In the era of digital technology, our community organizations are adapting and embracing the countless opportunities provided by social media platforms. Among them, Instagram stands out as a powerful fundraising tool. This isn’t just a story about technology; it’s a tale of community, compassion, and the human spirit.

The New Era of Fundraising: Instagram

Why is Instagram becoming the go-to platform for fundraising? It’s simple. Instagram is where people are. With over 1 billion active users, it’s a hub of connectivity and shared experiences.

Understanding Instagram Donations

Instagram donations offer an easy, straightforward way for your supporters to contribute directly to your cause. Your organization can raise funds directly on Instagram through donation stickers and fundraiser pages.

The Impact of Instagram Fundraising

Instagram fundraising isn’t just about money; it’s about amplifying your message and driving awareness about your cause. It’s about sharing stories and creating emotional connections that compel people to act.

Strategies for Instagram Fundraising

So, how do we drive donations on Instagram? There are several key strategies that your community organization can employ.

Engaging with the Instagram Community

Using Hashtags

Hashtags are a great way to reach a wider audience on Instagram. They create an entry point for new followers to discover your organization and its mission.

Utilizing Stories and Lives

Instagram Stories and Lives are a fantastic tool for engaging your audience. They’re interactive, fun, and a fantastic way to share the behind-the-scenes work your organization is doing.

Harnessing the Power of Instagram Influencer Partnerships

Working with influencers can help broaden your reach and increase donations. Influencers with a large follower base can expose your cause to a whole new audience.

Hosting Instagram Contests and Giveaways

Instagram contests and giveaways can stimulate engagement, raise awareness of your cause, and encourage donations.

Navigating Instagram’s Donation Tools

To drive donations, your organization needs to understand how to navigate Instagram’s donation tools.

How to Set Up Instagram’s Donation Sticker

Instagram’s donation sticker is a feature you can add to your Instagram Stories. It allows your followers to donate directly to your cause, right from your Story.

Making Use of Instagram’s Fundraiser Page

Instagram’s fundraiser page is a dedicated space where you can share more about your cause, tell your story, and encourage followers to donate.

Success Stories: Instagram Fundraising in Action

There are many examples of community organizations that have successfully harnessed the power of Instagram fundraising. These success stories provide inspiration and valuable insights.

Embracing Instagram Fundraising: Stepping into the Future

Instagram fundraising is here to stay. The future of fundraising is digital, it’s social, and it’s deeply human.

Monitoring and Adapting Your Strategy

It’s essential to monitor your fundraising efforts on Instagram, assess your performance, and adapt your strategy as needed.

Instagram Fundraising: It’s All About Connection

At its core, Instagram fundraising is about fostering connections, sharing stories, and mobilizing your community.

Conclusion: Instagram, The Modern Fundraising Platform

In the digital age where our lives are intertwined with the rhythm of social media, Instagram has emerged as a beacon of hope for community organizations. This vibrant platform, alive with color, images, and stories, is no longer just a virtual photo album or a venue for personal updates. Instead, it has bloomed into a lifeline for community organizations, a modern agora where causes can be voiced, heard, and supported.

Embracing Instagram for fundraising isn’t about jumping on the latest trend or blindly following the crowd. It’s a conscious decision to meet supporters where they are, to tap into the beating heart of digital connection and community. Instagram offers the kind of visibility that was once reserved for causes with hefty marketing budgets. Now, every community organization, regardless of size or resources, can step onto this global stage and share its message.

But beyond its practicality, Instagram fundraising is also a poignant testament to the human spirit. It speaks to our innate desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves, to reach out across the digital divide and touch the lives of others. When you launch a fundraising campaign on Instagram, you’re not just asking for donations. You’re inviting people to join you on a journey, to become part of your organization’s story.

Through Instagram, your organization’s mission is no longer confined to board meetings or local events. It can ripple outwards across the digital landscape, touching hearts and inspiring action. As followers share your posts, use your hashtags, and donate to your cause, they’re not just passive spectators. They’re active participants, change-makers who are helping to write your organization’s story.

In conclusion, Instagram fundraising is more than a strategy; it’s a revolution. It’s a call to harness the power of digital connectivity for the greater good. As community organizations, we are invited to join this revolution, to step boldly into the digital future, and to weave our stories into the vibrant tapestry of Instagram’s global community. This is the essence of Instagram fundraising. It’s not just about the funds raised; it’s about the connections forged, the awareness raised, and the communities strengthened. And in this dance of digital connectivity, every like, share, and donation is a step towards a brighter future.

So, let’s embrace Instagram fundraising. Let’s infuse our Instagram feeds with purpose, paint our Stories with passion, and drive our missions with the power of community. For in the end, Instagram is more than a platform; it’s a catalyst for change, a digital heartbeat echoing our collective desire to make a difference. In the hands of community organizations, Instagram becomes a tool of transformation, turning digital connections into real-world impact. This is the power and potential of Instagram fundraising.

