Top 20 International NGOs in the World

Introduction

Since the last fifty years or so, the importance of International NGOs (INGOs) in the world has been highlighted more than ever. The trans-national or organizations without borders concept has given a new meaning to the concept of an NGO. Just like interests associated with multinational corporations force states to alter their policies, the fieldwork done by INGOs in different countries depicts their importance as well. In today’s discussion, we are going to talk about the top 20 international NGOs in the world. Let us see, how many of these have you heard of already!

1- Transparent Hands

Transparent Hands is one of the biggest crowdfunding platforms in Pakistan and top international NGOs in the World. Donors from all over the world send their donations using the NGOs’ web portal. The donations raised are used to provide primary medical amenities as well as assistance for advanced surgical procedures to those who belong to the underprivileged section of the community. All affairs conducted at Transparent Hands reflect transparency. This crowdfunding platform also gives the facility to their donor to plan their donations on different occasions Like Dhul Hijjah Donations, Eid-ul-Adha Donations, Christmas Donations, Thanksgiving Donations, and Ramadan Donations.

2- The Wikimedia Foundation

The parent company that operates multiple free knowledge projects including the famous Wikipedia, is The Wikimedia Foundation. Established in 2003, its message is simple, i.e. to make knowledge accessible to everyone. Recent stats show that Wikimedia Commons has about 90+ million media files in its repository. Along with that, around 1.7 billion different devices visit Wikimedia Foundation sites monthly. 

3- BRAC

Founded in 1972, in South Asia, Bangladesh, BRAC is a non-profit organization that is working on a grassroots level to make life better for people all over the world. It has partnered with approximately 100 million people in more than 23 countries, living in poverty and inequality. BRAC aims to create impactful opportunities for them. Some of the sectors that they are working on include agriculture, microfinance, education, and healthcare.

4- Acumen fund

Jacqueline Novogratz founded Acumen in 2001 to use entrepreneurship as a tool to build a world where everyone was given the same opportunity. The organization wanted to do something different and took on the approach of bridging the gap between the social impact of philanthropy and the scale and efficiency of market-based approaches.

Acumen Capital Partners, a subsidiary of Acumen supports social enterprises to deliver financial and social returns.

5- Danish Refugee Council

Holding the title of Denmark’s largest NGO, the Danish Refugee Council holds expertise in forced displacement and is operational in 40 countries all over the world. The staff strength boasts of 7,500 employees who work day and night to advocate, protect, and create sustainable futures for displaced persons and affected communities.

The DRC works with refugees throughout the displacement stages, provides them with life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection, helps them become self-reliant, and works with authorities to promote peaceful coexistence. 

5- Partners in Health

Much like Transparent Hands, Partners in Health is engaged in developing and implementing comprehensive healthcare programs in collaboration with ministries and communities in 11 countries. They are operational in Peru, Rwanda, Mexico, Haiti, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Lesotho, the United States, and Russia. Partners in Health has identified two missions i.e. lift the underserved communities out of despair and provide them with the benefits of modern medical science.

6- Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to solving the greatest sustainability challenges of the world with influential market leaders. They work in close collaboration with organizations and people worldwide like companies, investors, and nonprofit organizations. Ceres takes action and encourages fair solutions in the economy and policies. Ceres’s goal is to create a future that is good and fair for everyone.

Its initiatives include bioenergy, sustainability, water scarcity, and a cleaner environment.

7- CARE International

CARE International seeks to empower women and girls while working towards the causes of reducing hunger and poverty. It also works rigorously to further the causes of education, water and sanitation, and food support. Through its numerous operations, CARE International helps about 174 million people annually in over 111 countries, though the primary targets of their activism are women and children.

8- Doctor Without Borders

Providing time-sensitive medical aid is the priority of a lot of nonprofits. Among the top is the international medical humanitarian organization called Doctors Without Borders (also known as Médecins Sans Frontières). The healthcare-focused nonprofit offers emergency medical assistance to victims of armed conflict, diseases, natural catastrophes, and man-made disasters.

Every year, Doctor Without Borders treats more than 10 million patients in more than 70 countries. 

9- Cure Violence

Consistently ranked in the top 10 NGOs all over the world, Cure Violence is truly making a difference on a grassroots level. The organization is driven to reduce violence by employing its namesake approach. It utilizes an interdisciplinary public health approach with four key activities: detecting and stopping potentially lethal events, intervening with individuals at the highest risk of involvement, influencing group and community behavior, and utilizing data and monitoring to disrupt the transmission of violence.

After more than a dozen studies, reports, and multiple evaluations, the approach has shown remarkable results.

