NGOs and voluntary organizations play an important role in social work and development. They provide services that complement government programs and fill gaps where state capacity and resources are limited. Social workers can find meaningful employment opportunities in areas like healthcare, education, rural development, child and women welfare, and empowering marginalized groups. Setting up an effective NGO requires clearly defining its mission and goals, developing contacts and fundraising strategies, and persevering over time to establish operations and deliver needed services to communities.

1. 1
NGOs AND SOCIAL
WORK
Dr. R. Shivappa
Chairman-DOS in Social Work
University of Mysore

2. 2
NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANISATIONS AND SOCIAL WORK
 Voluntary provision of services for people in need
has a long-history
 India has glorious tradition of organising voluntary
work for social good.
 Article 19(1) (c) of the Constitution of the India
confers on the Indian citizens the right to form an
association.
 In the UN terminology voluntary organisations are
called Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

3. 3
Contd…
According to Lord Beveridge: ‘A voluntary organisation
is an organisation (whether its workers are paid or
unpaid) which is initiated and governed by its own
members without external control’.
 It should depend in part at least upon funding
support from voluntary resources.
 According to David L. Sills ‘Voluntary organisation is
a group of persons organised on the basis of
voluntary membership without state control for the
furtherance of some common interests of its
members’.

4. 4
NGOs- Different meanings
 NGO is formally or informally organised around
shared purpose – non - governmental and so not
part of the state apparatus – self-governing rather
than externally controlled.
 NGO is a non-profit making, voluntary, service-
oriented/ development-oriented organisation for
the benefit of people.

5. 5
Contd…
 NGO is an independent, democratic and non-
sectarian people’s organisation working for the
empowerment of economic and/or socially
marginalised groups.
 NGO is an organisation not affiliated to political
parties, generally engaged in working for aid,
development and welfare of the community.
 NGO is an organisation that is flexible and
democratic in its organisation and attempt to
serve the people without profit for itself.

6. 6
EXPLANATION OF
VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION:
 --- People who work in Voluntary Organisations may
be paid, so that voluntary sector is not limited to
groups staffed by volunteers.
 --- Voluntary Organisations cannot be distinguished
in terms of being self-financing. Whilst many rely on
contributions and fund-raising, a significant number
of groups receive grants from central or local
governments to fund their work.
 --- Voluntary provision can also be defined as being
non-profit making.

7. 7
CHARACTERISTICS OF
VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
 Registered under the Societies Registration
Act, the Indian Trusts Act, the Cooperative
Societies Act.
 Definite aims and objectives
 Has an administrative structure and a duly
constituted management and executive
committee.

8. 8
Contd…
 Registered under the Societies Registration
Act, the Indian Trusts Act, the Cooperative
Societies Act.
 Definite aims and objectives
 Has an administrative structure and a duly
constituted management and executive
committee.

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MAIN FUNCTIONS
 The State does not have the requisite
financial resources and man-power to meet
the needs of its citizens. The Voluntary
organisations by raising additional
resources locally can meet uncovered
needs and enrich local life.
 The State is often slow in responding to new
needs and not flexible in adapting to meet
challenging circumstances.

10. 10
Contd…
 Voluntary organisations also help State in the
areas which are its exclusive responsibility but for
which it has limited sources and perform such
functions in a meaningful way. For example
Education, Health.
 Voluntary organisations also venture into new
needs, work in new areas and give attention to
hitherto unattended and unmet needs.
 The voluntary organisations provide service
without being asked.

11. 11
Contd…
 The NGOs can deliver many social services
at lower unit costs and they can manage to
reach the poorest and most vulnerable
groups in society.
 The NGOs provide a specialised service to
people which may be lacking in State
services.
 The NGOs have effective network at local,
regional and international levels.

12. 12
NGOs AND SOCIAL WORK
 NGOs offer an excellent opportunity for people with
MSW qualification to realise their desire to use their
skills to serve the society.
 There is a great deal of legislation that gives social
workers both the responsibility and power to act in
cases where people are at risk.
 Women and child welfare institution.
 Family counselling centres
 De-addiction centres.
 Tribal empowerment agencies.

13. 13
Contd…
 Rural development programmes.
 HIV + prevention and treatment centres
 Health care centres.
 Urban development centres.
 Welfare of disabled
 Half-way-homes, mental health centres.
 Adoption and foster-care centres.