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In an increasingly digital world, the essence of community often lies in the invisible threads of shared values, united pursuits, and mutual understanding that bind us together. A community organization, at its heart, is the manifestation of these commonalities. Yet, in a landscape filled with faceless corporations and cold bureaucracies, how can we bring warmth, authenticity, and a sense of humanity to our community organizations?

The answer, in part, lies within the power of humanizing your organization. To humanize is to infuse it with the lifeblood of its constituents, the everyday stories of triumph, the earnest endeavors of its members, and the genuine moments that make us all fundamentally human. By humanizing your community organization, you not only deepen connections but also cultivate a sense of belonging, enhancing both member engagement and communal impact.

In our quest to humanize, we turn to one of the most powerful tools at our disposal – Instagram. A vibrant tapestry of images, stories, and conversations, Instagram is more than just a social media platform; it’s a global stage where organizations can unveil their human side, crafting a narrative that resonates with people’s hearts. As visual beings, we connect, empathize, and understand through imagery, making Instagram a potent instrument for human connection.

With Instagram’s broad reach and its capacity to weave visual and textual narratives, it has the power to magnify the heartbeat of your community organization, making it resonate with the collective heartbeat of the communities it serves. Let’s embark on this journey to humanize your community organization on Instagram, a voyage that will ultimately bring us all a little closer, a little more understood, and a lot more connected.

Knowing Your Community’s Identity

At the heart of every community lies its identity – the blend of unique characteristics, shared interests, and common values that sets it apart. These distinct elements, akin to the different hues that color a canvas, form the cornerstone of your community. It’s through recognizing and celebrating these unique attributes that we can truly foster a sense of belonging and kinship.

Understanding your community’s identity isn’t a simple checklist to tick off. It’s an ongoing conversation, an active listening process, and an openhearted exploration of the collective consciousness that defines your community. What are the shared passions that invigorate your community? What values unite your members? What unique traditions, stories, and experiences define your community’s narrative?

Instagram, with its expressive visual language, allows you to articulate these unique traits and values in a captivating manner. This social media platform provides a space for showcasing your community’s character and spirit, thereby bridging the gap between you and your audience.

Unveiling Community Needs Through Instagram

Once you’ve grasped your community’s identity, the next step is to understand its needs. Identifying these needs isn’t just about seeking improvements, it’s about empathy. It’s about understanding the aspirations, challenges, and dreams that make your community members’ hearts beat a little faster.

Instagram, with its interactive features, provides an incredible platform to identify and address these needs. Use Instagram Stories to conduct polls, ask questions, or invite community members to share their views. Monitor the comments and DMs (Direct Messages) to understand what your community is passionate about.

Moreover, Instagram isn’t just about addressing community needs; it’s also a platform for rallying support. Share posts that highlight these needs and encourage community involvement. Remember, your community organization is not just a beacon of support; it’s also a catalyst for change. Harness the power of Instagram to ignite this change, fueling a better future for your community.

The Heartbeat of Authenticity

In the pursuit of humanizing your community organization, authenticity plays an integral role. Authenticity is the courage to be genuine, the commitment to be true to your values, and the resolve to honor your community’s character. It’s about baring your organization’s heart, flaws, triumphs, and everything in between. Authenticity, quite simply, is the heartbeat of your organization.

In the context of community organizations, authenticity is even more vital. It’s the bridge that connects your organization with its members, the shared language that communicates your sincerity and integrity. Authenticity evokes trust, builds credibility, and fosters deeper connections. In a world where superficiality is often rewarded, dare to be authentic.

Authenticity in Action: Success Stories on Instagram

Let’s take a look at how some community organizations have successfully harnessed authenticity on Instagram.

Case Study 1: Save the Children

Save the Children, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children worldwide, embodies authenticity through their Instagram presence. They share real stories of the children they serve, the challenges they face, and the triumphs they celebrate. The candid snapshots of children’s lives, raw and unfiltered, resonate deeply with their followers, fostering a sense of shared humanity.

Case Study 2: Local Food Bank

Consider a local food bank that uses Instagram to share behind-the-scenes snapshots of their daily operations. They don’t just highlight the happy moments of food distribution but also share the struggles of keeping the pantry stocked. Their authenticity in sharing both the highs and lows paints a realistic picture, compelling their community to rally support.

These organizations have shown that authenticity is not just about sharing successes; it’s about being honest, transparent, and real. They’ve demonstrated that when we reveal our true selves, we create a space for genuine connections and meaningful change. Remember, to humanize your organization on Instagram, dare to be authentic. It’s not always the easiest path, but it’s certainly the most rewarding one.

