Vetting Organizations in Other Countries

by Jayne Cravens
via coyotecommunications.com & coyoteboard.com (same web site)

Vetting Organizations (NGOs, Charities, etc.) in Other Countries

Maybe you want to evaluate a volunteer-placement organizations that charges volunteers for their placements. Maybe you want to donate to an organization in another country. Maybe you are interested in partnering or supporting an organization abroad but want to know it's a credible organization, that it's not some sort of scam, or an "organization" of just one person.

To find credible international volunteer, sponsorship or donation opportunities, your safest bet is to go through an internationally-recognized, well-known organization in your own country that is networked with organizations in other countries. International mission-based organizations, also known as international non-governmental organizations, or INGOs, have a tremendous amount of experience in other countries, and work with credible local organizations. INGOs can connect you with official volunteering or donation programs to help local organizations in other countries, particularly those in the developing world.

Trying to give directly to an organization in the developing world can present various problems, namely: establishing whether or not a local organization is credible, and ensuring that your donation funds programs that help people, rather than such going to bribes or an individual.

If you absolutely cannot find an organization in your own country that can connect you with local organizations in other countries, then you will have to do research yourself, including asking questions of the organization you want to help and evaluating the answers yourself.

Here are tips for vetting local organizations in other countries (and you should undertake all of these activities -- don't rely on just one source):

Some countries have web sites that list all non-profit organizations who are officially registered with the federal government. These countries include the USA, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. There is, however, no guarantee that an organization that is listed on such a database is well-run, but organizations listed do meet certain minimum financial management and infrastructure requirements. Here is a list of such official web sites:

USA
Guidestar

U.K.
U.K. Register of Charities

Canada
Canadian Registry of NGOs

Australia

ATO Search

Australian Business Register

auscharity.org

New Zealand
legal status of organisations.

Greece
Hellenic Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations (links to the part of the site in English)

India

Credibility Alliance

NGOs India

, a private initiative undertaken by two individuals. This web site has no government nor NGO-accredication nor affiliation, but it does provide a way to identify NGOs working in various different places throughout India, and resources for those organizations.

Guidestar India

Also see the link below regarding the Asian Development Bank.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)

A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance

There are 4 NGO coordinating bodies: Afghan NGOs Coordination Bureau (ANCB), Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), Islamic Coordination Council (ICC) and the South West Afghanistan and Baluchistan Association for Coordination (SWABAC). Only ACBAR has a formalised collaboration with UNAMA while the others have established links with ATA or local authorities.

Philippines

Philippine Council for NGO Certification

Tanzania

TANGO

Asia
Asian Development Bank has a web page of links to information available about every developing country in Asia. Most of ADB's country profiles contain contact details of the main NGO coordinating body in the country.

Afghanistan
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Central Asian Civil Society
China, People's Republic of
Cook Islands
Federated States of Micronesia

India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR)
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nepal
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines

Republic of Korea
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Viet Nam
Western Asia

There are some web sites that, while not sponsored by the government, do list local non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, in a particular country or region. Check such web sites to see how NGOs are evaluated for inclusion. If no criteria is listed, write the web site directly and ask. Some examples of such web sites:

If you know of a country not listed above that has a web site of government-registered nonprofit organizations, please send me the URL for such. Please do not say, "I think such-and-such has a web site like that", but not provide the URL.

Other sites that can help you evaluate an organization to know if it's a credible place to volunteer with or through:

The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), founded in 1962, is a global network that brings together established humanitarian and human rights NGOs together in an "advocacy alliance for humanitarian action." ICVA provides a means for the collective body of its members to work together to effect change, and also assists members to improve their own work through access to initiatives and tools that help to increase quality and accountability. Membership in ICVA is a pretty good sign that an organization is credible.
Use the Internet to find online references to the organizations by other organizations or media. For instance, if an organization is referenced in a paper by the World Food Programme, a credible organization. Use Google to search for the organization's name. Also research the names of employees at the organization.
In addition to finding official references to an organization and staff via this method, you may also find unofficial references, positive and negative, via personal blogs or customers review web sites like Yelp. Write the organization directly for clarification of any negative references you read online.
Look for references in academic journals to the organization. Your local public library, or nearest university library, can help you look for such. That an organization has made itself available for research is a good sign that it's probably credible.
Ask the organization for copies of the organization's official documentation: government registration papers, brochures, press releases, etc. Consider how the organization responds to this request -- if it's not quick or complete to respond, then how much support do you think you could expect as a volunteer for such an organization? Or, if you are looking to donate, how well do you think they can use your funds if they can't provide such basic information promptly and completely? Also, do not rely only on this paper work to establish credibility; some countries allow individuals to simply pay a fee to "found" a nonprofit organization and receive grants, regardless of whether they actually provide any services.
Local offices in developing countries of the United Nations Development Programme, OneWorld, Save the Children, Oxfam, World Vision, and other INGOs, as well as nearby universities, may provide references for local organizations. They may be able to at least confirm that a local NGO you are researching actually exists.
Not every organization has a web site. But if the organization does, check it out. Is the mission statement clearly stated? Are their collaborating organizations noted on the site that you could contact? How complete is the information? What kind of message does the web site promote? Does it perpetuate stereotypes or messages, that run counter to the principles and charter of the United Nations? Minor spelling errors are not a good indication of the credibility of an organization, as so many are staffed by people for whom English is not their native language -- but if a site is so full of errors that you have trouble understanding what is being said, you might want to reconsider supporting the organization.
Ask the organization itself for INGO references, and contact these references yourself to verify that the organization exists, that it is credible, etc.
Ask the organization to put you in contact with previous international volunteers, so you can interview them yourself about their experience.