14. 14
Programmes of NGOs
 Family welfare: Marriage counselling, Maternal
Care and Family Planning, Family Life Education,
Family Counselling, care of the aged.
 Child welfare: Maternal and child health care,
protective services, care of unwed mothers and
their children, day-care, foster-care, adoption
services, care of children in difficult circumstances.
 Youth welfare
 Services of the disabled

15. 15
Contd…
 Disaster relief
 Community Development: Rural, Tribal and Urban
 Medical and Psychiatric Services
 School Social Services
 Correctional Services: Control of delinquency.
 Welfare of weaker sections.
 Environmental protection activities
 Freedom fighters’ welfare.
 Women empowerment programmes
 …..and many others.

16. 16
International NGOs
 WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), CARE
(Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere),
OXFAM, Action-AID, CIDA (Canadian International
Development Agency).
 Some of the leading industrialists have established
TRUSTS for social welfare activities like
 Jamanlal Bajaj Seva Trust
 Ratan Tata Trust
 Sir. Dorabjee Tata Trust
 Allagappa Chettiar Charitable Trust.

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DELIVERY OF WELFARE
PROGRAMMES – STATES’
CONTIBUTION
 Central Social Welfare Board
 National Institute of Public Co-operation and
Child Development./ National Institute of
Social Defence.
 ICDS programme

18. 18
Contd…
 Institutional and Non-institutional services for the
benefit of the socially and economically weaker
sections of the society - children, women, SCs,
STs, backward classes, disabled, aged,
unemployed, destitutes.
 Institutional Services: Education, health,
Vocational training, hostels, care-homes.
 Non-Institutional Services: Pensions to the aged,
widows, unemployment allowance to the
unemployed, children allowances.

19. 19
Contd…
 Care, protection and development of
delinquent juveniles, beggars and criminals
( prisoners welfare), education of the
disabled children, suppression of immoral
traffic, labour welfare - workers’ education
programme, health care of children and
mothers and for the poor.
 Welfare of the SCs, STs and other
backward communities.

20. 20
Contd…
 Women welfare programmes: Homes for widows,
and destitute women, State After-care Homes
( Nari Niketan), State Protective Homes, Welfare
of the aged and infirms.
 Welfare of the disabled: Institute for the blind,
Sheltered workshops for the disabled, Welfare of
the deaf and dumb, Scheme of scholarships for
the disabled. Scheme of supply of prosthetic aid,
homes for the mentally retarded children, scheme
of financial assistance to the victims of chronic
diseases.

21. 21
Contd…
 Wakf administration
 Implementation of social legislation.

22. 22
NGOs and Social Work
 Dedication and commitment is imperative in
this field.
 Chances for growth are plenty.
 One can derive satisfaction with the work.
 Good opportunity to work with people to
update the skills.

23. 23
Contd…
 Opportunities for creativity are available.
 Mature outlook and patience are some of
the required attributes that make one
successful

24. 24
Contd…
 For a paid social worker salary may not be
attractive.
 Job security may be absent.
 Promotional avenues depend on
performance.
 Long-hour of work - must be prepared to
work in stressful situations.

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NGOs – FINGER TIPS
 Setting up an NGO: An NGO is a private, non-
profit foundation which aims at improving the
quality of life of disadvantaged people. There is an
NGO for every human need as indeed for animal
needs. (if you are empathetic and enterprising with
an altruistic outlook set up an NGO)
 Defining the focus: See the need and act
accordingly. (the NGO can be local, national or
international)

26. 26
Contd…
 A mission to accomplish
You need a focussed vision before you
launch an NGO. Write down your mission
statement; make a list of all services that
you can provide.
 Your utmost for the highest
Give all your efforts without expecting
anything in return except satisfaction.

27. 27
Contd…
 Contacts are vital
Meet people in high positions who will
accept to give a helping hand – Foreign-aid
can also be mustered through associates.
 Lobbying for funds
Don’t rely entirely on any one source of
money.
Report the status of funds regularly.

28. 28
Contd…
 Manpower – Quality persons should be at
work.
 Registration: As a Society, a Trust or as
Company apply for Income Tax exemptions
under Sec. 80(G) of the Income Tax Act.
 Persevere: Good functioning is required –
usually takes 10 years to establish itself.

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THANK YOU