Unveiling Emotions through Visual Storytelling

Visual storytelling is an art as old as time, spanning the cave paintings of our ancestors to the vibrant Instagram feeds of today. It’s an art that has the power to transcend barriers, ignite emotions, and inspire change. When wielded effectively, visual storytelling on Instagram can breathe life into your community organization, adding a pulsating beat of shared emotions and experiences to its narrative.

In a digital world where we’re constantly bombarded with information, an image that tells a story stands out. It captivates the eye, tugs at heartstrings, and leaves a lasting imprint. And that’s the magic of visual storytelling—it makes your audience feel, connect, and remember.

Crafting Emotion-Evoking Visual Stories on Instagram

Creating compelling visual stories on Instagram is a delicate dance between creativity and authenticity. Here’s a simple guide to help you navigate this journey:

1. Know Your Story: What narrative do you want to share? What emotions do you want to evoke? Your story guides your visual content, so start with a clear narrative in mind;
2. Choose the Right Visuals: Whether it’s a candid photo, a vibrant infographic, or a heartwarming video, your choice of visual should resonate with your narrative and evoke the desired emotions;
3. Use Captions to Enhance Your Story: A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a well-crafted caption can elevate your story, adding depth and context to your visuals;
4. Engage with Your Audience: Encourage your followers to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Their responses can add a new layer to your visual story.

Celebrating Success: Visual Storytelling on Instagram

Here are a few examples of how community organizations have mastered the art of visual storytelling on Instagram:

Example 1: Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders shares powerful images of their doctors at work in conflict zones and remote areas. These visuals, coupled with heart-wrenching captions, showcase the organization’s vital work, highlighting the courage of their staff and the resilience of the communities they serve.

Example 2: The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup uses striking before-and-after images to depict the impact of their cleanup operations. These images not only celebrate their progress but also illustrate the severity of the ocean pollution problem, thereby inspiring followers to support their cause.

Visual storytelling on Instagram is an incredible tool to humanize your community organization. It invites your followers to embark on a shared journey, bridging the gap between hearts and screens. So, don’t just tell your organization’s story—show it, feel it, and live it on Instagram.

Breathing Life into Your Organization with Interactive Content

The essence of community lies in the heart-to-heart connections, the lively exchanges, and the shared experiences. The beauty of Instagram is that it can help replicate these interactions digitally, making your community organization not just a distant entity, but a living, breathing part of your members’ lives. Interactive content on Instagram acts as a catalyst in this process, transforming passive observers into active participants.

Interactive content invites your community to engage, voice their thoughts, and contribute to the conversation. It creates a two-way street of communication, fostering a sense of camaraderie and connection. The magic of interactive content is that it humanizes your organization, bridging the digital divide with authentic interaction.

The Power of Interaction: Types of Interactive Content

Interactive content on Instagram comes in many forms, each fostering a different mode of engagement:

• Q&As: Hosting a Q&A session on Instagram Live or through Stories allows for direct communication with your community. It not only helps answer their questions but also provides a platform to discuss important issues;
• Polls and Quizzes: These features offer a fun and interactive way to engage your followers. They can be used to gauge opinions, gather insights, or simply entertain your audience;
• Live Videos: Live videos bring real-time interaction to Instagram. Whether you’re broadcasting an event or sharing updates, live videos invite your community to be a part of the moment;
• User-Generated Content: Encouraging followers to create and share content related to your organization fosters a sense of ownership and engagement. It allows members to become storytellers of their community.

Building Engagement: A Guide to Creating Interactive Content

Creating interactive content on Instagram is a journey of creativity, empathy, and active listening. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you on this path:

1. Define Your Goals: What do you aim to achieve with your interactive content? Whether it’s increasing engagement, gathering feedback, or educating your audience, clear goals will guide your strategy.

2. Know Your Audience: Understand the interests, needs, and behaviors of your community. The more aligned your interactive content is with your audience, the more engagement it will foster.

3. Choose the Right Format: Based on your goals and audience, select the most suitable interactive feature. Remember, it’s not about using all features but about choosing the most effective ones.

4. Craft Your Content: Design your interactive content keeping your community’s preferences in mind. Be creative, authentic, and engaging.

5. Encourage Participation: Prompt your followers to interact with your content. A simple call-to-action can significantly boost engagement.

6. Respond and Engage: Interactivity is a two-way street. Make sure to respond to your followers’ inputs, fostering a dialogue.

Remember, interactive content isn’t just about likes and comments; it’s about sparking connections, initiating conversations, and weaving a vibrant tapestry of shared experiences. By making your community a part of your narrative, you’re not just humanizing your organization; you’re bringing it to life on Instagram.

