Working for an Organization with a purpose

For many people the words non-profit or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are a bit of a mystery. What do those words actually mean, what do NGOs do and what is it like to work for such an organization? This is exactly what we will try and answer with today's blog post.

An NGO is the term commonly used for an organization that is neither a part of a government nor a conventional business that operates on a profit generating basis. NGOs are usually set up by ordinary citizens, and could be funded by governments, foundations, businesses, or private individuals. The funding NGOs receive will not benefit the organization though, but the beneficiaries it is working with. That's why it called non-profit. NGOs are highly diverse groups of organizations engaged in a wide range of activities, from fighting human rights issues, to providing education, medical treatment or disaster relief efforts.

It will definitely be no waste of time working or volunteering with an NGO. When you decide to work with an organization of that kind, you already know that you would like to contribute to the social good and try and do your bit. Your values will probably match those of the organization, which means you will work with a lot more energy and integrity.

Your commitment will almost definitely be shared by your co-workers and the so the work environment can be very rewarding. The atmosphere in a purposeful organization creates the feeling of achieving something bigger, and what could be better than that?

Written and photos by Charlette Voss