All Areas of Focus »
Civil Society Organizations: Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Entrepreneurs
 |
Definition
Civil society organizations refers to a variety of institutions, groups, foundations, trusts, and associations formed by citizens to address social and environmental issues, problems, and needs that are either caused by business or government, or are insufficiently addressed by them.These organizations are primarily known by terms that indicate what they are not: In Europe, the term nongovernmental organization (NGO) arose; in the U.S. the term nonprofit organization (NPO) is used to designate citizen initiatives. Tags/Keywords
Civil society organization (CSO), global civil society, civilis societas, citizen sector, global networks, social movements, environmental movement, human rights, crisis relief, sustainability, nongovernmental organization, NGO, ONG
|
Communication Training photo source |
Nonprofit Law
 photo source |
Organizational Funding
 photo source |
Organizational Support and Management
 photo source |
Philanthropy
 photo source |
Social Entrepreneurship
 photo source |
Training for Nonprofits
 photo source |
Organizational Governance
 photo source |
DiscussionJoin the discussion forums to discuss Civil Society Organizations |
Full Definition :
Civil society organizations refers to a variety of institutions, groups, foundations, trusts, and associations formed by citizens to address social and environmental issues, problems, and needs that are either caused by business or government, or are insufficiently addressed by them. These organizations are primarily known by terms that indicate what they are not: In Europe, the term nongovernmental organization (NGO) arose; in the U.S. the term nonprofit organization (NPO) is used to designate citizen initiatives. Although both describe what organizations are not, they do not describe what they do. Civil society or citizen sector is a preferred term used by many organizations and institutions. It is an active way to describe the NGO and NPO world. Civil society is part of the "sustainability triangle" of government and business, together which are the three most powerful driving forces in fostering change on the planet. Civil society includes community based organizations (CBOs), educational institutions, faith-based organizations, foundations, networks, coalitions, alliances, research institutes, UN organizations, village-based organizations (VBOs), activist organizations, and virtual organizations that function on the Internet but have no geographical location. Some are tightly linked to the nation-state, while some are fiercely independent. They provide an array of services to marginal and neglected populations and tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues on the planet. Some scholars include local groups that perform specific tasks, like irrigation groups in India or New Mexico or religious groups in Indonesia or California. (The term civil society excludes and is contrasted to ideological organizations that advocate violence, further ecosystem destruction, or promote prejudice).
Contributors to this Page
