways, and enjoy every minute of the experience. If you try to maintain control, dependencies will develop, and once dependencies start they are hard to stop.
Dependency can leave NGO volunteers feeling trapped and sometimes even leave negative impacts on the people you are trying so hard to help.
Step 3: Clarify your goals.
Set clear and achievable goals for yourself and the NGO.
“Ending world hunger” is a great goal and looks good on your NGO’s t-shirt, but it’s not a problem you can seriously hope to solve.
Finding a niche is good place to start. Positive change usually comes from picking something small, doing it well and following through. A good example of this attitude in action is the Starfish NGO of Cambodia.
Step 4: Make an action plan.
A plan of action is your chance to make an NGO effective, address any potential negative impacts and make sure your NGO will attract donors and volunteers.
Make sure you are able to follow through with what you start. Think hard about your action plan. Hard work is important, but hard work without a good plan is a waste of time and money.
Step 5: Make a website.
Photo by Ryan Libre .
It’s never too early to make a website for your NGO. A good website helps you to spread the word, attract volunteers, secure funding and establish a professional appearance. An interactive website can also minimize your need for meetings and micro managing.
Attention spans on the web are very short. Be clear and concise.
Be sure to make an online profile for your NGO at Matador, where you can tap into a network of thousands of potential donors and volunteers.
Some hosting companies give free hosting to NGO sites. Ask around.
Step 6: Get in the know.
Local knowledge is indispensable to every NGO. Even if you grew up in the city where you want to start an NGO, you still need to research and make contacts. Making solid local contacts and understanding the locals’ worldview is especially important if you want to work in a foreign culture.
Good use of local knowledge can really make an NGO effective. Without local knowledge, you may do more harm than good.
Step 7: Assess your NGO’s financial needs.
Money, when it does come, usually requires great amounts of paperwork and sometimes has strings attached. The quality of the work an NGO does and the amount of its funding are often inversely related. That is to say, the NGOs with less money do better work per hour and dollar spent. The crucial point is to to minimize your NGO’s need for money.
That said, money can be really helpful sometimes. Here’s how to get it. Filing for 501c (official non profit) status is a pain and involves costly lawyer fees. No need to waste your efforts there.
Get an established NGO to accept you under its umbrella. Tax deductible donations and grants will go to them, care of your NGO. Setting up this arrangement could be as easy as a 30 minute talk with your local peace center.
Now you are ready to ask for money from businesses, grant foundations, and governments. A Paypal donate button is a quick and easy way to accept donations from visitors to your website.
Step 8: Network, network, network.
Make friends with people and organizations doing similar work so that you can learn from their successes and mistakes. Networking also helps you to know when to team up and when to divide your efforts for maximum effectiveness. The links below are good places to start networking:
UNDP’s guide to NGO networking
Matador’s Grassroots NGO network
Step 9: Find balance.
Photo by Ryan Libre .
Be realistic about how much time you want to give to your NGO. Taking on projects beyond your comfortable limits won’t yield much benefit in the long run.
You are worth more to your NGO as a part time activist for 5-20 years than letting your passionate burn out in two years. Finding balance between work and personal life is key to success.
Step 10: Re-evaluate everything.
Take a step back and look at what you have done and where it is all headed. Take joy in what you have accomplished, but also make sure your NGO is not becoming self aggrandizing.
How much time, effort and money are being spent on the NGO itself? This is the biggest problem facing all organizations, non-governmental or otherwise.
Your own awareness is the best tool to avoid over-emphasizing the NGO to the detriment of the cause, but don’t hesitate to ask someone from outside of your NGO for an evaluation.
With constant awareness, you can keep your focus and resources flowing to your original goals.
Conclusions
Any volunteer experience can be rewarding. Starting your own NGO can make you feel totally fulfilled.
You will learn and grow as an individual and receive a profound sense of satisfaction not easily found in modern life.
I hope my insights, experiences and mistakes were of benefit. If you have any questions or comments please post them in the comments and I’ll be happy to reply.
Don’t forget to check out my blossoming NGO: Documentary Arts, Asia
Community Connection
For a list of great NGOs and organizations, check out Matador’s searchable database of orgs.
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341 Comments... join the discussion!
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i would like to start an ngo, but my problem is how do i get projects to carry out?
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it a nice experience after reading your article on how to start up an NGO am also working on having mine very soon…but most importantly your passion should drive us going..more info about it i will be very grateful. thankx
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I also want to an NGO, the problem is that i dont know where to start because their not enough resourcess for us as youths and the youth in my village dont care for such things. i need help.
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I like the advice of starting under an established NGO, please help me I want to start one for Children & Youth Centre for Life skills development.Am in East London, South Africa. I’m an established Record Producer/ musician/ Composer.
please help me get those one’s around my area.
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i read ryan’s experiences in this article and they really boosted me up,im currently workink with an N.G.O,as a part time volunteer,i go there every sunday,i wanted to start my own N.G.O…………but after reading this article i discovered there are many things still to learn and change over there im workink with ,so i’ll give some more time to it….thanks ryan…it was pleasure reading you
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hi, it ’s very good experience readin ur artcle.
i too want to start my ngo but i don’t have any experience in this’so kindly suggest me what should i dothanks
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Thanks for this articles which for me I undertake it as the gift!thanx and may God will be bless.
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Am on process of starting an Ngo but how could i manage to raise fund for the Project(s)?
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Hi thanks for the advice,I would like to open my own NGO for young children from war country,i study about water how to give save drinking water and about cooling system,my partner study about computer ccna and we wanted to help the young youth who are in the street,like young girls and boys who wish to go back to school and need help in been independent from the street.
