Our Purpose

• To immerse ourselves in a culture much different than our own.

• To develop new relationships.

• To visit and develop mission projects.

• To allow God’s Spirit to move in us and through us.

Leadership Team

Though an NGO is a charitable organization, to be successful it needs to be run as a businesses, with clearly defined goals and financial parameters. For this, you need to establish a board of directors, recruiting seasoned professionals – even for an initial short term – with expertise in management, legal issues, fundraising, human resources, and technology.

Legal Expertise

At least initially, you will be faced with many tasks best undertaken by a lawyer, such as registering the NGO, filing articles of incorporation, filing reports, dealing with tax issues, and securing licenses.

Articles of Incorporation

Another task for your chief legal counsel, creating the articles of incorporation provides a legal description of the organization and grants power to the board. The articles specify the name of the NGO, its purpose and mission, statement declaring its non-profit status, where it is located, the number of board members and their names, extent of personal liability, whether the NGO has capital stock (in most cases, no), and how long the NGO is expected to function (often simple described as “everlasting”).

Bylaws

These simply state the responsibility of the NGO itself, including information such as purpose or mission, registered office of the organization, members, qualifications, and lengths of membership, the size of the board of directors and its responsibilities, how board meetings will be run, committee structure, and officer duties.

NGO Registration

In most cases, an NGO is registered in its local country or seat of government. Often, government offices have staffs who handle NGO registrations, and this is the best place to start to learn about the registration process. In the United States, any group seeking non-profit, tax-exempt (503(c)) status must register with their local government as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Information on establishing your 503(c) organization is available in a number of locations, including your local library, government offices, and different online resources. The IRS website includes information such as frequently asked questions for charitable, tax-exempt organizations, plus the necessary forms to get your NGO registered in a timely fashion. Another good resource for a U.S based group is the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Board of Director's Meeting

What happens at the kick off meeting for the board? The board will usually adopt the bylaws, establish officers, committees, and discuss early projects the NGO may want to focus on.

Accounting System

From the earliest days of running an NGO, you must establish a transparent accounting system that records where funding comes from, and how it is used. In this case, transparent means your accounting records are open for public scrutiny, and you have nothing to hide.

Fundraising

To be successful, your NGO must establish a fundraising plan once its programs have been decided upon. Where to seek funding? From other charitable groups, corporations and businesses, individuals, religious groups, and governments. It is important to point out that many NGOs receive government funding, but retain their status by not having government representatives on staff.

Marketing

Website

Marketing Plan

Media Contacts