International Philanthropy

American Council for Voluntary International Action

An alliance of NGOs whose site is a clearinghouse for information about humanitarian policy and practice. The Web site features current international news, ways to get involved, and a listing of related events.

American Councils

American Councils is a nonprofit organization that specializes in education, training, and consulting, with a focus on the United States, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia. The organization's programs include academic exchange, professional training, institution building, research, materials development, and technical assistance. The Web site includes information about grant and fellowship opportunities.

Ashoka

Arlington, Virginia-based Ashoka searches the world for the best new ideas, championed by the most capable, innovative social entrepreneurs and invests in them financially and professionally by selecting them to be Ashoka Fellows. The organization currently has fellows in Africa, Asia, Central Europe, Latin America, the United States, and Canada working in a range of fields, including learning/education, the environment, health, human rights, economic development, and civic participation. The Web site offers information on selection procedures, job and volunteer opportunities, and an online donation form.

Association for Volunteer Administration

The Association for Volunteer Administration is an international professional membership association providing networking with colleagues, professional credentialling, opportunities for skills development, and resources to aid organizations in developing the involvement of volunteers. The association's Web site has sample position descriptions, information about specific colleges and universities offering courses in volunteer program management, a job bank, a bibliography of publications and Web sites related to many aspects of managing volunteer resources, and news and events.

CARE USA

CARE works with poor communities in more than seventy countries around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty. CARE does this by strengthening capacity for self-help at the grassroots, providing economic opportunity, delivering relief in emergencies, and addressing discrimination in all its forms. The Web site includes information on their campaigns, partnerships, special reports, and a multimedia area.

Charities Aid Foundation

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), an international nonprofit based in the United Kingdom, encourages more efficient giving to charity. The Web site includes contact information for thousands of charities, serves as a technical assistance provider to both funders and nonprofits, and offers links to several charity-related specialty sites.

Civicus

Civicus is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and the capacity of civil society throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy, freedom of association of citizens, and funds for public benefit are threatened. The Web site has links to current civil society news, awards and scholarship information, descriptions of specific programming areas, and country reports from Belarus, Canada, Croatia, Estonia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Romania, South Africa, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Wales.

CRInfo

A free service regarding conflict resolution and peacemaking funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. CRInfo offers a clearinghouse of information, links, and educational materials on the topic. The site allows visitors to search or browse more than 20,000 links to Web, print, and organizational resources in the conflict resolution field with tools designed for adversaries, intermediaries, students, educators, practitioners, and researchers. Additionally, CRInfo maintains a number of special projects and partnerships with other nonprofit organizations, delivers current news on conflict resolution, and offers networking resources.

Cross-Cultural Solutions

Cross-cultural Solutions sends volunteers to provide humanitarian assistance in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania, and Thailand. The organization's programs, in which volunteers work side-by-side with local people, are intended to empower local communities, foster cultural sensitivity and understanding, and contribute grassroots solutions in providing healthcare, education, and social development. The Web site has descriptions of the various volunteer programs, including the Insight Cuba program, which offers trips to Cuba; information on how to get involved in global issues on a local level; and comments from the press.

Disaster Relief

The Disaster Relief Web site provides an easy-to-navigate clearinghouse of worldwide news and information for the disaster relief community and others providing disaster aid.

Grantmakers Without Borders

Grantmakers Without Borders, a collaborative project of the Tides Center and the International Working Group of the National Network of Grantmakers, works to expand and enrich progressive international philanthropy and to support international projects by providing free advice, alternative sources of information, and increased opportunities for communication among donors. The Web site has an annotated set of links to resources for international philanthropy organized by donor organizations, organized philanthropy, international news, economics and finance, statistics, and think tanks.

Idealist

Idealist, a project of Action Without Borders, is available in English, Spanish, French, and Russian. It has a searchable network of more than 30,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 165 countries, which can be searched or browsed by name, location, or mission; a searchable list of volunteer opportunities; hundreds of job, consultant, and internship listings; and listings of events, programs, and publications. News articles, commentary, reports, and essays related to NGOs are updated frequently. My Idealist allows you to register for personalized e-mail updates, job and volunteer information, and connections to others with similar interests.

International Association for Volunteer Effort

The International Association for Volunteer Effort was created in 1970 by a small group of women from throughout the world who shared a common vision of how volunteers can contribute to the solution of human and social problems and to the development of bridges of understanding among people of all nations. The association's Web site has news and events, as well as education, public awareness, youth involvement, and membership services information.

International Crisis Group

The International Crisis Group (ICG) is an independent, non-profit, multinational organisation, with over 100 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict. The Web site features high-quality news summaries, reports, and analyses on areas of conflict around the globe.

International Foundation for Election Systems

The International Foundation for Election Systems promotes democracy worldwide and serves as a clearinghouse for information about democratic development and elections by conducting research and providing nonpartisan technical assistance in more than 100 countries. The organization's Web site features a calendar of elections around the world, information about its library holdings and current projects, links to related organizations, past issues of its newsletter, contact information for its various field offices, and job opportunities.

International Law Institute

The International Law Institute works toward finding practical solutions to the legal, economic, and financial problems of the international community. The institute's mission is carried out through scholarly research, publishing, and practical legal training and technical assistance regarding various components of international law, economic policy, and practice. The organization's Web site features news, descriptions of its courses and publications, and includes a long list of related links, organized by subject area.