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Community-based organizations (CBOs) are non-profit groups that work to make changes at the local level. They are usually started and run by people in the area where they live or work. Dikshita Mehta, head of customer support at online cash advance platform AdvanceSOS, whose has a lot of experience working with local communities prior her current job, says that most CBOs are run mainly by volunteers and have few paid positions. Such is because most of their money goes toward achieving the group’s goals. Because they are local, they may also need more access to resources, depending on where and what community it serves.

With community development, there can be more than one force or source of action at work to make things better. A community that wants to get better is open to more than what is right in front of it. The average citizen can be the main person involved in community development. But, they often get help from more prominent groups in and outside the community. This can include federal groups and support from the government. But it can also include community-based groups.

This article will talk about local community-based organizations. Digging deeper, we’ll talk about what they can do to help people working on community development. We will also talk about the different kinds of community-based organizations.

What Are Community-Based Organizations?

Since they are so local, a CBO will only work on problems in the area where they are based. CBOs are free to inspect issues outside their community that affect the community they serve. But they will only review how those problems affect things in that place. Sometimes, a CBO will work with another CBO on an issue outside their community. This usually happens when the two groups’ areas of interest overlap in some way, like when the groups live in the same place. They might also look at how a more significant problem is dealt with in other communities and by their CBO counterparts to get ideas or find ways to solve it. 

Even though most CBOs are thought of as non-profit and may work similarly, they are not the same. Most non-profits are big organizations with a specific area of focus and method that they work on through some projects and actions. A CBO has much less power and usually only works on one project in one area of focus in the community where it is based. No CBO exists outside of its immediate community except in the case of collaboration. A CBO can be a part of a parent organization or connected to another. But they will only act as a location-specific actor or partner of that organization targeted at their community.

What Role Do CBOs Influence Community Development? 

Most of the time, CBOs act as a bridge between resources and actions in community development. CBOs are a way for many larger groups and communities that touch each other to connect with people already working on problems in the community. CBOs are in the middle of things in the community. So, volunteers often go to them for public service projects they hope they can help with. A CBO that has been around for a while can find and sort the resources needed for community growth and development.

One of the best things about a CBO is that it is a wealth of information because it focuses on issues in the community. They point out problems that need to be fixed and give all the relevant information about them. This includes information about:

• what are the most pressing issues within the community,
• what are the things that should be done to fix it, 
• what resources are available, and 
• how the problem is affecting the community. 

Including a CBO in community development can make things go smoother.

What Are the Different Types of CBOs?

As with any other type of group, not all CBOs are the same. Because CBOs are based in a particular area, each one will be different based on the community it serves and the interests it has in that community. But most of these different CBOs fit into a few main categories. Each type usually decides how the CBO is set up and its legal rules, which affects how it works. These are the most common:

1. Shared Interest Groups bring together people from the same community with the same goals and interests. These can be pretty simple and can be changed while keeping their central structure. SIGs are a common type of CBO in communities because of this.
2. Micro-finance Institutions help people save and borrow money. MFIs are not banks in the traditional sense, but they do provide similar services to low-income areas. 
3. Village Development Committees help run a village as a whole. They have a set of rules that govern not only what the VDC does but also what everyone else does in the community. A village can also set up a VDC beside its current government. And the two institutions can then work together.

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As human interaction grows and deepens worldwide, so does the importance of community engagement. Community engagement is not only desirable but also necessary and possible. This is because it will likely lead to more fair, long-lasting public decisions and make local communities better places to live.

The community needs to be involved in the design or delivery of services. When it comes to the complexity of community problems, engagement helps better understand the needs and goals of the community.

Some of these stories center on environmental goals and connecting during the pandemic. But they are all about local communities from around the world having one thing in common: they value online public engagement.

1. Female Indigenous Solar Engineers Bring Light to Rural Belize

People who live in cities might find it hard to believe that some places still don’t have electricity in 2023. But more than 500 million people worldwide don’t have access to this “basic” service. District of Toledo’s people has to deal with this every day. Several towns in the countryside are far from the national electricity grid. Because of this, getting electricity to their communities was complicated and expensive.

The GEF’s Small Grants Program (SGP) paid for a partnership that helped close the gap. Small indigenous communities in the southern part of Belize were provided solar energy systems by the initiative led by three Mayan women who worked as solar engineers. In India, Barefoot College taught Florentina Choco, Miriam Choc, and Cristina Choc how to as part of a South-South cooperative exchange. So, the three women now build and fix home solar systems in the area.

Even though COVID-19 was ongoing, these women solar engineers, the national authorities, and some other partners installed and powered solar energy systems in two of Belize’s most remote and underserved communities. They could power 25 homes in just one of these towns, Graham Creek. It helped more than 150 people and 30 kids at a primary school.

