Here you go… the keys to your NGO

Big business, with its pursuit of profit at all costs, creates some huge problems in society. Such as poisoned environments, factories run with slave labour… and the process of globalisation is spreading them everywhere. So what can the little person do? Just this: make a conscious choice not to participate – and actively search out better alternatives. Because while the world is awash with stuff we don’t need, we definitely do need more ethical entrepreneurs. And, at the same time, conscious consumers. A nice example is Sanchi Bags, recently started up in India with the vision to promote the use of eco-friendly products and empower women. The idea is that the fashionable bags – including ones for laptops and tablets – will attract youth into the “go green” movement and become trendsetters across generations. The bags are made from locally-sourced biodegradable material and, most importantly, manufactured in their own households by suburban and rural woman homemakers. You can connect with Sanchi via their facebook page www.facebook.com/sanchibags

Managing the money is a subject that anyone starting an NGO needs to grasp well. You need to be comfortable with accounting terminology and have confidence in the bookkeeping system you use. Networklearning’s new Beginner’s Guide to NGO Financial Capacity (31-page PDF) aims to make the learning curve easier – for all of us who don’t have a financial background or higher education. It bundles together best practices and explains the necessary jargon in simple language, with examples, from the perspective of an NGO. By reading it and discussing its content with other colleagues, non-technical staff will be able to learn and master essential functions in financial management, including planning, control and supervision – laying the groundwork for success and sustainability. » Download directly from the Library

Your NGO’s website is the most important vehicle for presenting your work, not least to donors. It needs to do the job properly. For NGOs in the South who need help upgrading an existing website, we at networklearning now offer a Free Website Critique – in addition to Low-cost Website upgrade & Editing Service s. For NGOs who have no budget for a site we also inform you how you can have a good, small website developed completely free of charge (via a partner organization), providing you can meet certain conditions. » Networklearning Services » Also see our short online guide to ‘ Setting up a website for your NGO ‘.

jhpiego is a new website for Health Workers run in association with Johns Hopkins. It seems to have good resources and they use language appropriate to a grassroots worker trained in English. Look at their resources about malaria , for example, Malaria – protecting mothers and their families .

Networklearning’s newest manual aims to give carers – and their supervisors – greater insight into the work that they do for their older clients. Caring for The Elderly : Best Practice in Person-centred Care includes examples from colleagues in the field and exercises for learning skills.

New titles for familiar issues is a problem for me. I have to learn the new titles and abbreviations – and often it feels as if someone thought them up to be on the inside and make me feel an outsider. But it is important to keep up and take part in the debate. We must not be overawed by jargon. And we can let each other know when a new term becomes important. I saw “mHealth” in several places and googled it. It means health care and public health programmes supported by mobile electronic gear such as mobile phones. ~ MM