A handbook of NGO governance

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.