2. Helping Venezuelan Native Families Stop Amazon Destruction

The capital and biggest city of the Amazonas State is Puerto Ayacucho. The Panare, the Yanomami, the Piaroa, and the Bari, are some of the tribes that live there. Many of these people had to leave because of problems in their social and economic lives. On top of that, there are issues involving armed groups and illegal mining in the area.

Amazonas Originaria is teaching a group of indigenous families. They were forced to leave their homes. They are now the stewards of the tropical forests near Puerto Ayacucho in a way that they use but don’t hurt it. They are learning to take care of cocoa, cupuacu, manaca, and tpiro plants, all native to the Amazon. They are also learning to use the plants’ fruits to make pulp, chocolate, baskets, and other things.

The SGP-backed project does the following:

• teach people how to make products from Amazon and eco-friendly packaging, 
• giving them more ways to make a living, and 
• helps restore parts of the degrading forest by replanting native trees.

3. Saving the Colombian Paramos Rich with Water

In the Andes, paramos are tundra ecosystems found above the tree line but below the snow line. They only take up 1.7% of the land in the country, but they provide 85% of the country’s drinking water.

Guardianas de los Páramos is a partnership between the Small Grants Program of the GEF and two other groups. They help with conservation and climate change projects in the TotaBijagual-Mamapacha and Paramos Pisba communities. The alliance focuses on getting women involved. In the past, it was harder for women to help the environment because of discrimination and unequal access to resources.

A total of 37 projects were chosen, which have helped around 2,400 families since 2020 to:

• bring back native plants,
• strengthen biological corridors
• keep protected areas in good shape,
• make changes to aqueducts, and 
• set up agro-ecological home gardens to reduce traditional farming methods that are bad for the environment.

Wrapping It All Up

“What is community engagement?” is a good question, but it’s also important to know why it’s crucial to make a better place to live. Communities with a better quality of life show how important it is to be involved in the community.

You can build and keep your community together by getting involved in it. And, you help your governments better meet your family and community’s needs. Community engagement also leads to better outcomes for the poor or the underserved. And this aspect is a crucial driver of social and economic prosperity.

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One of the distinctive features of the post-industrial stage of social development is the strengthening of the social movement. Originating in ancient Greece, it became widespread only in the second half of the XX century. Today, public organizations have a huge weight, and have a tangible impact on the lives of individual countries and the entire world community.

Why do public organizations appear? Isn’t the existence of political parties and government bodies enough? It turns out that they do not always cope with the mission entrusted to them, and then there are non-governmental organizations aimed at drawing public attention to the existing problem and finding ways to solve it. Sociologists distinguish several reasons for the emergence of public organizations:

• the presence of unresolved social problems, such as environmental degradation, the HIV epidemic, the disappearance of rare animal species;
• discredit in the eyes of the public of the state authorities, political parties and trade unions. The crisis of public trust in these structures leads to the creation of public associations consisting of representatives of the population. Examples include the People’s Control, the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights, and the Association of Journalists;
• Dissatisfaction with the modern form of democratic system, which implies indirect participation of citizens in the management of the state and, as a result, the creation of an alternative structure, allowing direct influence on the solution of state issues. Thus were born the unions of entrepreneurs, anti-corruption associations and foundations of civic initiatives.

The main goals of creating public organizations are the following:

• Provision of services (public and non-profit institution, autonomous non-profit organization);
• Protection of rights, interests (public organization);
• Solution of social problems arising at the place of residence or work/study (public amateur body);
• Solution of common problems (union/association);
• Achievement of public benefits, socially useful goals (social movement, non-commercial partnership).

As a social formation, public organizations perform a number of socially significant functions:

• provide opportunities for ordinary citizens to participate in political decision-making. Let us recall the American antiwar public organizations that played a decisive role in ending the Vietnam War;
• represent the interests of certain segments of the population. Examples are associations of single mothers, the Chernobyl Union, the society of defrauded depositors;
• carry out public control over the observance of human rights and freedoms. This function is performed by organizations defending the rights of women, prisoners, refugees, and migrants;
• influence the formation of public opinion. This is the task of all public formations, without exception.

Public organizations do not replace state authorities and their conclusions are of recommendatory nature. For example, a consumer rights protection society cannot call a seller, who deceived a consumer, to account; it only has the right to advise a victim and suggest where he/she should apply to protect his/her interests. People’s control is not empowered to punish unscrupulous producers or sellers, its representatives can only detect such cases and report them to the police.

However, the role of such unions and associations should not be underestimated. By influencing public opinion, they often compel governments to make the decisions they want. A case in point is the UN, which has for 60 years served as arbiter of peace in war conflicts.

Today, many citizens fail to obtain justice in many spheres of life. Standing up for one’s own interests is difficult in today’s world. Of course, if we combine our efforts, the result will be much more significant.