• 48% fewer shootings in Chicago (in the first week of the program)
• 63% less shootings in NYC
• 45% less violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago
• 30% less shootings in Philadelphia

10- Mercy Corps

Dedicated to alleviating poverty, oppression, and suffering, Mercy Corps is a team of humanitarians all over the world working together to assist the front lines. It aims to create a future, prosperous for everyone. Mercy Corps is based in over 40 countries worldwide and has over 6000 members working for people living through violent conflict, poverty disasters, and the devastating impacts of climate change.

11- Apopo

Launched over 25 years ago, Apopo is operational in over countries doing spectacular work. The organization’s heroes are animals who can sniff out hidden landmines among other explosive remnants. The detonation material is then handled carefully and the land secured to be returned to locals and is then used for community building and development.

Along with landmines, Apopo also trains animals to detect tuberculosis and calls its detection animals ‘HeroRATs’ and “HeroDOGs’.

12- Root Capital Handicap International

Small-scale farmers are the backbone of rural economies. Despite playing a crucial role, they are often suffering the brunt of injustice and experiencing insignificant growth. To aid such communities, Root Capital Handicap International bridges the gap between them and financiers. They are provided with loans that are too risky for commercial banks and too big for microfinance.

To date, RCHI has distributed $1.85 billion among different communities to enhance the quality of life of over 10 million people belonging to farming families. They have created jobs, increased livelihoods, leveled the playing field for women, and helped farmers adapt to suitable climate change practices.

13- IRC

Founded in 1933, as the International Relief Association at the suggestion of Albert Einstein, the now, Internation Relief Committee has come a long way. The organization is one of the world’s most well-known and works to aid people in humanitarian crises. 

They help restore education, safety, health, and economic well-being to people disrupted by disaster and conflict. The organization has many influential celebrities such as Rami Malek and Morena Baccarin as their ambassadors as well.

14- Barefoot College

Barefoot College is an organization based in India that focuses on the empowerment of villages and women. They create new pathways to equip marginalized rural communities with the goal of self-sustainability and sufficiency.

Barefoot College breaks down the traditional methods of skill-gaining and educates local women to bring social and economic empowerment, clean energy, and learning to their communities. This includes installation, building, and repairing of solar power equipment and local medical treatment.

15- Save the Children

Among the biggest and most well-known international non-governmental organizations is Save the Children. The platform takes on a wide array of initiatives, and targets causes such as education, healthcare, and nutrition for children. Its primary purpose is to try to better the lives of kids and their families.

Tens of millions of children are assisted annually by Save the Children, which works in over 116 countries.

16- Ashoka

The Ashoka Foundation deviates slightly from the standard INGO process and acts as a bridge between individuals using innovative solutions to solve social problems and social entrepreneurs. It is functional all over the world and its mission is to “change the world through social innovation and entrepreneurship”. 

The organization firmly believes that the answer to solving the world’s most pressing problems is in the hands of social entrepreneurs. 

Some of the support services they provide include:

• Monetary support
• Access to contacts (networking with various social entrepreneurs)
• Training and mentoring
• Help in creating and implementing ventures

17- Once Acre Fund

Over 50 million families in the Sub-Saharan African region live in small farms that produce about 80% of the food consumed by the continent. Despite playing a crucial role in feeding the people, farmers still lag economically. One Acre Fund is an initiative that supports small-scale farmers in Africa, to grow their way out of poverty. The help provided to them is training and financing that is sustainable and profitable. 

18- Clinton Health Access Initiative

Clinton Health Access Initiative a.k.a CHAI, was founded in 2002. The purpose of the organization is to pay direct attention to the needs of the society i.e. saving the lives of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. CHAI is now operational in more than 25 countries and over 125 reap the benefits of CHAI-negotiated deals

It has branched to collaborating with partners and governments to treat and prevent other deadly diseases. CHAI has worked tirelessly amid the COVID-19 crisis, and its aim includes reducing infant and maternal mortality, increasing access to lifesaving vaccines, and strengthening health systems. 

20- World Vision

World Vision, a Christian humanitarian platform seeks to enhance the lives of underprivileged children and their families. It works in various sectors, such as nutrition, healthcare, and education. 

World Vision assisted almost 30 million people in 2022 through 59 global disaster relief programs. They provided food for 10.3 million people and helped 3 million people have access to clean water. Additionally, its Child Sponsorship program gave 3.2 million underprivileged kids a second chance at life.

Conclusion

Numerous organizations are working to improve people’s lives on multiple levels. These top biggest NGOs in the world offer a glimpse into the work being done to uplift the impoverished. NGOs play a crucial role in providing essential, sometimes lifesaving services to those in need and addressing a wide range of global challenges.

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