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hi to all i am warris yaqoob & i live in pakistan. i am a students of accounts and my biggest dream is that i opened my own ngos in pakistan. as i am a student of accounts, i dont know that what are the requirements of new ngos if i opened in pakistan. please some one help me that how i opened my new ngos in pakistan
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thanks for all your desire make ngos succeed.This ngo has just started and require your assistance in all areas.
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Really very motivational personal experience. In this materialistic world these kind of work are really great. Best of luck & i m also going to enter in your world.
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hi
i have a passion for the environment, i want to start an NGO .. i want to educate the youth on environment… im stuck i dont know how to go about it. i need some assistant on how i could go about starting an NGO.mean while check my blog( http://www.environmentareus.blogspot.com
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I want to start a NGO for clean & healthy drinking water, sanitation and plantation for green and pollution free healthy world. In this regards I would like to request you for the guidance and supports in all respect.
Thanking you and assuring you the best services all times.
With regardsPallab Biswas
e-mail : Pallab_ber@yahoo.co.in
Ph. No. : 00975 77103601↵ -
Respected sir/madame,
I am an Indian youth and have worked in an NGO in India.
I was fed up of the way the people work here. The resources do not go the way they should.
For sometimes, I thought to be under a good and well aimed Ngo.
It’s my dream to raise an Ngo that has nothing but team work, zeal to help and motivations.
So, I too need to be with a pledged and strong built Ngo that can vigor me to work more and more.
I have completed my education and presently involved in writing.
I have been a bonafide student too but had to drop my studies after my only earning mother got terribly sick and we came under great financial stress.I met Thomas Nuger from France who gave me a lot of encouragements. He said that I should try searching well experienced people on internet that can support me to go and work at an Ngo in some other asian or african parts….
I hope that you understand my situation and would do something for me so that I can build up my career in this field.
Let not a flame die..
Sincerely,
Gautam
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Respected Sir/ Madame,
I am engineer by qualification and want to dedicate my self for female education.on this regard i want to open an NGO and take the initiative to make all my female friends educated.this is what i wanted to do through out my life.but i don’t know what are the basic needs and where to register for an NGO.i want to take a step ahead to help women.
It would be really kind of you if you guide me.I want to see even the sweeper around to be knowledgeable.please help me to make our society better.
Thanking you,
soumika Mondal
email:smkmndl88@gmail.com↵ -
Hi,
I would be grateful for anyone who can give an advice for how to apply funding for an NGO in Somalia. Somalia is a war torn country with little hope central goverment establishment. However, there is a hope to fight against femine and high rates unemployability. I visit my country every year whilst I live and work in the UK I foud shortage of NGO. To start with NGO in agriculture sector would be good move.Please send your advice and experience in this field.
Kindly regards
Rashka↵ -
Really its amazing,I learnt many new things from your article,I am going to start my own NGO very soon.
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Want to work in NGO
interested in helping people↵ -
I spent lot of years in NGO. Ok fine NGOs doing great effort in develop sector and other too. Most of us wana do something for our people like to achive right things around us serve forbettre future. So, wazz up everyone looking for making up NGO their owwwn NGO. Hmmmm lot NGOs are their and 100s of new are underway but i have a question with all of you.
There r around millions of NGOs, on many of them are national which works for their nation on them their is million of possiblity that they are working on the same moto but they r working separately wasting lot of human resource too, if their moto is same than why they won’t work collectively atleast 10 or 20 can be.
Any way wish u all bet of luck.↵ -
i read this article, and i want tom start an NGO and want to serve the people.so please tell me is it important to have a good financial background to start an NGO….
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i really like this article, this is my dream.Can you please help me to accomplish this dream , because in Ghana many people need help and the world as a whole
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Dear Ryan..
Namaste. I m Pavan from India. wel, i’ll congratulate u on writing such a good article abt the NGO ! n Thanx a lot for directing people like me & others who read ur coloumns.. n wish u all d best for ur projects.
I am a young graduate & i was fired up from within when i recently saw the floods in Leh & ladakh, a cloud burst which devastated many lives & the city of-course..
so, i wanna be an NGO to help out fellow human beings all over world in such disasters.
also i wish All The Very Best To all the Future Aspiring NGOs of The World..” I URGE ALL OF U OUT THERE, LETS WORK TOGETHER N MAKE THIS EARTH A CLEAN & BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE ONCE AGAIN FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.. ”
I’ve certainly noted down the points & pray god to help me achieve my ambition..
regards-
PAVAN SHARMA
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these steps r really very usefull to start an ngo
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i want to start an NGO but i dont know how i can get funds…..please advise me on how i can raise funds for it?
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I want to start a NGO for clean & healthy drinking water, sanitation and plantation for green and pollution free healthy world. In this regards I would like to request you for the guidance and supports in all respect.
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First of all thank you very much, for giving such an useful tips of starting an N.G.O. Actually, i am too much willing to start my n.g.o. for children but the only problem was to take an initiative.these tips will help me in finding my direction. i want to help orphan children by making particular place for them but i don’t know how will i can know who are those orphans,from where can i get them and how to take initiative.As per your suggestion i will start voluntary working in my city’s orphan house but i want to clarify my above doubts. so, please help me out by writing me on my above mentioned address.
Thanking you,
Regards.
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I want to set up an NGO for cancer or aids patient,but how do i go about it?i earn only to support myself ie;my income is not that much.how do i start?but i want to work in this sphere,kindly reply on my mail id.
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It`s my greatest desire to form a foundation, it is my dream but i don’t know how.
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I have a number of good projects for starters and the like, so any body interested can call, 0031613501416 . E-mail, stevom@europe.com . or skype me @ my ID. STEVOMSCO .To help the suffering Humanity. Steve – Holland.
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Hello, i am student of software engineering last semester, i read your artical that is very usefull and informative for me, one thing i want to ask that what are the prerequisite requirnments to start the NGO?
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