Creating public organizations is one way to activate human solidarity, to create a strong collective identity. It is one method of shaping social relations in the world. It is an increase in social activity of the population in order to defend common interests. And according to studies, recently there has been a significant increase in the number of such civic associations.

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Successful people and organizations follow a certain set of rules that help them grow and set them apart from others. These rules are the core principles that greatly influence the way people and their organizations work. A principle can be defined as a rule that helps people understand the context around us and then, accordingly, suggests the best way to act in a given situation. In addition to guiding us in our daily lives, principles also help us to successfully accomplish our tasks.

For an NGO to be successful, there are certain fundamental principles that should be incorporated into its daily work.

Transparency and accountability: All NGOs should be transparent and accountable in their daily activities. This means that NGOs should be open and honest about their activities, funding and internal operations. Most NGOs follow a protocol that increases their credibility by making them more accountable and transparent.

Transparency: Your NGO should be open about the activities it carries out, the funding it receives and the people it helps. Information related to the work of the NGO should be easily accessible and available to relevant stakeholders. Transparency enables NGOs to appeal to donors, develop cooperation and improve efficiency.

Accountability: Accountability means the obligation of a person or organization to report on its activities, take responsibility for them and disclose the results in a transparent manner. Accountability is a very broad term that covers several issues of NGOs; some of them may include organizational management structure, financial procedures, human resource policies, etc. Accountability is a fundamental principle for any organization, you have to explain to your stakeholders how you have used resources and what impact your organization has had. Experts suggest the following four aspects of NGO accountability.

Upstream accountability: This refers to the responsibility of NGOs to be accountable to funders, donors and government agencies. As an organization you are accountable to donors and funders for how you will use their money.
Horizontal accountability: this refers to accountability to project partners, colleagues and related organisations. It also includes strengthening partnerships and collaboration with other organisations and stakeholders.
Downward accountability: this means that as an organisation you are accountable to your beneficiaries and target audience.
Internal accountability: one of the most important aspects of accountability is accountability to your staff and the mission of your organisation. This means having ethical standards and governance structures in place and living up to the core value of your organisation.

Benefits of transparency and accountability
Improved relationships with donors and funders: donors and funders become more accessible to transparent organizations.
Trust among communities: local communities tend to cooperate with NGOs that provide information and share information with beneficiaries.
Promotes partnerships and cooperation: transparency helps to develop partnerships with other organizations and institutions.
Better employment opportunities: your employees will continue to work with you because they feel safe working for an organization that is trustworthy.
Improved productivity: accountability and transparency tools help you monitor your operations, thereby increasing productivity.

Ways to ensure accountability and transparency of your NGO:
Registration: Make sure your organization has legal status and is registered according to the relevant legal framework. Registering your NGO will not only help you increase your accountability, but will also allow you to interact with government agencies and various donors.
Accreditations and certifications: This refers to an external agency confirming that your organization meets a set of standards and policies. Accreditation ensures that your organization has been evaluated by a third party and meets nationally recommended standards and policies.
Annual Reports and Financial Statements: Regular publication of your annual reports is a great way to ensure that you are carrying out the required activities responsibly. An annual report provides readers with detailed information about all the activities your organisation has undertaken in a given year. Another important tool to increase accountability is to regularly update and summarize financial reports. This report clearly indicates your income and expenses for the month, quarter and year.
Third party audit and evaluation: Many organizations rely on evaluation and external audits as an accountability tool. External audits help analyze and verify that you are in compliance with industry standards and regulations.

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Funds are used by individuals, businesses and governments to distribute money. Individuals may set up an emergency fund, often known as a rainy day fund, to cover unexpected expenses or a trust fund to save money for a specific individual.

Individual and institutional investors can invest in a variety of funds with the goal of earning a return. Mutual funds collect money from a variety of investors and invest it in a diverse portfolio of assets, and hedge funds finance the assets of wealthy individuals and organizations in a way that focuses on providing above-market returns. These are two examples. Governments use money to pay for certain public expenditures, such as special revenue funds.

Different types of funds are
emergency: people set up personal savings instruments to cover difficult financial periods, such as job loss, prolonged illness or to cover large expenses. A general rule of thumb is to have at least three months of net income in an emergency fund.

Higher Education Funds: These types of funds are typically tax-advantaged savings accounts set up by families to set aside money for their children’s future education expenses.

Trust funds: are legal preparations in which the grantor selects a trustee to manage valuable assets for the benefit of a selected beneficiary for a predetermined period of time, after which the funds are transferred to the beneficiary or beneficiaries in whole or in part.

Pension funds: People keep pension funds as a means of saving for retirement. Pension funds provide monthly income or pensions to retirees.

