ABSTRACT
The term NGO is applied to many kinds of organization, ranging from large Northern-based charities such as Oxfam to local self-help organizations in the South with an aim to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged people. They are mainly private initiatives, involved in development issues on a non-profit basis. The term ‘NGO’ is understood to refer to those autonomous, non-membership, relatively permanent or institutionalized (but not always voluntary) intermediary organizations, staffed by professionals or the educated elite, which work with grassroots organizations in a supportive capacity. Grassroots organizations (GROs) on the other hand are issue-based, often ephemeral, membership organizations; they may coalesce around particular goals and interests, and dissipate once their immediate concerns have been addressed. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have become an important and vocal platform for the involvement of civil society in public affairs.