I've had some people say that the above criteria is too much to ask of small NGOs in developing countries, or that these are too "Western centric." I find those comments, almost always from people in North America or Europe, insulting to people in developing countries, who are perfectly capable of providing appropriate information to establish their credibility and competence. The idea that up-to-date records, clear communications and transparency are beyond the capabilities of people in developing countries is absurd and disrespectful.

Another great resource for vetting organizations is Guidelines For Evaluating Volunteer Abroad Programs. Although designed for people looking for volunteering-abroad programs, these are excellent suggestions for anyone needing to evaluate an NGO in another country.

Third-Party web sites and apps that list volunteering opportunities do not always have in-depth vetting systems for those organizations that use their services outside of the USA. Before you take an organization's listing on such a site as an endorsement, check how the organization was vetted on such a third party site, if at all. Note that, at least as of 2005, the UN's Online Volunteering service does require organizations that use its service to provide official government documentation, and does occasionally do reference checks on organizations.

Volunteering On Your Own Internationally

I do not advise, under any circumstances, for a person to volunteer entirely on his or her own in a foreign country, outside of the official affiliation of an official international organization. Volunteering through an established international organization is not only safer, but also, it offers you a way to network your volunteer contributions with those of others, so that your volunteering doesn't happen in a vacuum. Volunteering on your own can incur many unintended consequences: for instance, what happens if the family you are helping accuses you of stealing, or of doing something inappropriate with one of their children, and you are jailed, or pressured to pay money or hand over all of your possessions? Or, what if there is a coup, or a natural disaster -- who will be responsible for evacuating you? Volunteering through an official organization helps protect you from many possible hazards and dangerous circumstances.

Of course, you can work with an organization in your home country that has contacts in a country you are going to visit, BEFORE your trip, to see if you could do anything on the organization's behalf while you are abroad. For instance, the World Computer Exchange (WCE) welcomes inquiries from people visiting developing countries who might be interested in doing outreach or other volunteer work on WCE's behalf. There is no charge for such participation, however, you must contact WCE first and get oriented and pre-approval before your trip. WCE's behalf. Please do not ever say you represent an organization, or speak on any organization's behalf, while you are abroad unless you have written authority from the organization to do so.

More and more local organizations in developing countries are posting requests for volunteers directly to online groups, in order to directly reach potential volunteers, rather than going through INGOs. But even if a local organization in another country clears all of the above vetting criteria, consider that, if you pack your bags and head off to help such an organization, rather than going through an established international volunteering program, you will be doing this entirely on your own, as an individual, and therefore, there will be no organization officially responsible for your security and safety.

Before you volunteer onsite in another country, outside of an established international volunteering agency, you should get all of the following information in detail and in writing, and you should do this in addition to all of the aforementioned vetting activities:

detailed information from this organization about where you will be housed while you volunteer. Not just a statement that the organization will house you, but where, and what the conditions will be -- Will it be with a family and, if so, what are their names? Will you have your own room? Will there be locks on the windows and doors? Will it be within walking distance of the volunteering assignment? How available is electricity and hot water?
detailed information on how the organization will support you during arrival and departure. Will there be someone at the airport from the organization to help you through the entry process? Will the organization provide transport from the airport to its location? Will the organization provide transportation assistance and help with customs and other officials when you leave the country?
detailed information about the nearest health care facilities (individual doctor, clinic and hospital), and how the organization will or will not help to get you to such if needed.
detailed lists of what costs you would be expected to pay yourself (airfare, housing, bedding, food, transportation, security, etc.)
detailed information about the tasks you will be expected to complete, the resources that will be available to you and the time frame for such.
detailed information about your work environment. Will you have a desk? daily access to a phone? computer access? a bicycle? Will you need to have a security escort when traveling from your housing to your volunteer assignment, or in any other situations?
confirmation regarding translators. Will a translator accompany you during your work? What percentage of the people you will work with speak English?

It cannot be emphasized enough: get all of the above information in writing .