Some types of funds in the investment industry include:
Mutual funds:This type of investment fund is managed by experts who receive from individual investors and then invest this money in stocks, bonds and various assets.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): These funds are comparable to mutual funds, except that they are traded on public markets (just like stocks).

Hedge funds: asset classes for wealthy individuals or institutions that use high-risk strategies, including short selling, derivatives and leverage, to increase the return on their pooled capital.

Government bond funds: ideal for investors who want to put their money into low-risk investments such as Treasury bonds or debt issued by agencies. The government also provides funding for various purposes.

Here are some government funds:
Debt service funds: a fund used to pay back government debts.

Capital Projects Funds: used to finance the country’s capital projects such as the acquisition, development or renovation of technology, infrastructure, as well as other investment securities.

Permanent funds: investments and other assets that the government is not allowed to transfer or spend. The government, on the other hand, is usually allowed to spend any funds earned from these investments on government operations.

What is the difference between mutual funds and ETFs?
ETFs, unlike mutual funds, can be traded throughout the day like stocks, although mutual funds can only be bought at the end of each trading day at a set price called the net asset value.

Definition
of a fund A fund is a type of investment that collects money from many people. Subsequently, this money is used by fund managers to invest in different stocks and bonds. Each investor is given units that represent a percentage of the fund’s shares.

How do mutual funds work?
A mutual fund is a collective fund that is created by raising money from investors. The fund is then invested in a number of securities. The money earned in the form of profits is distributed among investors in proportion to the number of units they own. These funds are managed by professionals who are well versed in the market.

Why invest in a fund?
Investors prefer funds because they provide access to a pre-established investment portfolio managed by a professional in their field. You can get immediate access to a diversified portfolio at a significantly lower cost than buying individual shares.

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A fund is cash saved or collected for a specific purpose, often managed professionally with the aim of increasing the value of the fund over time. The most common example of an investment is a mutual fund, which pools shareholders’ money to invest in a portfolio of assets such as stocks and bonds.

In general, a fund is money set aside by individuals, companies, institutions and governments for future use. Some examples of a pooled fund include:

Emergency funds, a “rainy day fund” that people turn to during adverse financial situations.

College funds, which are used to save for higher education, often through what is called a 529 plan.

Target date funds, which are a reserve of cash saved and invested for a beneficiary who will have access to some or all of the funds after a specified period of time.

Foundations and charitable foundations that raise cash from donors to help a designated charity or non-profit organization.

How do funds work?
Investment funds take contributions from fund investors and purchase a portfolio that may include stocks, bonds, short-term debt or a combination of assets. Investors do not actually own the underlying assets, but buy shares in the fund (this is why fund investors are called shareholders). As the overall value of the stocks or bonds in the fund rises and falls, so does the value of the fund’s shares.

According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, investors often choose mutual funds because they offer:

Professional management. The average investor does not have the expertise to put together and manage an investment portfolio. Instead, fund managers do this hard work for shareholders.

Accessibility. Most mutual funds require small minimum investments.

Liquidity. Fund investors can usually sell their shares at any time.

Instant diversification. Any investment in the shares of one company is inherently risky. Funds reduce this risk because they often invest in a variety of companies, often in different industries. This diversification reduces the risk of losing your principal investment.

Types of funds
Here are some common types of investment funds:

Mutual funds, as mentioned above, take cash from a large group of investors and invest in stocks, bonds and other securities. Shares in mutual funds are bought and sold at the end of each trading day.

Money market funds are fixed income mutual funds that invest in short-term, low-risk debt obligations that can be easily converted into cash. Money market funds usually offer low yields, but current yields are higher (around 2%) due to this year’s interest rate hike.

Index funds are a type of mutual fund whose investments track a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. Index funds are a passive way to invest in the stock market.

Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are funds similar to mutual funds and index funds, except that they can be traded like stocks during the day on a stock exchange.

Real estate investment trusts, also known as REITs, are companies that invest in real estate, income-producing properties such as apartment buildings, hotels or shopping malls. They are often compared to mutual funds because they typically invest in real estate.

Hedge funds pool money from pre-qualified investors, usually wealthy individuals and organizations. Hedge funds typically use riskier trading strategies and charge high performance-based fees.

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A trade union is an organization consisting of members (membership organization) and its membership must consist mainly of employees.

One of the main purposes of a trade union is to protect and promote the interests of its members at work.

Most trade unions are independent from any employer. However, trade unions try to develop close working relationships with employers. Sometimes this can take the form of a partnership agreement between the employer and the union that defines their common interests and goals.

