NGO Management | A Multi-Regional Project

These back-to-back virtual projects sought to highlight the role of the non-profit sector in the U.S. society and the ways that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) promote an educated, engaged civil society as a cornerstone of democracy.

Through virtual visits to non-profit organizations, professional associations, federal agencies, foundations, and public service organizations, participants examined the role of NGO management in the United States in fields such as health, education, human rights, the environment, at-risk youth, and the arts. Thirty-five participants from Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East participated in a mix of panel discussions, workshops, speaking engagements, and opportunities to connect with their U.S. counterparts in the nonprofit sector.

In Washington, D.C., the participants began their project with a keynote address on the role of non-profit organizations in the United States, a federalism briefing, and a hands-on workshop focused on communications and social media. The virtual nature of the project also allowed participants to visit many parts of the United States through panels with speakers from different regions of the country and team splits; dividing the thirty-five participants into smaller groups gave them the opportunity to have more focused professional meetings with nonprofit representatives and participate in social exchange with Americans across the United States. Altogether, participants virtually visited nineteen states.

Globally, many non-profit organizations and the communities they serve have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another. That being said, participants appreciated the panels that discussed the ways in which non-profit organizations and the philanthropic community were able to pivot to support the sector and respond to its pressing needs. They also learned a lot from sessions focused on fundraising, including the opportunity to meet with U.S. organizations that support international projects. Ensuring that this would be a two-way exchange, speaking engagements in Buffalo, New York and Charlotte, North Carolina allowed participants to share more about their organizations and experiences with their U.S. counterparts.

One participant reflected on his participation in this project, saying, “While I was initially disappointed that this was a virtual program, the silver lining is that it helped me break the silence that the pandemic forced and let me have a renaissance of global networking. I learned new things at every session. I thought I had read everything, but it reopened my mind and made me rethink key topics.”

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