You would also need to, on your own:

get medical insurance to cover you while you are there.
get trip cancellation insurance, in case something happens before you leave and you need to cancel your airline tickets (which are usually non-refundable).
contact your country's embassy in the destination country/ies, to find out if there are any restrictions on your travel to/within the country.
design and confirm your own evacuation plan, in case of natural disaster or a man-made crisis. What assistance will the local organization guarantee in such an event? What help will your country's embassy give in such an event? Again, get all such information in writing.
check your country's foreign affairs office web site for online information about the country you want to visit. For instance, for US citizens, the US State Department has two different web sites profiling each country, one providing overviews of the political and economic situation in the country, and the other providing information specific to travelers (a bit alarmist at times, but a must read).
buy a copy of Lonely Planet or The Rough Guide for the country you will be visiting, to learn about the culture and key travel points.

Again, I do not advise for a person to volunteer entirely on his or her own in a foreign country. The aforementioned advice is not meant as an endorsement of your doing such. Here is information especially for Westerners regarding volunteering in the developing world.

Organizations -- do you want to host international volunteers through a credible international organization? Here is a bit of advice to help organizations gain access to volunteers from other countries.

Also see Safety in International Volunteering Programs: How to plan for your own safety while living and working abroad as a volunteer.

From other sources:

Advice from the US State Department for US citizens that want to volunteer abroad. A terrific resource. In fact, it sure sounds a lot like the information my pages... which were created before 2017, when the State Department page was published... hmmmm.

Chapter 16 of the free online book Be Credible: Information Literacy for Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing Students reviews how to evaluate the credibility of nonprofits. TERRIFIC resource, helpful to more than journalists. This is USA-centric, but easily adapted to settings in other countries.

2010 article: What makes a nonprofit news org “legit”? Here’s one six-fold path. It's not just good for evaluating nonprofit media outlets - a lot of these suggestions are excellent for evaluating the credibility of any nonprofit or charity.

NonprofitsFirst has a set of Accreditation Standards "to support organizations in achieving the highest levels of nonprofit excellence" & the standards are great measures to use when evaluating any nonprofit's credibility.

The USA Federal Trade Commission has a web page listing things to consider before donating to a charity or nonprofit. Good measures for evaluating programs before you volunteer as well.

Also see:

Funding Your Volunteer Trip Abroad
How to raise money to go overseas for a short-term volunteering gig.
Volunteering With Animals
Advice for both domestic and abroad opportunities.
Ethics of paying to volunteer online
It is not unusual, nor automatically unethical, for a program to charge people who want to participate as a volunteer in a program, online or onsite - there are some very credible nonprofits that do so. But how do you know when you should pay - and when you should ask a lot more questions?
The Information About & For Volunteers You Should Have on Your Web Site
It is not unusual, nor automatically unethical, for a program to charge people who want to participate as a volunteer in a program, online or onsite - there are some very credible nonprofits that do so. But how do you know when you should pay - and when you should ask a lot more questions?
Use Tech to Show Your Accountability and To Teach Others About the Nonprofit Sector!
Mission-based groups are under growing scrutiny. What you put on your web site can help counter the onslaught of "news" stories regarding mission-based organizations and how they spent charitable contributions.
Safety in International Volunteering Programs
How to plan for your own safety while living and working abroad as a volunteer.
Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters
Whenever a disaster strikes, hundreds -- even thousands -- of citizens in the USA start contacting various organizations in an effort to try to volunteer onsite at the disaster site. But what many of these people don't realize is that spontaneous volunteers with no training and no affiliation can actually cause more problems than they alleviate in a disaster situation, particularly regarding disaster locations far from their home. If you want to be a part of the mobilization for a future disaster, here are tips to help you get into "the system," get training, and be in a position to make a real difference.
More More Than Me scandal in Liberia: a lesson to all who “just want to help”
If you want to go abroad, with no experience, just a good heart, to help others, to do something you have never done in your own community or your own country, and you don’t yet know about the horror show that is More Than Me in Liberia, you need to read up.
Isn’t my good heart & desire enough to help abroad? and Vanity Volunteering: all about the volunteer, two blogs about unskilled people who feel entitled to go abroad and do work in other countries they have never done in their own countries. Also see: In defense of skills over passion.
“But I wanted to help POOR people…”.
Want to work internationally? Get involved locally..
Volunteers themselves speaking out about unethical voluntourism experiences.
J.K. Rowling speaks out against orphan tourism.
Medical Voluntourism Can Cause Serious Harm.
The harm of orphanage voluntourism (& wildlife voluntourism as well).
Hosting International Volunteers
More and more local organizations in developing countries are turning to local expertise, rather than international volunteers, to support their efforts. However, the need for international volunteers remains, and will for many, many years to come. This resource provides tips for local organization in a developing countries interested in gaining to international volunteers.
transire benefaciendo: "to travel along while doing good."
Advice for those wanting to make their travel more than sight-seeing and shopping.

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