International Opportunities

The International Opportunities' Web site was designed as an information source for volunteers, advisors, and consultants on short-term international projects in developing countries around the world. The site provides background information on international projects, a matching service to link interested individuals with international organizations and projects, and free guides to project preparation and destination countries. Additional publications are for sale online.

International Reading Association

The International Reading Association, a professional membership organization with members and affiliates in 99 countries, is dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit. The organization's Web site includes a nice listing of grant opportunities.

International Research & Exchanges Board

The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) administers programs supporting higher education, independent media, Internet development, and civil society in the United States, Europe, Eurasia, the Near East, and Asia. In its focus area of higher education, IREX offers research support, study abroad opportunities, professional training and leadership development, educational advising services, institutional development, and policy forums. The Web site provides detailed information about these programs and services, grant opportunities, job opportunities, and e-mail updates.

International Society for Third-Sector Research

The International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR) is an international association that promotes research and education in the fields of civil society, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. ISTR aims to build a global community of scholars and interested others dedicated to the creation, discussion, and advancement of knowledge pertaining to the Third Sector and its impact on human and planetary well-being and development internationally. The Web site includes information on conferences, networks and groups, and publications and related links.

International Women's Health Coalition

The International Women's Health Coalition works to generate health and population policies, programs, and funding that promote and protect the rights and health of girls and women worldwide, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The coalition's Web site features articles and publications on women's health and rights, information on upcoming conferences, updates on current issues, and more detailed information on the national and international programs and services offered by the coalition.

Internet Law & Policy Forum

The Internet Law & Policy Forum (ILPF) is dedicated to promoting global growth of e-commerce by contributing to a better understanding of the particular legal issues which arise from the cross-border nature of the electronic medium. ILPF offers a spectrum of resources to lawyers and legal policy experts and provides a neutral forum for discussion of legal and policy issues that will affect the growth of global electronic commerce.

Internet Prospector

Internet Prospector is a nonprofit service to the prospect research community, produced by volunteers nationwide who "mine" the Web for prospect research "nuggets." Although designed for nonprofit fundraisers, anyone seeking tools for accessing corporate, foundation, biographical, international, and online news sources will find this Web site useful. You'll find an online newsletter and an archive of past issues. A search engine is also provided, allowing you to quickly search for information from back issues located on the site. An option to subscribe to the free monthly newsletter is also available.

Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development

The Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development supports programs for development in poor countries in the southern hemisphere through concrete development cooperation in the sectors of social development, health, and rural and agricultural development. The foundation's Web site also contributes to development policy discussions, by elaborating and providing scientific analyses and by organizing public events.

One World Trust

Assesses how open and receptive global organizations are to the internal demands of their members and the external demands of individuals and groups affected by the organi- zations' daily operations. The Web site offers information on realted events, in depth descriptions of their projects, and a digest on the latest news about global conferences.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an international think tank incorporating 30 member countries, does work in macroeconomics, trade, education, development, and science and innovation. The organization provides governments a setting in which to discuss, develop, and perfect economic and social policy. The Web site includes statistics, news, events, and information on OECD's main themes and activities.

Peace Corps

The Peace Corps, a volunteer aid organization, currently works in Africa, Central and East Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean, Inter-America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The Web site has information about assignments and areas of focus, benefits, returned volunteers, an online library, an application toolkit, and information for teachers and students.

ReliefWeb

ReliefWeb, a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, was designed specifically to help the international community improve its humanitarian relief efforts through the timely dissemination of reliable information on prevention, preparedness, and disaster response. In addition to current news regarding international emergencies, the Web site provides financial figures on humanitarian assistance, country background information, a list of recent natural disasters worldwide, job openings, and a directory of humanitarian organizations.

Soros Foundations Network

The Soros Foundations Network's Web site serves as a clearinghouse of information about-and gateway to-the foundations, programs, and initiatives that support the development and maintenance of "open societies" in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Trickle Up Program

Based in New York City, Trickle Up works with local partner agencies to assist the most marginalized people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas in starting a microenterprise, by providing seed capital and business training. The Web site includes success stories from the field, program information, recent annual reports and financial statements, news, events, and links to related resources.

United Nations

Established in 1945, the United Nations (UN) conducts worldwide efforts encompassing peace and security, economic and social development, international law, human rights, humanitarian assistance, and development. The vast, multilingual Web site provides detailed information about the UN and its more than 30 affiliated organizations, committees, and task forces; a list of conferences and events; documents; news; a publications index; and access to several of its online databases.

United Nations Development Program

The annual Human Development Reports of the UNDP provide a variety of statistical information about countries around the world, including literacy, education, and technology creation and diffusion. The Website provides an area for community actions and events, information arranged by country or by topic, and a listing of their publications to download.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was established to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture, and communication in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law, and for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The UNESCO Web site has documents and publications, program information, and a calendar of events.

USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent government agency that provides economic development and humanitarian assistance to advance U.S. economic and political interests overseas. The Web site has information about the organization and its work, USAID publications, news, and numerous links to governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with international development.

Village Banking

Village Banking is a program of the Foundation for International Community Assistance, that supports the economic and human development of families trapped in severe poverty by creating peer groups of 30 to 50 members, predominantly women, based on microcredit. The organization's Web site offers a detailed explanation of how the program works, program locations and statistics, news, and job opportunities and internships.

The World Bank Group

The World Bank Group strives to reduce poverty and improve living standards by promoting sustainable growth and investment in developing countries. The World Bank Group includes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. The Web site offers an imposing smorgasbord of economic facts and general information about the dozens of countries in which the World Bank Group does business.