Trade unions:

• negotiate with employers on working conditions and pay
• discuss major changes in the workplace, such as large-scale redundancies
• discuss members’ problems with employers
• accompany members during disciplinary and grievance meetings
• provide members with legal and financial advice
• provide educational opportunities and certain consumer benefits such as discounted insurance

Recognition of trade unions
Employers who recognize a union will negotiate with it on pay and conditions for members.

Many recognition agreements are reached voluntarily, sometimes with the help of the Labour Relations Agency.

If no agreement can be reached and the organisation employs more than 20 people, the union can apply for statutory recognition. To do this, it must first submit a written request for recognition to the employer. If this fails, the trade union may apply to the Industrial Court (external link opens in a new window/tab) for a decision.

When considering the union’s application, the Court must assess many factors, including the level of membership in the union and the presence of any other unions. Often the Court will organise a vote among the affected workers to decide whether recognition should be awarded. Throughout the process, the emphasis is on reaching a voluntary agreement.

Collective bargaining
If a trade union is officially recognised by an employer, it can negotiate terms and conditions with the employer. This is known as “collective bargaining”.

For collective bargaining to work, unions and employers must agree on how they should work. They can, for example, make agreements about how union dues are deducted from members’ wages; who is to represent workers in negotiations and how often meetings will take place.

Both these agreements on procedures and agreements between employers and unions that change the terms and conditions that apply to employees (such as wage increases) are called “collective bargaining agreements”.

Your employment contract will probably specify which collective agreements apply to you.

It is possible that a trade union can negotiate on your behalf even if you are not a member.

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You are an adult, walking through a shopping mall when you see a bunch of teenagers bustling around. You are amazed by their energy or perhaps appalled by some of their antics. You wish (for the hundredth time – you have children of your own) that you could channel that energy into something productive.

Or maybe you are a teenager and a girl at school has just committed suicide. She wasn’t your good friend, but you still feel really bad. You wonder what you could have done, if there were signs you just missed. You even search the internet for information about teen suicide, but you need more than facts. You want to find a way to make sure it doesn’t happen again at your school. You know that some of your friends feel the same way, but what can you do?

As both a concerned young person and a concerned adult, one of the options available to you is to start a youth organization. Organizations run by youth or for youth have a lot to offer your community. Think about all the organizations you already know about – you have probably been involved in some of them yourself at one time or another. There are groups centered around almost any topic you can think of, with a huge variety of goals. Here are a number of examples:

• Boy Scouts
• Soccer leagues
• SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving)
• A student chapter of Amnesty International
• A class that volunteers in the community

Youth organizations can be founded by young people themselves or by interested adults. In this section we will try to look at the stages of youth organisation development from the perspective of both groups. We will start by looking at what a youth group can be and the general benefits of starting one. Next, we will briefly discuss who should start a group and the unique advantages of having an adult organize the group or having young people do it themselves. Next we will look at the right time to start such a group and then look at how to go about it. Finally, we will conclude the section for adult mentors with special tips for working with young people.

WHAT FORM CAN A YOUTH ORGANISATION TAKE?
A youth organization can be almost as broad – or as narrow – in scope as an organization for adults or for the community at large. Youth organisations can be run in schools, churches, neighbourhoods or local recreation centres. They can operate locally, nationally or even internationally. They can be organized and run by young people themselves, or they can be developed by adults such as coaches, priests or staff from the local YWCA. A local youth organisation may also be the nucleus of a larger group; for example, a local substance use reduction coalition may have a youth advisory board that provides suggestions on what they think will help stop young people from drinking alcohol.

In this section we will focus primarily on youth organisations that are set up specifically to make a difference in the community, such as public health organisations such as Students Against Drunk Driving, or groups set up to increase civic participation. However, many of the ideas we discuss here can easily be applied to any type of student group, such as youth theatre or sports teams.

One example of a successful youth organization is CityKids. CityKids is an organization with branches in the United States. Their mission is to engage and develop diverse youth to positively impact the world.

Their goals are:

Having a safe space for youth
Promoting open communication between youth
Multicultural bridge building
Strengthening leadership development among youth
The group does many different things to try to achieve these goals.
For example, they hold weekly “Coalition” meetings where they bring together different groups of young people to explore cultural, racial and sexual issues. The group is involved in many aspects of youth life and offers leadership development and guidance opportunities for education and careers.

An offshoot of CityKids is the CityKids Repertory Company, in which young people turn feelings and experiences about youth issues into music, dance and drama. They perform skits in their neighbourhoods, schools, community centres and prisons. They have performed on stage and some of their work has been filmed and shown on television. For example, the group developed Kayla’s Story, a video that documents a fictional teen pregnancy. The video is distributed throughout the country.

CityKids is a successful example of how young people choose the issues that matter to them, find a safe place, and help each other strengthen their community. The organization helps them gain leadership skills and a cohesive peer group, and sends a positive message to youth throughout the community.

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