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Welcome to Eldis

A handbook of NGO governance

Principles for good NGO governance

Authors: M. Wyatt; European Centre for Not-for-profit Law
Publisher: International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, 2004

Full text of document

The central and Eastern European Working Group on Nonprofits Governance has been exploring challenges facing nonprofits boards since its founding in 2001. A set of guidelines that could promote a shared regional understanding of good governance was drafted. This has formed the basis of the handbook on NGO Governance.

The handbook is based on the following principles: 

  • NGOs are accountable to their communities 
  • Good governance is a basic form of accountability 
  • Good governance has a formal structure 
  • Good governance involves the separation of governance and government 
  • NGOs are mission-based organisations 
  • NGOs promote the highest professional and ethical standards 
  • NGOs exercise responsible resource management and mobilization 
  • NGOs are responsive to the communities they serve

The hand book serves as a guide to good governance no matter what stage of maturity the organisation or its country’s NGO sector.